Porting is not an easy activity. It needs substantial knowledge of operating the different hardware of the device where you would like to port the game and the software of the game that you would like to port on a device. A particular game consists of different features which are only applicable and appropriate to a specific device or platform. These features mainly include graphics, speed, file size, and system requirements.
Normally, PC games have average system requirements of a graphics card with an equivalent of 2GB VRAM and a processing device of Intel 3000 to 7000 series. Moreover, if you plan to port your PC game to PS5 ports, you might need to check the specifications of PS5 to determine a proper and technically correct porting of your PC game on a PS45 system.
Thus, if you want to achieve a successful porting, these steps and tips below will help you:
Stages of PC game porting to PS5
- Familiarize each requirement of the game and PS5 ports system and its programming accordance. Check compatibility, performance, interface, and audio-video features.
- Modification, Optimization, and Upscaling processes.
- Seek legality for your new product title and features.
- Promote and create ads for audiences and enthusiasts to see how the new product looks like that entices and draws in their interests.
Instead of only taking about the particular steps, here are basic porting pieces of advice that most creators or individual developers should take into consideration and focus on to provide holistic and optimum features of the game after porting to PS5.
Access to Program Tools and Frameworks
The Devkits and software packages are the operating system, hardware platforms, programming language, software structure, and manufacturer application that create the entire framework of the game, it offers developers a suite of tools that make the process of creating apps more productive and efficient. Thus, it gives the possibility of the ported PC game to ports on PS5 accurately workable.
Access to the Devkit of the software program as necessary when porting it on the PS5 system. Accessing the Devkit requires you to work on altering the framework that builds the structure of the game. Therefore, you must see to it that you are compliant with the code of standards of the manufacturer for a legitimate and legal endeavor of optimizing it.
The Main Creation Process
Understanding the hardware requirement of each platform is essential to a successful port since it will help you determine what modifications are required to make your game function correctly on all platforms. Additionally, knowing which platforms your audience prefers to use might help you choose which ones to convert your games to primarily. The use of versatile and open-source tools, engines, or libraries is the most effective procedure in game porting.
- As the primary version of the game is tested on a particular platform which is the PC, optimizing it using the tools can make it work for other platforms (Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation, PS5, etc.) according to the system requirements where it needs to be ported. For PS5, the game software’s Devkit must accord to higher specifications of at least 50% to 100% quicker.
- Things include a much-improved processor, and a GPU compatible with RTX 2070 or RTX Super from Nvidia with 16GB of DDR RAM and 800+ GB ultrafast SSD. Also, take into consideration the sources of new codes, and new languages (at least C++ or more for ports on PS5), and make sure it fits the pre-built version of PS5. Therefore, upscaling the game’s components which are intended for PC is a must.
- Other improvements that you need the optimizations to abide by are PS5’s new features such as variable rate shading technology, ray tracing lighting effects, and 8k gaming outputs.
- Use memory resources judiciously for strong, accurate, precise, and appropriate portability. It is not needed to use all of the several gigabytes of RAM and video cards that PCs have. Bear in mind that certain other systems measure memory in megabytes and might have a difficult time running the game.
- Another factor when optimizing the game Devkit is to eliminate unused resources such as textures and sounds when it has been used up for the game or are not compatible with the new system.
- Keep CPU utilization in check. Make an effort to develop multithreaded programming. On some platforms, a single CPU might not be able to handle all the work so it is better to divide and create two or more threads that can run on multiple CPUs. Multithreading helps in giving possibilities that the porting on PS5 functions optimally and effectively.
- When you use a library (for physics, audio, xml parsing, etc.), check how these factors operate. You can alter or modify the whole element depending on how you like the game to run.
Legitimize
The verification and legalization of the modified game feature normally take time before it will be deemed legal for release and available in the market as a product. Moreover, porting a PC game to the PS5 platform does not only end with alteration and code accessing. Other aspects that prove the legitimacy of your product for porting include the need for licenses, version checks, user identification, social integration with the manufacturer and brand, certifications, and exporting.
To conclude
You should mind and expect that several features of the game may be visualized differently when operated on a PS5. Thus, porting the game to PS5 may also give different experiences, may it be variations in the graphic display, speed, and command responses. But this is not only the case.
Porting may also give you the opportunity to enjoy the game more and provide new experiences that enliven the features which you could not come across with the older version. As a pursuant developer, you can earn a significant amount of exposure to players who may not have previously known about the game if you are currently creating a new twist to its features. This can give you more possibilities to release your own patented game title.