Platform comparison

Forspoken: which platform plays it best?

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

  • 2platforms compared
  • 29graphics cards measured on PC
  • 19,53 €cheapest key, on PC
  • 3video comparisons

Quick verdict

Check videos →

Forspoken looks best on PC, but it asks for a lot of hardware; on PS5 the sensible pick is quality mode.

Best graphics experience PC starts at PS5 quality mode and adds draw distance and ray-traced shadows
Best console experience PS5 quality mode averaging 1728p, and 40fps with 120 Hz enabled
Best for the money PS5 three modes and very fast loading without needing an expensive GPU

Why PC wins

Its settings start where PS5 quality mode ends and climb from there: more draw distance and better ray-traced shadows. We measured 29 cards on the Very high preset and an RTX 4090 only reaches 103-113 fps, so nothing here comes cheap.

Mind the optimisation

The analysis was blunt: everything on ultra with an RTX 4080 barely averaged 40fps, and DLSS or FSR were needed to make it playable. At least the choice is wide, with FSR 3.1, DLSS 2.5 and XeSS 1.1 all supported.

Which mode on PS5

Quality mode is the one that raises textures, draw distance and resolution, averaging 1728p. Ray tracing drops to 1512p for shadows that skip vegetation entirely, and performance sits at a dynamic 1440p without holding 60fps.

The PS5 ray tracing mode does not pay off: it costs resolution and does not even apply traced shadows to the vegetation that fills half the screen.

Based on 29 GPUs measured and all console display modes Updated 25 Jan 2023

Price on each platform

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

See every price for Forspoken on all platforms →

Forspoken on PS5 versus PC: graphics and frame rate comparison

  • PS5 has three graphics modes: quality, ray tracing and performance.
  • Quality mode gives better textures, more draw distance and a higher resolution, averaging 1728p.
  • Ray tracing mode drops to an average 1512p and cuts texture quality and draw distance to improve shadows on some elements, but not reflections or overall lighting.
  • Performance mode carries the same cuts as ray tracing mode and caps resolution at a dynamic 1440p with temporal reconstruction, and still fails to hold a stable 60fps.
  • With 120 Hz enabled, resolution is capped at 1440p in every mode: quality and ray tracing reach 40fps, while performance stays at 60.
  • The PC settings look close to PS5 quality mode, with better draw distance and better ray-traced shadows.
  • He calls the PC version poorly optimised: an RTX 4080 barely averaged 40fps, forcing him to use DLSS or FSR.
  • Loading is very fast on both platforms, marginally faster on PC.

The PS5 modes and the drop from the reveal trailer

  • The demo already carries the final game's three graphics modes, and he expects no major changes at launch.
  • Ray-traced shadows do not apply to every element: vegetation, which fills much of the environment, is left out.
  • For that reason he flatly advises against the ray tracing mode.
  • Against the 2020 reveal trailer, the game has lost ground in lighting, textures, geometry and detail density.
  • He argues Luminous Engine is not up to the job here and the final result falls short of what was promised.

Forspoken on PS5: resolution and frame rate in every mode

  • In performance mode PS5 uses a dynamic resolution between 1280x720 and 2560x1440, and usually renders below 1920x1080.
  • In the 30fps quality mode the dynamic range runs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, and it rarely reaches the top.
  • In the 30fps ray tracing mode the range runs from 1472x828 to 2880x1620.
  • The 40fps modes reuse those ranges but average lower, because the dynamic system is targeting 40fps.
  • The 40fps modes are unlocked by enabling 120 Hz display mode in the game's display settings.
  • Quality mode improves draw distance over the other two.
  • Ray tracing mode adds hybrid ray-traced shadows and improves ambient occlusion.
  • PS5 reconstructs with FSR 2 in every mode: to 1440p in performance and to 4K in quality and ray tracing.

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
Graphics modes Free settingsThree: quality, ray tracing and performance
Resolution in quality mode —1728p on average · dynamic between 1920x1080 and 3840x2160, reconstructed to 4K with FSR 2
Resolution in ray tracing mode —1512p on average · dynamic between 1472x828 and 2880x1620, reconstructed to 4K with FSR 2
Resolution in performance mode —Dynamic 1440p between 1280x720 and 2560x1440, usually below 1920x1080
Frame rate in performance mode —Targets 60fps but does not hold them
40fps modes —Quality and ray tracing reach 40fps with 120 Hz display mode on, which caps resolution at 1440p
Ray tracing YesHybrid shadows and improved ambient occlusion; no reflections or global illumination
What the PC version adds Settings close to PS5 quality mode, with more draw distance and better ray-traced shadows—
Upscaling FSR 3.1, DLSS 2.5, XeSS 1.1FSR 2
Frame generation FSR FG—
HDR Always on—
120 FPS YesYes
4K Yes—
Ultrawide Yes—
Adjustable field of view No—
Cloud saves Yes—
Loading times Very fast, slightly ahead of PS5Very fast

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.

PC performance

FPS measured at 1080p on Very high quality, across 29 graphics cards. These are measurements on this game, not estimates.

The 6 fastest cards measured on Forspoken
Graphics cardFPS at 1080pRelative performance
MSI GEFORCE RTX 4090 24 GB 103–113
ASUS GEFORCE RTX 4080 16 GB 92–105
AORUS Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB 91–105
ASUS Radeon RX 7900 XT 20 GB 81–93
ASUS GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB 67–79
Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB 66–73

Forspoken system requirements & FPS metrics →

Frequently asked questions about Forspoken

Which platform does Forspoken look best on?

PC. Its settings begin where PS5 quality mode ends, adding draw distance and better ray-traced shadows. The trade-off is optimisation: with everything on ultra you need upscaling to get a decent frame rate.

Which graphics mode should I use on PS5?

Quality. It raises textures, draw distance and resolution, averaging 1728p, and it reaches 40fps if you enable 120 Hz display mode. Performance sits at a dynamic 1440p and still cannot hold 60fps.

Is the ray tracing mode worth it?

No. It drops the average resolution to 1512p and cuts textures and draw distance for shadows that do not apply to every element: vegetation, which fills much of the environment, is skipped.

What graphics card do I need on PC?

On our Very high preset measurements, an RTX 4090 gives 103-113 fps, an RTX 4080 92-105, an RX 7900 XTX 91-105 and an RTX 4070 Ti 67-79. Those are low numbers for cards of that class, which is exactly why the analysis flags the optimisation.

Which upscalers does it support?

On PC, FSR 3.1, DLSS 2.5 and XeSS 1.1, plus FSR frame generation. On PS5 the reconstruction is FSR 2, targeting 1440p in performance and 4K in quality and ray tracing.

How are the loading times?

Very fast on both platforms, with PC slightly ahead. It is one of the few areas where the game gives no trouble.

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.