Porting involves adapting an existing build to new hardware rather than copying it directly. Frame rate targets, memory limits, input systems, and certification rules vary by platform, so assets and systems often need revision. Performance tuning and compliance checks usually take priority over adding new features. Our collaboration with Poppy Playtime showcases our porting expertise at its best.
About Project
Poppy Playtime, an episodic survival horror game developed by Mob Entertainment, released its first episode in 2021. Scary toys navigating abandoned toy factory gained lots of fans. The game had 77,000 positive reviews on Steam and 2.3 million units sold. Follow-up episodes were released in 2022 and 2024. When Mob Entertainment decided to port the second edition to console, they came to us.
About Client
Mob Entertainment, formerly EnchantedMob, Inc., is a multimedia company known for creating the hit game Poppy Playtime. Two founders, brothers Seth and Zach Belanger, started with a YouTube channel and have grown into a full-scale gaming company.
The goal: Ensuring a seamless PC-to-console transition with enhanced performance
The original version showed occasional frame drops and resource spikes, so part of the porting work involved reviewing bottlenecks and adjusting systems to better match console hardware.
Porting rarely follows a template. Each title behaves differently depending on engine setup, asset structure, and gameplay systems. In the case of Poppy Playtime Episode 2, several technical constraints required targeted adjustments rather than direct transfer.
Below are some of the challenges that required special attention during the console adaptation.
Challenge 1: Lighting
The original game featured dynamic lighting. Special lighting volumes were also utilized to distribute it more efficiently. These volumes required ray tracing, a technology unavailable on consoles.
Solution: Since using lighting volumes was not feasible, we replaced dynamic lighting with static lighting. The trick was to maintain as much similarity to the original as possible. Wherever possible, the lighting was baked to ensure consistent performance across all platforms.
Challenge 2: Geometry
The location geometry was very complex, which hindered light baking and optimization.
Solution: We optimized the geometry and reworked the light maps for optimal performance and visual fidelity. As a result, we were able to perform light baking at nearly all points.
Challenge 3: Rendering
We encountered a large number of draw calls, causing significant performance issues in some locations.
Solution: We employed static mesh combining, drastically reducing the number of draw calls. To further enhance location performance, we added instance levels. This trick helped preserve the quality of the geometry.
Challenge 4: Physics
To access the functionality of Unreal Engine’s new generation, we migrated the project from Unreal Engine 4.27 to version 5.4. This transition introduced inevitable issues with physics.
Solution: We updated the entire physics system to the latest version of Unreal Engine, ensuring an optimal gameplay experience. While this introduced some additional bugs in the game’s functionality, fixing them was well worth the final result.
Extra Adjustments:
- Shaders
- Several shader setups from the PC build were not compatible with the console rendering pipeline. These were reworked to match platform requirements while keeping the overall visual tone consistent.
- Characters
- Character assets carried higher polygon counts than the console budget allowed. Geometry was reduced where possible, redundant bones were removed from rigs, and hair setups were simplified to improve runtime performance without altering core silhouettes.
- Video Playback
- The original video playback implementation caused crashes on PS4 hardware. To resolve this, we implemented a more universal and reliable approach to ensure smooth playback on consoles.
Team structure
Our star team of over ten professionals include:
- Developers
- QA testers
- Tech artist
- UI designer
- Project manager
They dedicated seven months to the project, working autonomously and meeting with clients only to present builds and gather feedback.
Work process
Research
Our porting process for Poppy Playtime 2 started by gathering information on the game’s features. We then analyzed the source code to identify areas needing adjustments, like gamepad integration and performance tuning specific to each platform.
Pre-development
At this stage, we upgraded the game engine to the new generation of Unreal Engine (version 4.27 to 5.4). This involved fixing all the bugs in the game’s physics that inevitably appear with such an update.
Main porting phase
In the main phase, we refined the game’s physics and visuals, addressed high-priority bugs, and adapted the controls and UI for console play. The ready builds for each platform were presented to the client monthly.
Stabilization phase
Once the build works without any blockers, we polish other smaller bugs, optimize the performance, and adjust all minor flaws according to the client’s feedback. The builds are ready for the final submission.
Certification/final
Versions for different console types were certified one by one. The game was released on four platforms in five months. This way, we completed our work on time according to the agreements with the client.
Result: Successful release and high reviews
We successfully ported Poppy Playtime 2 to four platforms: X-Box One, X-Box Series, PS4, and PS5.
Upon release, the console versions received better reviews than the original PC version. Our porting team is proud of this achievement. They not only delivered a successful project but also enhanced its graphics and performance beyond the original.
Looking for professionals to trust with your porting project? Contact us and witness the magic our team can bring to your video game.
