
A new patch for Santa Monica Studio’s outstanding God of War Ragnarok is available to download right now, and it introduces PS5 Pro performance improvements for everyone who purchased the system today.
There are few surprises here, but some nice little additional toggles. Enhanced Mode, the flagship new graphics setting, will “enable Favor Quality features while running at 60fps” according to the patch notes. So much like what system architect Mark Cerny promised: a best of both worlds approach.
There’s more, however. High Frame Rate Mode will uncap the frame rate, which you’ll be able to use in combination with VRR on compatible screens to get even smoother performance. Meanwhile, you’ll also be able to select the base game’s Favour Performance mode and benefit from PS5 Pro’s better GPU.
We need to test it properly, but we wonder whether 120fps is possible here – or at least something close to it.
Elsewhere, you’ll be able to choose between either PS5 Pro’s new proprietary AI-based upscaler PSSR or the existing game’s temporal anti-aliasing. In general, based on what we’ve read and seen so far, PSSR appears to be doing a fantastic job of resolving a nice 4K image, but it’s always good to have options.
As for the game itself, you’ll be able to dial down the number of puzzle hints provided by companions during gameplay, across all platforms. This was a big point of criticism at launch, as many felt they didn’t have time to fully assess the situation before a puzzle had been solved for them.
In addition, a new accessibility update will add audio descriptions to cutscenes, giving players with visual impairments an additional way to enjoy the story. All of this obviously goes above and beyond, and it’s great to see.
[source support.sms.playstation.com, via x.com]
Comments 21
Eyy, the quality mode is now 60fps. Should be good for new game+ when I upgrade all my media stuff.
Another game boosted to new heights thanks to Pro, who would’ve thunk it 😉
How many people are going back to play games they already played just for the boost?
@Realist well I’m currently downloading GT7/ Forbidden West/ Silent Hill 2/ Dragon Age Veilguard/ Ratchet Rift Apart/ Spider man 2. I’ve platinumed 5 of those already
At which point do we stop with these per-game articles and just do one "All games will look and run better on PS5 Pro!" article? 😂
@ZeroSum depends on how many articles you click and comment on 😂
Great stuff but i'm done with the game having done everything it offers but maybe good for a replay in a few years.
@ZeroSum But the clickidiclicks!
120 fps seems quite unlikely at this point. I repeat myself: With only a small increase in CPU clocks and no architectural changes (still a standard PS5 Zen 2 CPU, obviously no 3D cache or other improvements), the CPU becomes the bottleneck.
Maybe in a few months, Sony will provide a PS5 Pro firmware update which enables AI frame generation on the PSSR AI units, like Nvidia did for its Ada Lovelace graphics cards. With that, a nice boost from 60 to 120 fps would be possible with the existing CPU. But that’s mostly speculation from my side.
I read, " PS5 Pro will solve a few puzzles for you", and I thought: "Great! In a few more years my PlayStation will play my games without me.." 😅
I think I am better off going to bed right away...
So are they done with any big GoW:R updates after this for the base PS5, I’ve been waiting to play it until it’s at least mostly done. I know DLC has been rumored, speculated and or teased, maybe leaked, but I’m not really worried about that right now. And I have zero interest in a Pro so whatever improvements they make on that won’t affect me. The way Sony has handled all the dual ports on PS4 and PS5 I’ll probably never even need a PS6.
@Realist I've done it before with Control on PS4 then the Ultimate Edition on PS5. Felt like a completely different game, and I'm sure the rest of these will as well!
@Max_the_German I like my waffles with butter and maple syrup.
Digital Foundry already did a YouTube video, that PushSquare featured in another "This game runs better on PS5 Pro" article, highlighting that GT7 runs at 120fps at 4K on the PS5 Pro, so I don't know what you're waffling on about but 120fps is very much achievable.
Calm down and don't wet the bed pushsquare. You're really embarrassingly overselling the device with your coverage at this point.
I never did finish this, the pacing was terrible and so many puzzles. Fell off right as atreus got to agribolda or however you spell it.
I'm dead serious about to stop coming to this site because they're blowing the PS5 Pro so hard
@Realist i am , ng+ makes it worth it to replay it again.
@tangyzesty then stop, they are a video game news site that covers PlayStation, and pro just came out. if you aren't interested in it come back another day.
@ZeroSum I talk specifically about GoW:R!
You cite Digital Foundry. Then you probably know that
It is clear that genuine 120 fps with the Pro is out of reach for GoW:R. The way to go here is frame generation, using the additional GPU power for that. Be it with FSR3.1 (while using PSSR for upscaling), or with a PSSR frame generation solution, which might come or not (maybe the hardware is flexible enough to do it).
However, is Santa Monica willing to implement frame generation into this game? I don’t think they will ever touch the code again to modify GoW:R.
@Max_the_German or...
and hear me out here...
You're waffling on about hardware bottlenecks and the CPU not being capable just because, while Santa Monica simply aren't interested in 120fps for Ragnarok even though the hardware may well be capable.
@ZeroSum ???
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