In the lead-up to God of War Ragnarok, the sequel to one of the most acclaimed games of 2018, there’s been more than a little discussion about the graphical leap that might be made between the games. This became especially heated (and more than a little unreasonable) when it was revealed that Ragnarok would still be available on previous-generation hardware.
We did get a bit more information on the performance of Ragnarok, though, when developer Santa Monica Studio posted an official list of graphics modes for the game on its Twitter on November 3. PlayStation 5 users will, naturally, have a wider array of options for how to experience God of War Ragnarok’s thrilling blend of story and adventure than their PlayStation 4 using counterparts, although just how many will depend on another factor. Let’s take a look.
Related: Should Atreus replace Kratos in future God of War games? Here’s why – and why not
All God of War graphics modes
Any PlayStation 5 will give the option to either choose a “Favor Performance” mode, which targets 60 FPS and has a resolution somewhere between 1440P and 2160p, or a “Favor Quality” mode, which outputs native 4K and targets 30 FPS.
If your PlayStation 5 is also connected via HDMI 2.1 to a compatible device, however, you’ll have four options, all of which are improvements on the two mentioned above. There’s a “Favor Performance + HFR” (high frame rate) mode which runs at an unlocked 60 FPS in 1440p, as well as a “Favor Performance + HFR + VRR” mode, which is the same but with the addition of a variable refresh rate. On the resolution-oriented side, there’s a “Favor Quality + HFR” mode which will output a resolution between 1800p and 2160p at a 40 FPS target, as well as a “Favor Quality + HFR + VRR” mode that adds a variable refresh rate to the mix as well.
PlayStation 4 users have fewer options, although it depends on which version of the PS4 is being used. Pro users can choose between two options. The “Favor Performance” mode outputs between 1080p and 1656p while running at an unlocked 30 FPS, whereas the “Favor Quality” mode outputs between 1440p and 1656p at a locked 30 FPS. Standard PS4 users will only have one graphics mode, a “Standard Mode” that outputs 1080p at a locked 30 FPS.
