This console generation has given us a wealth of PC-style in-game graphics options, with PS5, Series X and even Series S usually offering at least a quality and performance mode. Developer Nexon Games’ latest effort, The First Descendant, goes a step further than most though, with this free-to-play Unreal Engine 5 shooter offering three core modes – but then also FSR 3 frame generation to increase performance on each, and a ray tracing toggle. The result is a lot of permutations to cover here, and the frank truth of the matter is that only a few of these settings are actually worth using.
The First Descendant falls into a similar trap as the 2022 Saints Row Reboot for example – and even the more recent Hogwarts Legacy. In each of those cases it was ‘mode overload’ on PS5, Series X and S, with developers essentially off-handing part of the optimisation work to the end user. Without a definitive, recommended option, the huge range of mode combinations ultimately makes it difficult for end users to know which to select on first boot-up – short of play-testing all of them – and with the potential for distastrous frame-rate performance. So it is true here as well: The First Descendant offers nine possible ways to play on PS5 and Series X, with a 60fps performance mode, 40fps balanced mode (on 120Hz displays) and 30fps fidelity mode – plus those frame generation and ray tracing toggles.
With that in mind, we’ve tested how each mode performs on PS5, Series X and Series S, how successfully frame generation is able to push to a 60fps target, and fundamentally which combination is the best way to play on each platform. To make all of this information easier to parse, we’ve even assembled a few tables below covering every native resolution in each mode. We’ve also investigated the game’s ray tracing implementation on console (sans Series S where the option is removed), which has some key issues.
With regards to ray tracing, let’s nip the issue in the bud right away. On PC, there’s a generous suite of options to tinker with, with the full complement of Nvidia DLSS 3.5 and AMD FSR 3 features plus multiple tiers of ray tracing quality. At best, you can engage RT reflections, RT shadows and RT ambient occlusion via a single drop-down menu – via the ultra setting – but this heightened fidelity comes at an expected cost to performance. In the end, even high-end hardware like the RTX 4080 in our test rig required frame generation for a fluid frame-rate. Also, while the benefits of the ray traced shadows and AO stand out most – with shadow outlines across the main hub area switching to a more realistic, diffused look – it is not essential to this particular playing experience, and the game presents well with the typical rasterised approach.