Assassins Creed Shadows: which platform plays it best?
What changes between PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch 2: resolution, FPS per mode, what each official store publishes and the FPS we measured on PC.
Quick verdict
The best version of Assassin's Creed Shadows is the PC one, and on console PS5 Pro leads.
Why PC wins
PC at maximum settings looks close to PS5 Pro quality mode, but with better shadows, more draw distance and better hair. And there is headroom: the analysis says any RTX 40 or 50 card runs it maxed out at its recommended resolution thanks to DLSS.
On console
On console the three big machines are level on paper: three modes, dynamic resolution upscaled to 2160p, and 30, 40 or 60 FPS. PS5 Pro breaks the tie by keeping ray tracing in performance mode and, since update 1.0.2, adding PSSR. Series X takes one small win: it draws vegetation further out in performance mode.
The Switch 2 version
Switch 2 plays a different game. It only pays off if you want it portable. Performance elsewhere is rock solid across every platform and mode.
Switch 2 gets a single mode and cuts everywhere, and it struggles to hold a stable 30 FPS in cities with a lot of NPCs.
Price on each platform
The best live offer for each version, every price with its format.
Final prices with fees
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Assassin's Creed Shadows on Xbox Series X, PS5, PS5 Pro and PC: graphics comparison
- PS5, PS5 Pro and Series X all have three modes: resolution at 30 FPS, balanced at 40 FPS (120 Hz displays only) and performance at 60 FPS.
- All three run at a dynamic resolution upscaled to 2160p with TAAU: 1620p in resolution, 1440p in balanced and performance.
- Performance mode cuts draw distance, shadow quality and textures, and turns off ray tracing and high-quality hair.
- PS5 Pro is the only console that keeps, in performance mode, the ray tracing PS5 and Series X only get in quality, and in quality it improves global illumination and reflections.
- Series X draws vegetation slightly further out in performance mode than the other versions.
- The PC version at maximum settings looks close to PS5 Pro quality mode, with slightly better shadows, draw distance and hair.
- Ubisoft recommends resolution mode, and the analysis agrees on any platform if you can live with 30 FPS.
Assassin's Creed Shadows on PS5 Pro with PSSR: what update 1.0.2 changes
- Update 1.0.2 brings PSSR to PS5 Pro, switchable from the menu in any of the three modes.
- It also nudges up vegetation draw distance and shadows in quality mode.
- PSSR cleans up aliasing, most visibly in balanced mode.
- The trade-off is a loss of sharpness in texturing and reflections.
- In performance mode the game dips below 60 FPS at some points with PSSR on.
- Balanced mode shows desync issues with PSSR, unnoticeable if you use VRR.
Assassin's Creed Shadows on Switch 2 versus PS5 and Xbox Series S
- Switch 2 offers a single display mode.
- The cuts against every other version are across the board: lighting, level of detail, textures, animations, shadows, draw distance and reflections.
- Even so it holds a decent visual level, at a resolution close to Star Wars Outlaws and with good use of DLSS.
- The problem is the frame rate: it struggles to hold a stable 30 FPS, especially in cities with a lot of NPCs.
- The comparison used PS5 and Series S in quality mode.
Full platform comparison
Resolution, modes and FPS come from the video analyses above. The rest is published by each platform's official store and by the game's technical sheet on PC. Where nobody publishes the figure we put a dash, not a guess.
| Feature | PC | PS5 | Xbox | Switch 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics modes | Free settings | Three: resolution, balanced and performance | Three: resolution, balanced and performance | One |
| Resolution mode | 2160p with DLSS in the test | Dynamic 1620p upscaled to 2160p | Dynamic 1620p upscaled to 2160p | — |
| Balanced mode | — | Dynamic 1440p to 2160p, 120 Hz displays only | Dynamic 1440p to 2160p, 120 Hz displays only | — |
| Performance mode | — | Dynamic 1440p to 2160p | Dynamic 1440p to 2160p | — |
| Frame rate per mode | Unlocked | 30 · 40 · 60 | 30 · 40 · 60 | ~30, drops in busy cities |
| Ray tracing | Always on | Yes in resolution and balanced; off in performance | Yes in resolution and balanced; off in performance | — |
| Ray tracing in performance mode | — | Only PS5 Pro keeps it | No | — |
| Upscaling | DLSS 3.7, FSR 3.1, XeSS 2 | TAAU; PSSR on PS5 Pro since 1.0.2 | TAAU | DLSS |
| Frame generation | DLSS FG, FSR FG, XeSS FG | — | — | — |
| HDR | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4K | Yes | — | — | — |
| 120 FPS | Yes | — | — | — |
| Ultrawide | Yes | — | — | — |
| Adjustable field of view | Yes | — | — | — |
| Cloud saves | Yes, on Ubisoft Connect | — | — | — |
Xbox is the Series X column unless Series S is stated. Resolution, modes, FPS, VRR and download size come from the videos; HDR, ray tracing and PC features from the technical sheet and the official Xbox catalogue.
Frequently asked questions about Assassins Creed Shadows
Which platform does Assassin's Creed Shadows look best on?
PC. Maxed out it looks close to PS5 Pro quality mode, but with better shadows, more draw distance and better hair. Among consoles, PS5 Pro has the best image.
How many graphics modes are there on console?
Three on PS5, PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X: resolution at 30 FPS, balanced at 40 FPS and performance at 60 FPS. Balanced only shows up if you have a 120 Hz display. Switch 2 has a single mode.
What resolution does it run at on console?
All of them use a dynamic resolution upscaled to 2160p with TAAU, starting from 1620p in resolution mode and 1440p in balanced and performance. No figure has been published for Switch 2, though the analysis puts it around the Star Wars Outlaws level.
What does PS5 Pro add over PS5?
Two things. It is the only console that keeps ray tracing in performance mode, with the global illumination and reflections the others only get in quality. And in quality mode it sharpens global illumination and reflections further. Update 1.0.2 also added PSSR.
Should I turn PSSR on for PS5 Pro?
It depends on the mode. It cleans up aliasing, most of all in balanced, but you lose sharpness in textures and reflections. In performance mode it pushes the game below 60 FPS at some points, and in balanced it causes desync that only VRR hides.
Which mode does the analysis recommend?
Resolution mode, on any platform, if you can live with 30 FPS. That is also Ubisoft's recommendation. Performance mode switches off ray tracing and cuts shadows, textures and draw distance.
How good is the Switch 2 version?
It cuts everywhere: lighting, level of detail, textures, animations, shadows, draw distance and reflections. The visual level still holds up, helped by DLSS. The catch is the frame rate, which does not always hold 30 FPS in busy city areas.
What graphics card do I need on PC?
The analysis tested it at 2160p, maximum settings and DLSS on an RTX 4060 Ti, 4070 Super, 4070 Ti Super, 4080, 5070, 5070 Ti, 5080 and 5090, and all of them ran it fine at their recommended resolution. We have no FPS measurements of our own for this game.
Does it have ray tracing on PC?
Yes, and it is always on: you cannot switch it off. On console it only runs in resolution and balanced modes, except on PS5 Pro, which also keeps it in performance.
Which one is cheapest?
The cheapest key is on PC. Above it sit Xbox, PS5 and Switch 2. Prices move every day: the live ones are on each version’s page. Watch out for account offers, cheaper because they are not a purchase in your name.
Video analysis by El Analista de Bits. The videos play from their own channel. PC data according to PCGamingWiki and our own FPS measurements; Xbox features according to the official Microsoft catalogue.
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