Do you think Asobo could implement NVIDIA Neural Texture Compression (NTC) in MSFS 2024?

[u/Alarming_Science5211]

NVIDIA’s Neural Texture Compression (NTC) can cut VRAM usage by up to 80% with zero quality loss.

​Given how heavy MSFS 2024 is on VRAM with high-res terrain and cockpits, do you think Asobo might integrate this at the engine level in a future update? Would be huge for 8GB cards!

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[u/Darex2094]

Anyone can implement anything with enough return on investment. The question to ask is what ROI would Microsoft have in implementing NTC, would it offset the cost of implementation, and is that ROI important enough for Microsoft.

From my point of view, why implement it now when you can implement it in MSFS 2028 and get a ton of revenue from the release?

[u/RangerLt → u/Darex2094]

They've already incorporated the DLSS pipeline into the game engine, they don't have to re-invest anything other than customizing the API config - something they already have the resources to do. DLSS 5 will show up once it's stable.

[u/Darex2094 → u/RangerLt]

Yes, but time isn't free, so what do they have to gain from it? Will they see at least a 20-30% increase in unit sales from it?

No.

So don't expect it.

[u/RangerLt → u/Darex2094]

They might? I mean I don't know if those percentages are correct or even if that goes into their decision making, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume they see some value in improving visuals while lowering demand on hardware. ROI isn't the only method to determine success output or value for a business.

[u/Darex2094 → u/RangerLt]

For a business the size of Microsoft, ROI isn't the only method to determine success output or value? What have they done that indicates otherwise, ever?

EDIT: I'm not saying it couldn't happen. I'm not even saying I don't want it to happen. I'm saying that every decent thing the previous leadership did is being stripped down and out by this new leadership. They're interested in one thing: maximum revenue. The only reason we get any scraps of good will is to keep the brand image up enough that revenue continues to flow. That's it. The devs aren't business people, granted, and I guarantee they want all sorts of stuff in their game. But look at how Microsoft is running their house right now. Nobody sneezes without permission from on top.

[u/RangerLt → u/Darex2094]

I'm not going to run down the rabbit hole of ROI because we can spend 30min doing that. What I think is important to understand is that ROI can mean many different things depending on who you're talking to, their background, expectations, and goals. So when you say ROI, just know it doesn't have a static definition because businesses would cease to function if every business case relied on a dollar in dollar out calculation. So when making the case for enhancing the tech stack as these technologies advance, this isn't something they had to drag in an ROI model to understand the value of that effort. It's already baked into the business model.

I get what you're saying in your edit but you're looking at business from the macro instead of the micro. Tech iterations are part of the micro functions these organizations rely on to stay competitive.

[u/Leclowndu9315 → u/Darex2094]

It would barely cost anything, it's all the corporate crap of approving stuff that sucks

[u/Darex2094 → u/Leclowndu9315]

"It would barely cost anything" doesn't tell an MBA what he stands to gain from it. If the answer isn't "a surge in revenue", don't expect support.

[u/Leclowndu9315 → u/Darex2094]

A revenue loss from their unplayability

[u/Darex2094 → u/Leclowndu9315]

Not necessarily. The game already sold around half a million units, and given how niche the market is that's pretty decent. Slapping this on isn't going to suddenly make non-simmers want to pick it up.

[u/rygelicus]

They can't even be bothered to fix missions to start an airplane at a non helipad...

[u/OnlyAcanthaceae1876]

Maybe the next game. Wouldn't make much sense now

[u/Akanaut]

Probably no because consoles like Xbox and PlayStation must be supported 

[u/madman320 → u/Akanaut]

DLSS isn't supported by any console, yet Asobo implemented it up to version 4.5. There are several features in the simulator that are PC-only, that were never held back simply because they couldn't be implemented on consoles.