God Of War Ragnarök PC: Biggest Differences From PS5

Summary God of War Ragnarok is coming to PC with technical improvements like better graphics and performance.

The PC version offers uncapped frame rates, 4K resolution, upscaling, and ultrawide support.

Sony's requirement to link a PlayStation Network account on PC may limit access in certain countries, despite there being no multiplayer mode.

As has recently been announced at a Sony State of Play, God of War Ragnarok will be making its way to PC in the near future. Following in the footsteps of other games like Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us, and its predecessor, God of War (2018), Ragnarok continues a now-ongoing trend of PlayStation exclusives receiving PC ports years after their initial release. And, while these games remain largely the same on PC as they were on the PlayStation, there tend to be some changes to entice both new purchases and double-dips.

Originally released in November 2022 for the PS4 and PS5, God of War Ragnarok is the second title in the soft reboot of the larger franchise that started with God of War in 2018, and the conclusion of the series' Norse saga. Like the 2018 game, it follows series protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus as they attempt to avert calamity and gather allies to eventually fight against Odin and Asgard, concluding the story that started in God of War and leaving the door open to explore other mythologies in future titles.

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God Of War Ragnarök Will Be Better On PC

Releases September 19, 2024, On Steam & Epic Games Store

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While the in-game content of God of War Ragnarok won't be seeing any notable additions on PC, the port will include a number of technical improvements. For the most part, the PC port aims to provide better graphics and performance, taking advantage of the higher power available to gaming PCs with uncapped frame rates, upscaling, and support for 4K resolution and ultra-widescreen. Currently, the game's system requirements aren't specified, but they will be added to the game's store listings close to release.

Comparatively, the PS5 version of Ragnarok was capped at 60 FPS, with several different graphics modes targeting varying degrees of graphical fidelity and frames per second, and while the game could run at native 4K when favoring quality over performance, this would also have the game target 30 FPS. The PS4 version fares even worse, with the Pro version having access to performance and quality modes that both target 30 FPS, with varying resolutions, and the standard PS4 locked at 1080p with a 30 FPS target.

Additionally, the PC version of Ragnarok offers upscaling, further widening the gap between it and the PlayStation versions. The game's store listings promise integrations with the three major upscaling methods - DLSS, FSR, and XESS - which should allow PC players further freedom in customizing the game's graphical performance. Finally, as a minor note, the PC release includes the game's Valhalla DLC, which, while offered for free on PlayStation, is a separate download on the game's original platform.

Related New God Of War Game Looks More Likely Than Ever Following Santa Monica Studio Listings A new God Of War game is looking more likely than ever as its developer Santa Monica Studio has posted several new job listings on its site.

Ragnarök On PC Has One Big Catch

Sony Continues To Force PSN Integration On PC Releases

Unfortunately, along with all the improvements made to the PC release of Ragnarok, there's an annoying catch, as Sony looks to repeat the same mistake as Ghost of Tsushima and Helldivers 2 on PC. Like with Ghost of Tsushima, God of War Ragnarok's PC port will require players to link to a PlayStation Network account in order to play the game - an especially unnecessary move, considering that Ragnarok has no multiplayer modes whatsoever, and the PC port is not currently advertised to add one.

While making a PSN account is at worst a minor inconvenience, the larger issue is that the PSN requirement means that the Steam may block the game from being purchased in countries that are unsupported by Sony's network. This problem has already occurred on Steam with both Ghost of Tsushima and, after an unsuccessful attempt to enforce PSN integration post-launch, Helldivers 2, and, considering God of War Ragnarok's lack of any multiplayer, it's also a completely unnecessary restriction on what is an otherwise significantly improved version of the game.

Releasing on September 19, 2024, on Steam and the Epic Games Store, the PC port of God of War Ragnarok promises a multitude of technical improvements, most notably in terms of the game's graphics and performance. While the game's performance will vary depending on the PC that runs it, the port should be an overall upgrade to the original version, and may turn out to be the best way to experience the game. While the PSN requirement is unfortunate, the PC version of God of War Ragnarok is shaping up to be worthwhile for newcomers and existing fans alike.