The foggy, nightmare-filled streets of the upcoming Silent Hill f are shrouded in more than just a supernatural mist; they’re also obscured by some startlingly low internal resolutions, according to a new technical analysis. A deep dive into the game’s performance on PlayStation 5 and the new PS5 Pro reveals that developer Neobards Entertainment is relying on aggressive upscaling to achieve smooth frame rates, raising questions about the technical demands of Unreal Engine 5.
The Price of Performance: Diving Deep into PS5 Resolutions
A recent and comprehensive technical breakdown by YouTuber ElAnalistaDeBits has pulled back the curtain on Silent Hill f's visual makeup. The analysis scrutinizes textures, ambient occlusion, and, most notably, the internal rendering resolution. The findings are striking: while the game manages to hit its target frame rates, it does so by rendering the game at resolutions that harken back to the PlayStation 3 era before upscaling them to a modern 4K output.
The video analysis, which you can see below, provides a clear side-by-side comparison of the visual trade-offs.
On the base PS5, players are given two modes:
- Performance Mode: This mode prioritizes a target of 60 FPS, which it holds remarkably stable. However, this fluidity comes at a significant cost. The internal resolution dynamically scales between a maximum of 720p and a shockingly low minimum of 360p. This image is then upscaled to a 1800p output.
- Quality Mode: Aiming for a cinematic 30 FPS (dipping slightly to 27 FPS in cutscenes), this mode locks the internal resolution at 720p, which is then upscaled to a native 4K (2160p) output. While more stable visually, the base resolution remains low.
PS5 Pro: A Cleaner Image, But the Same Core Issue
The more powerful PS5 Pro offers a different approach, featuring only one performance setting. It also uses a 720p internal resolution but employs Sony's new AI-powered upscaling technology, PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution), to reconstruct the image to 2160p.
The results, according to the analysis, are an improvement. The PS5 Pro manages a stable 60 FPS with "improved visual fidelity," notably reducing the shimmering and flickering artifacts that often plague other upscaling methods. The PSSR technology, co-developed with AMD, produces a cleaner image than the base PS5's solution. However, it isn't perfect, with occasional noise reported in shadows, ambient occlusion, and distant foliage—an issue that has become a common theme in other Unreal Engine 5 titles like the Silent Hill 2 Remake and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.
A key point for purists is that PSSR on the PS5 Pro cannot be disabled. This means players are locked into this upscaled visual experience, with hopes for a future patch that might improve native rendering being slim, given the track record of recent Unreal Engine 5 releases.
Unreal Engine 5: A Beautiful But Demanding Beast
The performance profile of Silent Hill f is not an isolated incident. It highlights the immense challenge developers face when harnessing the power of Unreal Engine 5, particularly its signature features like Lumen global illumination and Nanite virtualized geometry. These technologies create stunningly realistic lighting and incredibly detailed environments, but they carry a heavy performance burden.
To achieve playable frame rates on current-generation consoles, developers are increasingly forced to rely on sophisticated upscaling techniques like PSSR, AMD's FSR, or NVIDIA's DLSS. Silent Hill f appears to be a clear example of this trend, pushing visual boundaries while leaning heavily on reconstruction to make the experience run smoothly.
A Glimmer of Hope on the PC Horizon?
For those with a capable gaming PC, there may be a brighter path. Early hands-on impressions of the Silent Hill f PC port suggest it is promising, with only minor stutters reported in specific sequences. The flexibility of PC hardware means that players with powerful GPUs can likely leverage higher-quality upscaling or even run the game at a higher native resolution.
However, the true test for PC players, especially those with older hardware, will come when the Standard Edition launches on September 25, 2025. Until then, console players will be experiencing the haunting world of Silent Hill f through a heavily processed lens, a technical compromise that ensures performance but may leave some fans questioning the visual cost.
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