Platform comparison

Dying Light 2: which platform plays it best?

What changes between PS5, Xbox, PS4: resolution, FPS per mode, what each official store publishes and the FPS we measured on PC.

  • 3platforms compared
  • 12,87 €cheapest key, on Xbox
  • 5video comparisons

Quick verdict

Check videos →

Xbox Series X is the highest-resolution console version of Dying Light 2, and performance mode is the one to play on any of them.

Best graphics experience Xbox Series X 1944p in resolution mode and a native 2304x1296 in balanced
Best console experience Xbox Series X more modes, more resolution and Xbox One save transfer
Best for the money PS5 1080p60 performance mode and loading three times faster than PS4

Series X edges ahead

Its resolution mode reaches 1944p against 1800p on PS5, and patch 1.0.2.0 added a balanced mode rendering at a native 2304x1296. It is also the only version that lets you carry over an Xbox One save.

PS5 holds up, with two catches

All three of its modes run at a stable frame rate and loading is three times faster than on PS4. But quality and resolution modes add input lag, and it carries a black flickering bug.

Performance mode wins everywhere

Quality and resolution add controller lag to a game built on parkour and melee. At 1080p and 60fps you lose resolution but get the response back, and the ray tracing you give up is only shadows.

No setting hides this: motion blur cannot be turned off on console, and PS4 and PS4 Pro tear badly in areas thick with vegetation.

Updated 13 Mar 2022

Price on each platform

The best live offer for each version, every price with its format.

Dying Light 2 on PS5 and Xbox Series: graphics and frame rate comparison

  • PS5 offers a resolution mode at 1800p and 30fps, performance at 1080p and 60fps, and quality at 1080p and 30fps with ray tracing.
  • Series X pushes the resolution mode to 1944p and keeps the other two modes at 1080p.
  • Series S is locked to 1080p at 30fps, with no modes to choose from.
  • Console ray tracing is limited to shadows in quality mode; reflections are SSR on every console.
  • PC is the only platform with ray-traced reflections, and the only one where field of view can be changed.
  • On Xbox you can import your Xbox One save; from PS4 to PS5 you cannot.
  • Console frame rate is stable in every mode, but quality and resolution add input lag, so he recommends performance.
  • PS5 carries a black flickering bug that, in his view, should not have shipped.

Dying Light 2 on PS4, PS4 Pro and PS5: graphics comparison

  • PS4 runs at 900p and 30fps, while PS4 Pro moves up to 1080p at the same 30fps.
  • PS4 and PS4 Pro tear noticeably, above all in areas with dense vegetation.
  • PS5 quality mode adds ray-traced shadows and improves the quality of the SSR reflections.
  • Dying Light 2 has no PS4 to PS5 cross-save, unlike the Xbox versions.
  • Loading is three times faster on PS5, though it stays long on every version.
  • PS5 holds a stable frame rate in all three modes, but quality and resolution add input lag.

Series X balanced mode, measured

  • The balanced mode arrived on Series X with patch 1.0.2.0.
  • In that mode Series X renders at a native 2304x1296.
  • The game appears to upscale using nearest neighbour, which leaves uneven pixel scaling.
  • The test was run with the distance blur setting disabled.

Series S performance mode, measured

  • Series S also got its performance mode in patch 1.0.2.0.
  • In that mode Series S renders at a native 1600x900.
  • Nearest neighbour upscaling again leaves uneven pixel scaling.
  • Against quality mode, performance lowers ambient occlusion, texture filtering, reflection quality, fog quality and shadow quality.

Dying Light 2 on PS4 and Xbox One: frame rate comparison

  • PS4 renders at a native 1536x864 and Xbox One S at 1280x720.
  • PS4 Pro and Xbox One X move up to a native 1920x1080.
  • The base last-gen consoles cut noticeably more graphics settings than the enhanced ones.
  • Frame time spikes happen at points.
  • The versions tested were 1.04 on PlayStation and 1.0.1.8 on Xbox.

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 PS5 Xbox PS4
Graphics modes Three: resolution, quality and performanceThree on Series X, plus the balanced mode added in patch 1.0.2.0 · Series S launched without modes and later got performanceNone
Resolution in resolution mode 1800p at 30fps1944p at 30fps on Series X—
Resolution in quality mode 1080p at 30fps with ray tracing1080p at 30fps with ray tracing on Series X—
Resolution in performance mode 1080p at 60fps1080p at 60fps on Series X · native 1600x900 on Series S—
Resolution in balanced mode —Native 2304x1296 on Series X—
Resolution on last-gen consoles —Native 1280x720 on One S · 1920x1080 on One XNative 1536x864 on PS4 · 1920x1080 on PS4 Pro
Ray tracing Shadows, quality mode onlyShadows in Series X quality modeNo
Reflections SSR · quality mode improves themSSRSSR
Import your last-gen save NoYes—
Adjustable field of view NoNoNo
Loading times Three times faster than PS4, still long—Long

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 Dying Light 2

Which console does Dying Light 2 look best on?

Xbox Series X. Its resolution mode reaches 1944p against 1800p on PS5, and patch 1.0.2.0 added a balanced mode at a native 2304x1296. In the other modes both consoles sit at 1080p.

Which graphics mode should I use?

Performance, at 1080p and 60fps. Quality and resolution modes add input lag, and the ray tracing you gain is limited to shadows.

Can I carry my last-gen save over?

On Xbox, yes: an Xbox One save imports without trouble. From PS4 to PS5 it is not possible.

How does it run on Xbox Series S?

It launched at 1080p and 30fps with no modes to choose from, and patch 1.0.2.0 added a performance mode rendering at a native 1600x900. That mode lowers ambient occlusion, texture filtering, reflections, fog and shadows.

Is it worth it on PS4 or Xbox One?

Those are the leanest versions. PS4 renders at 1536x864 and Xbox One S at 1280x720, while PS4 Pro and One X reach 1080p. The base consoles cut a lot of settings and tear in dense vegetation.

Does it have ray tracing on console?

Only for shadows, and only in the quality mode of PS5 and Series X. Reflections are SSR on every console version.

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.