Diablo IV is out now, and as you would expect, most of the reviews (including Wccftech’s) and other coverage you’ll see is based on the PC version of the game. But what about consoles? Diablo IV is also launching on both last and current-gen consoles and a large chunk of the game’s overall audience will likely play the game on one of those platforms. So, how do they stack up? The tech heads at Digital Foundry gave them their full analysis, and the results were interesting. You can check out the full DF video below, provided you have around 15 minutes to spare, or you can scroll on down for our recap.
On Xbox Series X and PS5, it seems Blizzard’s #1 goal was achieving a smooth 60fps framerate, and to do this, Diablo IV’s native resolution is surprisingly low. On both next-gen consoles, the native resolution is around 1260p – rather low for a hack ‘n’ slash that’s all about fast action and fine details. That said, the game uses FSR 2 to boost its image to 4K, and it seems the game’s isometric visuals mesh particularly well with AMD’s tech, with Digital Foundry finding it a “challenge” to find any reconstruction issues. The combination of lower native res with FSR pays off in terms of performance, with both the XSX and PS5 delivering a mostly solid 60fps with only occasional 1- or 2-frame drops. These happen a bit more frequently on PS5, but overall, the difference isn’t huge. As for the Xbox Series S, it’s largely the same story, but resolution is lower – a native 864p upscaled to 1440p.
But what about last-gen consoles? Digital Foundry tested Diablo IV on the PS4, and while the game is playable, the drawbacks are fairly significant. On PS4 Diablo IV runs at around 720p upscaled to 1080p. It’s target framerate is only 30fps – definitely not ideal for an intense ARPG – and it can’t even maintain that, with some pretty severe stutters and dips (down to the 10fps range in some cases). The overall quality of game’s assets have also taken a hit, looking blockier and less detailed in general. So yeah, if a PS4 or Xbox One is your only option, you can go for it, but you might want to look into upgrading if you want Diablo IV at its best.
Diablo IV is available now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5.
