'Horizon Forbidden West' Runs Best On PS5 At 30fps

Horizon Forbidden West hits the shelves tomorrow and already a considerable amount of hype has been generated for the game. Releasing simultaneously on PS4 and PS5, Guerilla Games has worked hard to ensure that both versions are looking absolutely top notch. However, those who have managed to get their hands on the fabled PS5, will be looking to get more out of the game with the upgrades the improved hardware has to offer.

In our review of the PS5 version, we praised the "huge open-world, stunning new biomes, incredible story, and lots of content to keep you busy" which Horizon Forbidden West has to offer. However, following an in depth technical report by Digital Foundry, some people are a little disappointed by its recommended specifications.

Those too excited to wait for Horizon Forbidden West to drop, can learn a bit more about the story in the trailer below.

Testing out both Horizon's Resolution Mode, which optimises settings for better graphical output, and the Performance Mode which puts fast-paced gaming at the forefront, it recommends the better graphics in order to best enjoy the game. The Resolution Mode offers native 4K graphics while running the game at just 30fps. While the Performance Mode will give you 60fps but only offers checkerboarded 1800p.

"When Forbidden West was first shown running on PS5 it was shown running at 30fps. Knowing what we know now I can understand why they wanted to focus on the Resolution Mode." While Digital Foundry concedes Performance Mode "does manage to support a mostly stable 60fps throughout play" the stuttering in cutscenes and other graphical pops, makes Resolution Mode the way to go in their opinion.

The biggest upgrade is in the load times though. Whether on PS4 or PS5, the load times are hugely improved on over their predecessor. Horizon Zero Dawn had load times for fast travel over one minute long, whereas the latest release can be as spiffy as five seconds. Whichever way you want to play the new Horizon game, you'll be able to do so very soon. 

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