With the arrival of Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, the new video game graphics quality standards have been set. The recently released Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a good example, as this game is able to deliver stunning visuals on the next-gen gaming consoles. When it comes to performance, this also means that the new consoles raised the bar significantly higher compared to the previous-gen PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and to match their performance you’ll need to either upgrade your PC, or get a completely new gaming rig.
According to the eurogamer.net, both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are incredibly powerful consoles, as they are both able to run Assassin’s Creed Valhalla at 1440p to 2160p resolution at 60 frames per seconds. Both consoles use dynamic resolution scaling to maintain optimal performance in real-time, which is why total pixel count fluctuates so much. To match PlayStation 5’s graphics settings on PC, you definitely need to have a very powerful PC. The PS5 runs Valhalla with the ultra high shadows, ultra high world detail, and very high volumetric clouds settings. The new console also runs the game with ultra high quality textures, and high water settings.
| PS5 Approximate Settings | PC Equivalent Settings |
|---|---|
| Ultra High Shadows | Ultra High Shadows |
| Ultra High World Detail | Very High World Detail |
| Very High Clutter | Very High Clutter |
| High Clouds | Very High Clouds |
| High Water | High Water |
| Low Depth of Field | Low Depth of Field |
| High Environment Textures | High Environment Textures |
| High Character Detail | High Character Detail |
Although PC can exceed PlayStation 5’s ultra high world detail settings in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the console version of the game seems to have much denser foliage, and denser vegetation than the PC version. This is one of the very few settings in which PC can’t outmatch the PlayStation 5’s graphics quality, which can probably be attributed to the developer’s oversight or neglection. It is also worth to note that cloth physics run at 30 FPS or lower on PlayStation 5, while on PC they have no frame rate limitation.
Overall, the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can run quite well on PC, provided that you have enough powerful system components. It is an extremely demanding game, and in order to match PlayStation 5’s graphics settings, you’ll need to own a very high-end graphics card and CPU. For the first time in ages, purchasing PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X console might be a cheaper option then upgrading your PC to enjoy Valhalla’s visuals. However, PC has always been the most advanced and most flexible platform, so it’s up to you to decide which path you’ll take. Down below you can see a list of PC components that you’ll need to run Valhalla at certain graphics settings presets and resolutions.
Budget PC: 1080P/30 FPS Low Preset
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 1200/Intel Core i3-9100F
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 570/NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
RAM: Patriot Signature Premium 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4-2666
Storage: WD Blue 1TB 7.200 SATA3
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Mainstream PC: 1080P/30 FPS High Preset
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600/Intel Core i3-10100
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 580/NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-3200
Storage: Kingston A400 240GB SATA3 SSD
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Mainstream PC: 1080P/60 FPS High Preset
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700/Intel Core i5-10600
GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 64/NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-3200
Storage: Kingston A400 240GB SATA3 SSD
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
2K Configuration: 1440P/30 FPS Very High Preset
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600/Intel Core i9-9900KF
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT/NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-3200
Storage: Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 250GB M.2 NVMe SSD
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
2K Configuration: 1440P/60 FPS Very High Preset
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X/Intel Core i7-10700
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT/NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-3200
Storage: Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 250GB M.2 NVMe SSD
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
4K Configuration: 2160P/30 FPS Ultra High Preset
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X/Intel Core i7-10700
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT/NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-3200
Storage: WD Blue SN550 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Although it’s unfair to compare Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s console version of the game to the PC version, it could be said that the console version looks like if it’s running on a high-end gaming PC. When considering how powerful new consoles have become, to match their performance on PC you’ll need to obtain some high-end components. If you are a mainstream gamer that still plays most of his/hers games at 1080p resolution, then getting NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT will be necessary to achieve stable 60 FPS on ultra settings in this game.
Despite the fact that Valhalla looks absolutely gorgeous, it is still quite an unoptimized game for PC. Ubisoft has clearly given up on delivering smooth gameplay to mainstream gamers, which is rather disappointing. However, with a capable gaming rig, reaching that 60 FPS mark isn’t impossible.
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