Horizon Forbidden West: How does such a great PS5 game play well on PS4? - technical analysis
Horizon Forbidden West
We first saw Horizon Forbidden West at the height of the PlayStation 5 showcase, an appropriate "one more thing", an effective debut for the new Sony open world, scheduled for the launch window of the new console. It looked phenomenal, possessed details beyond anything we'd seen in the previous generation, but a key question had to be asked: how was Guerrilla Games going to offer such a product since it was also supposed to run on the standard PlayStation 4? With the final code in hand, we finally have the answers.Sony's approach to the generation gap is intriguing and similar, in some respects, to Playground Games' approach to another cross-gen masterpiece: Forza Horizon 5. There are two distinct tiers of features, one for PS4 consoles, the other for PlayStation 5. Each of these tiers is distributed in two different scenarios: PS4 base and PS4 Pro present a substantially reduced visual experience, which It operates at dynamic 1080p on the standard PS4 and 1800p dynamic checkerboarding on the Pro, both with a target set at 30fps. In contrast, on PS5 the title runs at native 4K in its 30fps resolution mode, dropping to 1800p and 60fps in performance mode (DRS is also implemented on PS5 but quite hard to notice).
Lego is releasing an $80 ‘Horizon: Forbidden West’ Tallneck set
If you don’t already love the Horizon series’ Tallnecks, then the advent of Horizon: Forbidden West is likely to finish the job. These vast, disc-headed wonders are clearly a fan favorite, prompting Lego and Sony to crank out a set depicting Aloy riding atop one.
The 1,222-piece set is designed to stand proud on your shelf of Lego-designed gaming tributes, and was made in partnership with Sony and developers Guerrilla. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Tallneck unless you had someone to ride it, and so you get an Aloy minifigure with a new headpiece in the set.
Lego / Sony
You’ll also find a Watcher (with an option to equip it with blue, yellow or red eyes) and some natural landscape pieces to build out the environment. Isaac Snyder, a designer at Lego, said that the set tips its hat at “all the most iconic aspects of Horizon: Forbidden West,” and that he hoped everyone building the model has as much fun as they had designing it.
The Tallneck from Horizon: Forbidden West will arrive in May 2022, and measures 13.5-inches tall and 9-inches wide. It will cost $79.99 / €79.99, and will be available from all of the usual places you can get your Lego.
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