F1 2021: which platform plays it best?
What changes between PC, PS5, Xbox, PS4: resolution, FPS per mode, what each official store publishes and the FPS we measured on PC.
Quick verdict
F1 2021 looks best on PC, and between consoles Series X edges out PS5.
Why PC wins
It is the only version that keeps ray tracing while you are racing: on console it only works in photo mode. It also has a clear advantage in RT shadows and is not tied to two fixed modes. The cost is steep: with RT on and DLSS off the average falls to 40-50 FPS on an RTX 3080.
On console
PS5 and Series X are identical, at 2160p/60 FPS or 1440p/120 FPS, and both push some settings to PC Ultra level. Series X takes the tiebreak on two details: it loads slightly faster and it does not show the random drops PS5 has in the 120 FPS mode.
Series S and last gen
Series S is limited to a single 1080p/60 FPS mode with lower quality ray-traced reflections. Xbox One and PS4 also run at 1080p/60, and PS4 Pro moves up to 1800p. Across all of them textures, filtering and draw distance are the same.
On console ray tracing does not run while you race: it only switches on in photo mode.
Price on each platform
The best live offer for each version, every price with its format.
Final prices with fees
Copied!
F1 2021 on Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4 and PS5
- Xbox One, PS4 and Xbox Series S share the same resolution: 1080p at 60 FPS.
- The more powerful Xbox One reaches 2160p/60 FPS, while PS4 Pro settles at 1800p/60 FPS.
- PS5 and Series X get two display options, one at 2160p and one at 1440p.
- The frame rate is practically perfect on every version; he only finds an isolated drop on PS5 at 120 FPS.
- Current-gen versions push some settings up to the PC Ultra preset: grass, some textures and in-game shadows.
- Ray tracing only appears on the current-gen versions and only in photo mode: during a race, RT reflections and shadows are switched off.
F1 2021 on PS5, Xbox Series and PC
- PS5 and Xbox Series X run at the same resolution in both modes: 2160p/60 FPS or 1440p/120 FPS.
- Xbox Series S only has one mode, at 1080p/60 FPS.
- On PC he runs it with every setting maxed out using an RTX 3080 with DLSS.
- Performance is near perfect on all platforms, apart from random drops on PS5 in the 120 FPS mode.
- Ray tracing is used for shading and some reflections, but on console it is absent during gameplay: it only kicks in for photo mode.
- On PC, with RT on and DLSS off, the average drops to 40-50 FPS.
- RT reflections are the same quality on PS5, Series X and PC, and lower on Series S; for shadows, PC has a clear advantage.
- Textures, anisotropic filtering and draw distance are identical on every platform, and loading is slightly faster on Series X.
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 | PS4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics modes | Free settings | Two: 2160p/60 FPS and 1440p/120 FPS | Two on Series X (2160p/60 FPS and 1440p/120 FPS) · one on Series S (1080p/60 FPS) | One |
| Maximum resolution | Unlocked | 2160p | 2160p on Series X · 1080p on Series S · 1080p on Xbox One | 1080p on PS4 · 1800p on PS4 Pro |
| Frame rate target | Unlocked | 60 at 2160p and 120 at 1440p | 60 at 2160p and 120 at 1440p on Series X · 60 on Series S and Xbox One | 60 |
| Stability | — | Near perfect, with the odd isolated drop in the 120 FPS mode | Near perfect | Near perfect |
| 120 FPS | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Ray tracing | Yes, during gameplay | Photo mode only | Photo mode only, on the Series consoles | — |
| Ray-traced reflection quality | Level with PS5 and Series X | Level with PC and Series X | Level on Series X · lower on Series S | — |
| Ray-traced shadows | Clear advantage for PC | — | — | — |
| PC performance with RT | 40-50 FPS average on an RTX 3080 without DLSS | — | — | — |
| Current-gen settings | Reference point: the Ultra preset | Some settings up at PC Ultra level: grass, some textures and in-game shadows | The same higher settings on the Series consoles | — |
| Textures, anisotropic filtering and draw distance | Identical on every platform | Identical on every platform | Identical on every platform | Identical on every platform |
| Loading times | — | — | Fastest of the lot, on Series X | — |
| HDR | — | — | Yes | — |
| Spatial audio | — | — | Dolby Atmos | — |
| Split screen | — | — | Yes | — |
| Cloud saves | — | — | Yes | — |
| Optimised for the current generation | — | — | Yes | — |
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 F1 2021
Which platform does F1 2021 look best on?
PC, and the gap is ray tracing: it is the only version that keeps it during a race, while on console it only works in photo mode. PC also has a clear advantage in ray-traced shadows.
Does it run at 120 FPS on console?
Yes, on PS5 and Xbox Series X, in a 1440p mode. The alternative is 2160p at 60 FPS. Xbox Series S does not get that mode: it only offers 1080p at 60 FPS.
Is ray tracing worth it here?
On console you do not get to decide: it only switches on in photo mode. On PC it does run during gameplay, but it is expensive, since without DLSS the average drops to 40-50 FPS on an RTX 3080.
Is there any difference between PS5 and Xbox Series X?
Very little. They share resolutions and modes, 2160p/60 FPS or 1440p/120 FPS, and the same higher settings. Series X loads slightly faster, and PS5 shows random drops in the 120 FPS mode.
How does it run on Xbox Series S?
Well, but cut back: a single 1080p, 60 FPS mode and lower quality ray-traced reflections than PS5, Series X and PC. Textures, anisotropic filtering and draw distance are the same, though.
What about PS4 and Xbox One?
Xbox One and PS4 run at 1080p and 60 FPS, and PS4 Pro moves up to 1800p while holding 60. Performance is practically perfect, but there is no ray tracing and none of the higher current-gen settings.
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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