Review of the PC version of "Returnal": Optimization is unavoidable

Returnal, developed by Housemareque, was originally known as one of the few fully exclusive games in the early days of PS5.

As a game that has not considered the previous generation platform at all, it no longer needs to consider the outdated performance of the PS4 during the development process. It also took on a part of the responsibility of showcasing the functions and features of the PS5 at the beginning of its release.

About 22 months later, it will become the first Sony first party PS5 exclusive game to port to a PC. In this sense, it has received considerable attention from players, with attitudes ranging from expectations to concerns.

optimization problem

Even though the time since the launch of this generation of consoles cannot be considered too long, we are still very clear that hardware conditions limit the performance of various games on gaming consoles. Although the PS5 version of Return has already provided players with a fast read and 4K+60 frame gaming experience, there is no doubt that it can achieve more on a high-performance PC.

Due to Sony's requirement to use the given screenshot materials for the evaluation of the graphics, we are unable to provide a visual comparison for everyone, but the improvement in the graphics is also tangible. In addition to the unique ultra wide screen support of the PC version, frame rate enhancement based on graphics card manufacturers, and ray tracing effect adjustment, running "Returnal" on a high-performance PC can obviously achieve additional effects that the PS5 version does not have - of course, this is the same for all Sony PC port games.

However, equally obvious is the issue of screen optimization. Although I can find a relatively balanced setting for myself in the specific settings, the logo screen when entering the game does not appear very smooth. Not to mention the asynchronous scene, sound, and subtitles in the initial transition, which is clearly not a comfortable experience.

Based on my hardware configuration of 5900X+3070Ti, the game automatically selected extremely high screen settings for me. At a resolution of 1440P, the frame rate per second is about 100 when the character is stationary or moving slowly, but it drops to around 70-80 during sprints.

If entering a new area through the gate or engaging in close combat with monsters, the frame rate may be lower, and occasional noticeable lag can be felt. However, even at this seemingly smooth frame rate, every time a character dies and returns to the beginning, that short cut animation is still not smooth.

At extremely high settings, when ray tracing reflections and shadows are turned on, the frame rate when the character is still drops to about 60, and when sprinting or entering a new area, it drops as low as 10. Regardless of whether highlight tracing is enabled or not, DLSS has limited frame rate enhancement in quality mode.

Therefore, when playing the game, I mainly choose to turn off ray tracing, which has a significant impact on the game's performance. To be honest, ray tracing does not significantly improve the overall graphics of Return, so turning it off is also acceptable.

Sony provides a configuration requirement of 3080Ti+11900K for 4K+60 frames and enabling ray tracing in extremely high picture quality. Players are advised to use this as a reference for their hardware.

Overall, there are still some issues with the optimization of the current PC version of "Returnal", especially since I have downloaded two game updates (the third update on the unblocking day of the review), the experience is still not very good. Compared to the PC version's improved graphics, players are more focused on experiencing the game smoothly and steadily, which is beyond doubt.

Operation selection

As a former first party PS5 exclusive game, a major selling point of "Return" is the unique experience of the DualSense controller based on the PS5, including unique vibration and touch, as well as the resistance level of the adaptive trigger under different operation modes.

Porting does not mean abandoning one of its important features. In fact, when entering the game for the first time, there will be prompts to use DualSense/DualSense Edge controllers for an additional experience.

For players, Returnal, a shooting oriented game, has a more agile and precise keyboard and mouse operation on the PC. Using keyboard and mouse can greatly reduce the difficulty of battles, which also means bidding farewell to a major feature of the game.

How to choose is a matter of personal preference, but fortunately Climax Studio, responsible for porting, provides players with the opportunity to make a choice.

This is like using the force of the joystick to determine whether the character is walking or running, and controlling the speed of the vehicle by pressing the trigger button, which is a unique choice. If you choose one feature, you have to give up the convenience of the other. I believe players also know which one is more important to them.

As for other further questions, such as whether PC players need to purchase DualSense controllers specifically for future Sony first party game portability, it is not the issue that this article aims to discuss.

epilogue

In short, the PC version of Returnal is a ported game with some optimization issues, and it also relies on future patch updates to achieve a stable and friendly state. It also supports achieving an authentic gaming experience by integrating a DualSense controller. If you want to play a better version of Return, the PC version can be your choice, but there are certain requirements for your device.