Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition | Our impressions
First of all it is fair to point out, again, that Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition is available totally free for owners of the original game. The systems to redeem this new version are the same already seen with other similar productions: on Xbox Series X it will take care of all the Smart delivery, allowing you to download the most recent version compatible with your gaming machine, while on PlayStation 5 you will have to go manually in the digital store and redeem the new version developed for the Sony console. Precisely with regard to PlayStation 5 we remind you to check your digital library to verify that the PS4 version is not downloaded as well, taking up precious space in your SSD.
As usual for these editions, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition raises the overall resolution of the game to dynamic 4K and aims to keep 60 frames per second stable. Excluding the version for Xbox Series S (which to implement the increase in framerate and lighting effects brings the maximum resolution to 1080p with peaks down to 512p), on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X the increase in resolution behaves in a similar way.
4A Games has announced the possibility of reaching the maximum 2160p but the reality is slightly different seeing both versions never exceed the threshold of 1728p, always keeping the 60 fps stable. One of the reasons that lead the resolution of Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition to turn out to be so ballerina, is the implementation of ray tracing on consoles or, to clarify, the introduction of global illumination and emissive lighting.
Missing the management of reflections but the visual impact, already with the implementation of these two features, completely changes compared to the previous version of the title. Furthermore, for obvious reasons, the possibility of exploiting the DLSS is missing as it is still an exclusive of Nvidia's GPUs and, therefore, confined for the moment to the PC market only.
It has not been confirmed, but We doubt that 4A Games will put another hand to the game engine once again when AMD's Super Resolution technology is released but fear not because Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, as far as the technical sector is concerned, is a completely different game capable of experimenting a first real taste of next-gen.
The two versions, as we mentioned earlier, can be considered almost identical, with the usual higher peak in terms of stability on PlayStation 5 and towards resolution on Xbox Series X. Finally, the addition of the 4K texture pack makes the overview much more detailed, as well as the ability to adjust the FOV will allow you to tailor the entire experience around the needs of the players.
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition takes full advantage of the SSDs mounted on the two consoles from Sony and Microsoft, guaranteeing loading times that stand out around 35/45 seconds. A clear step forward compared to the more than two minutes required by the original verone of the game. In terms of differentiation on the two gaming machines, on PlayStation 5 we find an implementation of the Dualsense that is quite shy with regards to adaptive triggers and much more convincing with regard to haptic feedback. On the Xbox Series X, on the other hand, the lower latency of the controller has been exploited to allow more precise and responsive control.
Both audio technologies present on the consoles have been fully exploited by Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition. On PlayStation 5 we find a remarkable implementation of 3D Audio (especially if you use Sony's Pulse) while on Xbox Series X you can experience spatial audio without enabling Dolby Atmos and having headphones compatible with this technology. In both cases the result is surprisingly immersive and presents the player's ears with a riot of ambient sounds coming from all directions.
In conclusion we want to point out a small detail that, unfortunately, we cannot certify as we have had the possibility to try Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition on both consoles but only on two units per car. On both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5, the game seems to put a strain on the cooling system of the consoles.
On the two Xbox Series Xs we had available, the result was similar: the fan started to be felt sensibly when normally the console is totally silent, even with productions that strongly push on the technical side. On the PlayStation 5, on the other hand, both with the All Digital version and with the Standard, we could see a significant increase in the hum based on the lighting of the scene, an increase in the noise of the ventilation system and an excessively perceptible coil whine.
We cannot tell you if it is due to a general optimization yet to be refined, if all four units at our disposal are faulty or if it is a completely normal reaction but if you too have experienced the same situations, please report it in the comments section . In conclusion, we remind you that Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition is also available for purchase at a price of € 39.99, in case you have never purchased the original game.
