While many were excited for God of War on PS4 Pro, it appears as if it’s difficult to reach a consistent 30 FPS while playing the game in 4K resolution.
Part of the major appeal of God of War on PS4 Pro is the intense graphics capabilities. The game looks its best on Sony’s most powerful console, but it appears as if the demands of the game outpace even this beefy system. When playing in 4K resolution, Polygon reports that the “Favor Resolution” mode doesn’t allow for a consistent 30 FPS – a major problem for those looking for a smooth gameplay experience in addition to the best that graphics have to offer.
While 60 FPS or above is preferable for most gamers, 30 FPS is the point at which it becomes difficult to notice any sort of frame rate issues. When you start to dip below that point, the game doesn’t perform nearly as smoothly – which can be a big disappointment for those who were expecting God of War on PS4 Pro to run flawlessly in addition to maxing out that 4K resolution. Overall, the 4K resolution isn’t worth having a game that can’t get a consistent 30 FPS, which makes the God of War on PS4 Pro functionality less than many were anticipating.
God of War is a huge franchise that has been incredibly financially successful, and many people have no doubt gone out and purchased a console in hopes that they could experience one of the first titles that was developed specifically with the Pro in mind. That’s not to say that the game won’t run on a regular PS4, but getting that 4K functionality out of God of War on PS4 Pro was important to many people. Producing 4K graphics is incredibly demanding from a technical standpoint, but it seems as if the developers have over-promised if they weren’t able to deliver that sort of graphical fidelity while also maintaining at least 30 FPS.
Polygon has reported that, while the game is above 30 FPS for a lot of the time, the frame rate drops happen frequently enough to be jarring – making it difficult to play God of War on PS4 Pro in 4K. The issues happen both in combat and while just running around the world, and it was enough to prompt reviewers to switch to Performance mode and experience a more smooth gameplay experience at the expense of these 4K graphics.
While many would expect the frame rate with the performance mode for God of War on PS4 Pro to be locked at a consistent 60 FPS, that seems like it was a bit too much to ask. While the game almost never dipped below 30 FPS and ran at a rate that was consistently higher than that, it wasn’t able to maintain that maxed out frame rate – driving home the graphical demands that such a visually impressive title can put on one of the most powerful consoles this generation.
A video from Polygon’s YouTube channel has been included below that gives you a sense of the frame rate difference. It may not seem like a lot, but God of War on PS4 Pro is notably less smooth when played on a 4K resolution when compared to being played normally. It isn’t unplayable by any means, but that slight stuttering here or there can definitely detract from what would otherwise be one of the best gameplay experiences of the year to date. It’s up to the gamer to decide whether these minor stutters are enough to warrant switching to performance mode – or even passing up the game entirely – but it’s no doubt disappointing to the type of gamer that was planning to enjoy the ultimate in graphical fidelity by enjoying God of War on PS4 Pro at a 4K resolution. With how advanced games have become, it’s easy for people to notice those minor dips below 30 FPS, and we hope that future games that utilize the 4K capabilities of the PS4 Pro are a little more refined and without these issues that can break the immersion of this excellent title.
