Platform comparison

Returnal: 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.

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Quick verdict

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Returnal is one of the PlayStation ports where the move to PC shows most: PC wins on everything you can see.

Best graphics experience PC ray-traced shadows and reflections, better textures, particles and lighting
Best console experience PS5 the only console version: 1440p and 60fps reconstructed
Best for the money PS5 60fps with no hardware to upgrade; the PC jump asks for a GPU and memory

What PC gives you

The jump is not just resolution. Textures, particles, post-processing, lighting and shadows all improve, and ray tracing is added for some shadows and reflections. That setting also adds puddles that simply are not there with ray tracing off. The analysis calls it the PlayStation Studios game with the biggest gap between PC and PS5.

What it asks in return

The analysis runs at 3840x2160 with everything maxed on an i9 12900K, testing from an RTX 4080 down to a 3050. With 16 GB of memory the result is already satisfactory; the 32 GB Housemarque recommends only matter for max settings at 4K with ray tracing.

Where that leaves PS5

PS5 outputs 1440p at 60fps reconstructed from 1080p, and the independent test puts the native render at 1920x1080 with temporal upsampling to 2880x1620. Performance is described as quite variable, which is no surprise in a game with this much on screen.

The PC analysis is from 2023 and the PS5 test from 2021: the PS5 figures belong to version 1.003.000 of the game.

Updated 15 Feb 2023

Price on each platform

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

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Final prices with fees

Returnal
Returnal
€16.77
€14.01 -77% Key
GCDKGamivo-18%Copied! Save €46 vs Steam View dealGamivo
See offers at 18 more storesSee 18 stores →
Returnal
Returnal
€13.47
€12.27 -85% Key
Gocdkeys10-10%Copied! Save €68 vs PS Store View dealEneba
See offers at 8 more storesSee 8 stores →

See every price for Returnal on all platforms →

Returnal on PC and PS5: graphics comparison

  • PS5 outputs 2560x1440 at 60fps, reconstructed from 1080p.
  • The PC version is analysed at 3840x2160 with everything maxed and ray tracing on, using an i9 12900K with RTX 4080, 4070 Ti, 3080, 3070 Ti, 3060 Ti and 3050.
  • The PC version gets numerous visual improvements over PS5: better textures, particles, post-processing effects, lighting and shadows.
  • With 16 GB of DDR4 the result is satisfactory even though Housemarque recommends 32 GB; those 32 GB are only advised for max settings at 4K with ray tracing.
  • PC adds ray tracing for some shadows and reflections, and that option also adds puddles that are absent when it is switched off.
  • On a controller, the game suits advanced pads such as the Xbox Elite particularly well.
  • He calls it the PlayStation Studios game with the most differences and visual improvements on PC compared with PS5.

Returnal on PS5: frame rate test

  • The version tested was 1.003.000.
  • PS5 renders at a native 1920x1080 and uses temporal upsampling to reconstruct 2880x1620.
  • Performance is quite variable, so any given run may differ from what the test shows.

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
Resolution Up to 3840x21602560x1440 reconstructed from 1080p
Measured resolution —A native 1920x1080 reconstructed to 2880x1620
Frame rate target Unlocked60
Frame rate stability —Quite variable
Ray tracing Yes, on some shadows and reflections, and it adds puddles—
Textures, particles and post-processing Above PS5—
Lighting and shadows Above PS5—
Recommended memory 16 GB already gives a satisfactory result · 32 GB only for max settings at 4K with ray tracing—
Cards tested in the analysis RTX 4080, 4070 Ti, 3080, 3070 Ti, 3060 Ti and 3050—

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 Returnal

Which platform does Returnal look best on?

PC, comfortably. Textures, particles, post-processing, lighting and shadows all improve over PS5, and ray tracing is added for some shadows and reflections. The analysis itself flags it as the PlayStation Studios game where the PC version pulls furthest ahead.

What resolution does it run at on PS5?

It outputs 2560x1440 at 60fps reconstructed from 1080p. The independent test confirms a native 1920x1080 render upsampled to 2880x1620, and describes performance as quite variable.

What does ray tracing add on PC?

It covers some shadows and reflections, and turning it on also adds puddles that do not appear with the option off. It is the clearest visual difference against PS5.

How much RAM do I need?

Housemarque recommends 32 GB, but the analysis gets a satisfactory result with 16 GB of DDR4. The 32 GB are only advised if you plan to play maxed out, at 4K and with ray tracing.

Which graphics cards were tested?

The PC analysis was run at 3840x2160 with an i9 12900K and RTX 4080, 4070 Ti, 3080, 3070 Ti, 3060 Ti and 3050. We do not publish per-card frame rates because the analysis does not list them.

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.