Capcom’s delivery of quality games built on its bespoke RE Engine technology continues with the arrival of Pragmata, delivering a refreshing sci-fi concept based on an AI-gone-rogue on an abandoned space station – eerily reminiscent in some respects of 2008’s Dead Space. Heavy on ray tracing and a refined version of Capcom’s strand-based hair system, it’s a graphically accomplished title – so how does it work out on PlayStation 5, PS5 Pro and Xbox Series consoles? We’ve already looked at Switch 2 to get some idea of the compromises Capcom is willing to make, but we went into this testing hoping for the best balance of performance and visual features.
So let’s get straight down to basics, kicking off with image quality – and similar to Resident Evil Requiem, it’s a rough spot for the game, unless you own the PlayStation 5 Professional. All three versions use what presents very much like AMD’s FSR 1 spatial upscaler – something we confirmed by matching up shots with the PC version using the same tech. Series X and PS5 run at a native 1080p resolution whether using the frame-rate mode or the resolution mode, using FSR 1 to upscale to a 4K output, with predictably poor results. PS5 Pro neatly sidesteps the issue by using PSSR, albeit with a twist – a native 864p resolution. Series S? FSR 1 upscales from 720p, looking predictably rough.
As both frame-rate mode and (paradoxically) resolution mode both operate at 1080p on PS5/Series X, you might wonder what the difference is – and it’s all down to features. Ray traced reflections and global illumination are engaged only on the resolution mode, alongside a higher quality setting for its strand-based hair. RT isn’t quite as good as we hoped for, however, adding some blotchy pixellated lighting and a pared back BVH structure that removes lighting details from within reflections based on camera view. In other words, the alternative frame-rate mode still has its advantages, by using a classic SSR approach. Series S? There’s just one mode, with no RT and Switch 2-style hair.
Both modes target 60fps on both consoles, and while frame-rate mode lacks the bells and whistles, it hits its target well. Resolution mode is more variable – late 40s to 60fps in gameplay, but cutscenes can be especially heavy, with some frame-rate drops into the mid-30s. Obviously, VRR helps in smoothing off most of these issues – but clearly not all, when the VRR window is 48-60fps on PS5 and more like 40-60fps on Series X. Meanwhile, Series S may be light on features and pixels, but it’s a locked 60 frames per second in our test scenes.
There were plenty of advantages in playing the RE Engine-powered Resident Evil Requiem on PS5 Pro and so it comes as no surprise to see the same thing here. A native 864p looks bad on paper, but the new PSSR upscaling to 4K delivers a vastly improved turn-out over the standard consoles – the one exception being that the RT reflections are somewhat blurrier than base PS5 (likely down to that lower internal resolution). You get the top-end strand-based hair, and you get significantly improved performance with all those luxury features active.
There’s also a 120Hz Pro-exclusive mode that runs unlocked, maintaining RT and hair quality, but reducing PSSR upscaling from a 4K output to 1440p. The end result is a compelling 80-100fps performance level in the first area, dropping to the 60s and 70s in the more demanding street scene that follows it.
In summary, it’s perhaps not surprising to see that Pragmata delivers very similar performance and features to Resident Evil Requiem, with similar differentials between all tested consoles – even Switch 2. PS5 and Series X give you a straight trade between all key visuals features in the oddly-named resolution mode, or strong performance in the frame-rate mode. It’s just a shame that the core pixel counts are so low and the upscaling solution chosen is so basic.
Meanwhile, Series S runs well but looks disappointing compared to its counterparts – and it’s interesting to see the comparisons against the significantly less capable Switch 2. Both versions have visual feature sets, but Switch 2 runs at a much lower resolution while delivering higher image quality overall. It’s a fascinating example of how useful today’s upscalers are and that perhaps it’s time to retire FSR 1.
While all consoles are very playable at 60fps using their respective frame-rate modes, the PS5 Pro’s overall package places it in pole position – other than the minor hit to RT reflection quality it otherwise offers strong performance with all the trimmings, while also offering up a compelling high frame-rate mode that’s a good match for 120Hz VRR displays – continuing the run of new games that finally seem to deliver on the initial promise of Sony’s enhanced hardware.
