This really should be a standard option, especially for next-gen
Would you rather have a higher resolution or a higher frame rate when playing video games? I’m sure you don’t even need to ponder that question. We all seem to have our own set-in-stone preferences.
Much to my delight, Gearbox Software has confirmed that Borderlands 3 will offer two different graphical settings on PlayStation 4 Pro: “favor resolution,” which is capped at 30 frames per second, and “favor performance,” which is capped at 60 frames per second. I’ll always choose the latter.
There’s supersampling support, too. Even if you only have a 1080p television, you can still benefit from the “favor resolution” mode – “the game will supersample from the higher resolution using the console’s hardware,” so “the 1080p output will look sharper in this mode than it normally would.”
Borderlands 3 will be capable of 4K resolution and high-dynamic range (HDR), as is becoming commonplace, but interestingly, you can configure this stuff individually, meaning you could, in theory, “play the game in 1080p HDR.” As for what to expect from HDR, “nightfall is rendered in much darker blacks, and the killer sky boxes really pull you into the world.” Basically, the game looks more “crisp.”
On a related note, Gearbox previously said that Borderlands 3 will have these same sorts of graphical options on Xbox One X and that the development team is “shooting for 60 frames per second.”
It has taken a while given the mid-console-cycle rollout of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, but I’m glad to see more console games let players choose between 1080p / 60fps and 4K / 30fps where applicable. I hope to see that momentum carry into PS5 and the next Xbox. Don’t force us down a single path!
Behind the Scenes: How Gearbox Built Borderlands 3 for PS4 and PS4 Pro [PlayStation Blog]
