So P3D v4.4 update is here and I'm pleased to report it improves terrain texture sharpness at distance and altitude, but at the expense of some framerate.

I did some testing pre and post update. Took ages since loading photoscenery in P3Dv4 with HIGH_RESOLUTION_TERRAIN_TEXTURES=1 takes FOREVER (in 4.3 or 4.4, although the Create a Flight screen comes up much faster in the latter).
All I did was uninstall the client, delete the shaders folder and p3d.cfg, and then install the new client and copy across my slider settings in to the new P3D.cfg (you can find all my settings in my Avsim profile)

My two saved flights in Wales recorded 73-74 fps average, but very blurry textures in the distance. This was with Horizon VFR X Photographic and EarthSimulations Treescapes. Afterward updating I only got 58-62 FPS average but distance photo scenery textures are much sharper.

I also did a low level flight over England averaging around 47 fps. After updating the framerate was a little less stable but averaged out about the same. The improvement here was more subtle but still noticeable.

I did a night time stress test in awful weather out of UK2000 Xtreme Edinburgh in to Orbx Scotland with REX4TD+SC and averaged 23 fps. Afterwards I got 25 fps, so a minor improvement.

Here are the screenshots, snaggy will have compressed them a bit but you get the idea:

EDIT: Realised I forgot to re-enable cloud shadows the Welsh screenshots. They were re-enabled for the English and Scottish ones.


Above: 43 welsh distant texture 73 fps


44 welsh distant texture 62 fps


43 welsh sunrise 74 fps


44 welsh sunrise 58 fps


43 low level 47 fps


44 low level 48 fps