S-Game released Phantom Blade Zero on PC and PlayStation 5 yesterday. A few hours after launch, it had the highest player count of any single-player game on Steam.
Those are the PC numbers. Console players will want to know how the action game holds up on Sony's hardware, and whether owning a PS5 Pro makes a difference.
Three modes, three frame rates
A new technical breakdown examines the game on the PS5 and the PS5 Pro. Both consoles offer the same three settings: Performance Mode, Balanced Mode and Graphics Mode.
None of them hold surprises. Performance lowers the resolution slightly and aims for 60 fps. Balanced targets 40 fps with a somewhat sharper image and is meant for TVs with VRR support. Graphics Mode runs at the highest resolution it can manage, with a 30 fps target.
Players with a VRR-capable TV should start with Balanced, which sits between the other two options.
What the base PS5 actually renders
The standard PS5 renders Performance Mode at 900p to 1080p, then upscales the image to 4K. In Graphics Mode, the resolution is 1440p.
That won’t impress anyone on a spec sheet, but it’s about what you’d expect from a fast action game chasing a locked 60.
Where the Pro earns its price
Image quality is better on the PS5 Pro. It gets improved ray tracing, along with better reflections, shadows and global illumination.
The lighting is what stands out. Improved shadows and global illumination do more to change the look of a scene than a bump in pixel count.
According to the analysis, both versions are very respectable. The base PS5 version is a solid port, and Pro owners get better lighting in return for the higher price.