Horizon Forbidden West PS5/PS4 resolution & performance modes explained

Horizon Forbidden WestThis game is every inch the PlayStation 5 technical marvel that first-party titles like it should be. Guerrilla Games renders its 31st-century version of what we know as the American West in exquIsite detail, vividly bringing to life the varied biomes of states like Utah, Nevada, and California (and, in the game’s fiction, the crimson blight that is poisoning these lands and their inhabitants).

But what’s the best way — if there even is a definitive best way — to experience everything in this sprawling world? There are two modes available in the PS5 edition of the game, with their own pros and disadvantages. Meanwhile, PlayStation 4 players don’t have a choice; the experience they get depends solely on whether they own a standard or slim console, or a PS4 Pro.

Our review can be found here Horizon Forbidden West to see our thoughts on this expansive sequel to 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn. But here, let’s dive in and discuss the technical details of the latest PlayStation blockbuster.

Horizon Forbidden West’s graphics modes on PS5 and PS4, explained

Image: Guerrilla Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon

We’ve known for a while that Horizon Forbidden West would offer two visual modes on PS5, but Guerrilla Games hasn’t discussed the details of the graphics settings until now. And it’s only within the past few weeks that Sony has shown any footage of the game’s PS4 version.

I’ve been playing a PS5 review copy of the game for a couple of weeks now, switching back and forth between the rendering modes. You’ll find the toggle, which is marked Graphics Mode, under the Visual tab of the settings menu. The options are “Favor Resolution,” which the game says “favors a higher fidelity at a lower frame rate,” and “Favor Performance,” which “favors a higher frame rate at a lower fidelity.” How illuminating!

Sony provided more details because the descriptions in-game are not very specific. These are the details from a PlayStation representative.

The Favor Resolution mode — the default setting — runs in native 4K resolution (2160p), targeting a frame rate of 30 frames per second, with a combination of temporal anti-aliasing (TAA) and fast approximate anti-aliasing (FXAA). Favor Performance mode has a resolution of 1800p with checkerboard rendering and 60 frames per second. (That extends to the in-engine cutscenes, although they’re the one place where you’ll sometimes see drops below the target; the frame rate in both modes is essentially locked in gameplay.)

On PS4, the resolution and image quality depend on which model of the console you’re using. The native resolution of a base PS4 or slim PS4 is 1080p, with FXAA and TAA. While the PS4 Pro increases the resolution to match that of the PS5 performance mode (a checkerboarded 1800p), the PS4 Pro improves it. As for frame rate, the game runs at 30 fps on all PS4 models; there’s no 60 fps option.

It’s worth noting that the resolution figures here are maximums — the game uses dynamic resolution in all graphics modes, scaling the image “where needed” to maintain the target frame rate in question, according to Sony.

There’s a nice touch on top of all of this (literally). Horizon Forbidden West’s user interface is rendered separately and layered atop the game — it isn’t subject to the resolution scaling — so the text and icons stay crisp at all times. The UI renders at native 1080p (PS4), native 1800p (PS4 Pro) and in the PS5 Performance mode. It is native 4K for the PS5 resolution mode. What’s more, even if you’re using the resolution mode, which runs at 30 fps, all the menus still run at 60 fps. Neat!

PS5 resolution or performance mode — which is better?

Favor Performance mode has a doubled frame rate, which is easily noticeable. A person who has completed Horizon Zero Dawn on a PS4 Pro in that game’s 30 fps Favor Resolution mode, I can say that it’s thrilling (and useful) to be able to play the sequel at 60 fps the first time through. In the early going, Aloy is underleveled compared to many of the machines she encounters, and the performance mode’s increased responsiveness has helped me survive some hairy battles.

At the same time, when I’m playing an open-world game, I love to explore every nook and cranny of that world. Fidelity matters more to me than performance if I’m gazing at the scenic beauty of the environments and marveling at the level of detail in characters’ clothes and equipment.

Favor Resolution is the most prominent mode. Horizon Forbidden West’s stunning visuals. Every single frame of this game is brimming with detail, making this post-post-apocalyptic world feel full of life. Get up close and examine every flower, rock face, animal (whether organic or robotic), and human; there’s nary a fuzzy texture to be found, whether you’re above ground or underwater. The native 4K rendering coupled with Guerrilla’s mix of TAA and FXAA delivers an incredibly clean image that remains sharp even in motion. It’s unclear how far the resolution can drop when dynamic scaling is engaged, but any resulting softness hasn’t been apparent to me in this mode.

People may love the 60 frames per second action in the Favor Performance mode, and might prefer the entire game this way. After all, the two graphics modes look very similar in direct screenshot comparisons like the ones in this article, aside from the 30 fps mode’s expected improvements in texture filtering and texture resolution. The draw distance, shadows and lighting are all the same in both modes. And although the performance mode has a somewhat more controlled management of levels of detail — I’ve occasionally noticed objects or textures pop in as I approach them — this issue tends to be masked by beautiful volumetric lighting effects, whether it’s a dusty haze hanging over the desert or clouds of mist above forests and jungles.

All that said, let’s now look at the flaws of Horizon Forbidden West’s Favor Performance mode become more apparent when the game is in motion. And this is not like in Legacy of Thieves Collection – Uncharted, the reduced image quality and clarity is a trade-off that I’m not willing to make in order to play at a higher frame rate (except, as I noted, in combat).

The camera moves more smoothly at 60 FPS than 30 FPS, although this highlights the shortcomings of the Favor Performance mode rendering methods. You can also use the Favor Performance mode to move your camera around. LotsAll vegetation Horizon Forbidden West’s world, from desert brush to mountain shrubs to leafy treetops. Checkerboard rendering can make leaves and grass move in the wind, creating visible artifacts around their edges. And without the Favor Resolution mode’s superb anti-aliasing implementation, there’s a distracting degree of shimmering in elements like foliage that I’ve found impossible to ignore.

As such, I’ve spent the majority of my time in the Favor Resolution mode, poring over the gorgeous environments at my own pace. If combat occurs, I will pause the game to switch to the Favor Performance option.

Do you think that makes me strange? Actually, don’t answer that. Either way, I’m glad that the game indulges my idiosyncrasies. It is especially helpful to have the option of choosing a graphic mode. Horizon Forbidden WestThis is due to the fact that the game’s nature has a very unique aspect: You are surrounded by beautiful and intricate environments created by an army environment designers. However, many machines and people living in it want you dead on the spot. That is to say, you’ll often want to stop and smell the roses … until you need to dodge an attack from a robot kangaroo.

Horizon Forbidden WestThe game will launch on February 18 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 This article was based upon time spent downloading a PS5 version provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Vox Media is an affiliate partner. Although these partnerships do not impact editorial content, Vox Media could earn commissions on products sold via affiliate links. Find out more. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.