{"id":912445,"date":"2025-12-26T09:17:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T09:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/digitalfoundry-2024-the-first-descendant-brings-fsr-3-frame-generation-to-console-but-is-it-effective"},"modified":"2025-12-26T09:17:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T09:17:14","slug":"the-first-descendant-tech-review-broken-frame-gen-an-unstable-rt-mode-and-performance-issues-on-top","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/the-first-descendant-tech-review-broken-frame-gen-an-unstable-rt-mode-and-performance-issues-on-top\/","title":{"rendered":"The First Descendant tech review: broken frame-gen, an unstable RT mode, and performance issues on top"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

This console generation has given us a wealth of PC-style in-game graphics options, with PS5, Series X and even Series S usually offering at least a quality and performance mode. Developer Nexon Games’ latest effort, The First Descendant, goes a step further than most though, with this free-to-play Unreal Engine 5 shooter offering three core modes – but then also FSR 3 frame generation to increase performance on each, and a ray tracing toggle. The result is a lot of permutations to cover here, and the frank truth of the matter is that only a few of these settings are actually worth using.<\/p>\n

The First Descendant falls into a similar trap as the 2022 Saints Row Reboot for example – and even the more recent Hogwarts Legacy. In each of those cases it was ‘mode overload’ on PS5, Series X and S, with developers essentially off-handing part of the optimisation work to the end user. Without a definitive, recommended option, the huge range of mode combinations ultimately makes it difficult for end users to know which to select on first boot-up – short of play-testing all of them – and with the potential for distastrous frame-rate performance. So it is true here as well: The First Descendant offers nine possible ways to play on PS5 and Series X, with a 60fps performance mode, 40fps balanced mode (on 120Hz displays) and 30fps fidelity mode – plus those frame generation and ray tracing toggles. <\/p>\n

With that in mind, we’ve tested how each mode performs on PS5, Series X and Series S, how successfully frame generation is able to push to a 60fps target, and fundamentally which combination is the best way to play on each platform. To make all of this information easier to parse, we’ve even assembled a few tables below covering every native resolution in each mode. We’ve also investigated the game’s ray tracing implementation on console (sans Series S where the option is removed), which has some key issues. <\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This console generation has given us a wealth of PC-style in-game graphics options, with PS5, Series X and even Series S usually offering at least a quality and performance mode. Developer Nexon Games’ latest effort, The First Descendant, goes a step further than most though, with this free-to-play Unreal Engine 5 shooter offering three core modes – but then also FSR 3 frame generation to increase performance on each, and a ray tracing toggle. The result is a lot of permutations to cover here, and the frank truth of the matter is that only a few of these settings are actually worth using. The First Descendant falls into a similar trap as the 2022 Saints Row Reboot for example – and even the more recent…<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":912446,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[230],"tags":[259,1572,59,34,86,8505],"class_list":["post-912445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eurogamer","tag-action-adventure","tag-digital-foundry","tag-pc","tag-rpg","tag-shooter","tag-the-first-descendant"],"yoast_head":"\nThe First Descendant tech review: broken frame-gen, an unstable RT mode, and performance issues on top | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This console generation has given us a wealth of PC-style in-game graphics options, with PS5, Series X and even Series S usually offering at least a\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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