I’m upgrading from an older GTX 1080 rig that is honestly still usable, but there have been a few newer titles here and there that I’ve been putting off playing.
What are some beautiful and demanding hardware wise games you guys would recommend? Bonus points for underrated games or hidden gems.
Ahhh I remember the feeling of upgrading to a new GPU after ditching my 1050 earlier this year. Here’s some games that can stress test your new rig:
- God of War
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Returnal
- Spider-Man Remastered
- Control
- Forza Horizon 5 or Dirt 5
Also while Elden Ring isn’t as demanding as technically impressive as other games it can look quite beautiful.
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Control is excellent and also has a mod from one of the developers that adds stuff like HDR, support for newer versions of DLSS, better raytracing etc.
EDIT: Also, if you’re playing RDR2 ensure to enable the nvidia reflex low latency stuff and run at a high framerate to mitigate some of the input lag. It’s a marked improvement over PS4.
It’s worth checking out CP2077 again. They fixed a ton of bugs and added new features as well. Perfect timing before the expansion comes out.
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Oh no! I can do you a favor and take one free starfield off your hands to save you some time.
I’ll have to check out Returnal, I’ve heard mixed reviews
The game had technical issues on release but they’ve since been resolved, I’ve played it recently and had no issues. It’s fun but pretty short so I’d buy it on sale.
The sole DLC/expansion for CP2077 is coming out this fall. If you’ve waited this long you might as well wait for it to be complete before you revisit it.
I’ve been waiting for the DLC before doing a first foray, personally.
Returnal is BEAUTIFUL at 1440p/144hz. RTX off.
I would NOT play Returnal if you are not using a Dualsense controller. I bought a Dualsense controller for the nice D-Pad compared to my other controllers, and Returnal was the first game I had played that used the haptics, adaptive triggers, and the speaker.
Blew my fucking mind. I had no idea how awesome it would feel to play a game like this. I wish more games I like supported all of that. Rumble is great, the haptics on the Switch Pro controller are alright… but the Dualsense haptics are NUTS. The controller adds a whole new dimension to playing, and the PC port of Returnal is excellent. I played hours every day until completing it. Hard recommend… but get a Dualsense.
I’m sure it feels awesome with a Dualsense, I’ve heard a lot about the adaptivr triggers on this game. I’ve played it with an 8bitdo controller and the game was still pretty fun, the controls felt nice regardless.
The controls are great with other controllers! I can’t even explain how different it is with a Dualsense though. I don’t even have a PS5, but I really liked the controller. Until I played Returnal… Now I LOVE it. The triggers are really awesome, but the haptics were so much more than I expected—they’re so much more than just simple rumble.
Even the speaker was awesome to have. Chirping satisfyingly when I timed a reload correctly, making strange noises when I picked up a Parasite, and doing a Ether noise when I picked up Ether.
Between regular controllers, KBM, and a Dualsense, the Dualsense legitimately changes the experience so significantly, I wouldn’t recommend it without one. I convinced my friend to pick one up before trying Returnal, and I knew he started with it when I got a text that just said
“holy shit”
+1 for RDR2
The fact that Horizon: Zero Dawn hasn’t been mentioned yet is a travesty.
Is the sequel out on PC yet?
Not yet, no release date yet either. Probably won’t be until the end of next year at least
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Its one of the few games I’ve played through twice
If you’re just looking for something graphically impressive you probably have to put Cyberpunk 2077 with full Path Tracing on the list, if your new rig can handle it.
Not really a hidden gem but it probably looks spectacular.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is literally the best cowboy game ever made and up there with the other top tiers.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is pretty amazing to look at
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It’s it fixed yet?
whats wrong with it? I’ve only just made it to the village on the first planet. The first boss fight was awesome.
On launch it would stutter, could not hit reliable 60fps, had glitches and bugs all over. If you were ok playing at 30fps it would somewhat chug along, but for any smoother experience it just could not hit the marks.
Console versions still suffer from terrible screen tearing (and unlike PC they don’t have a vsync toggle).
plays pretty smooth so maybe they solved it or my hardware isnt affected
Cyberpunk. And with sharpening (like RIS) at 80% even better!
Minecraft…
…with shaders.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is pretty on a good gaming rig.
This is me right now. God of War (2018) looks breathtaking.
Metro Exodus with RT
Kingdom Come: DeliveranceEDIT:
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I second the suggestion of Control.
Glad someone else mentioned Metro, those games look fucking amazing. Last Light on 360 looks like an early PS4 game it’s so good.
Elden Ring + Doom Eternal
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Yes. It’s not the most graphically demanding game so hardware wise it isn’t much of a test of a new PC. It is, however, rather aesthetically beautiful and worth going for in the context of what you’re going for, IMO.
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I think Hitman 3 looks quite nice
SCORN is very aesthetically pleasing if you enjoy the eerie, haunting landscapes by Giger or Beksinsky. The game itself is meh at best, but the sights are great.
I just tried and refunded it. Awesome environments, awful puzzles.
The game missed the point entirely. Gigerian landscapes are something to be looked upon and contemplated, instead of being simply a background you “kind of” acknowledge while running away before some monster.
As such, only sandbox and adventure type of games are able to use their haunted beauty.
not very demanding though.
I also went from a 1080 and I’ve really enjoyed playing the following on ultra now: Doom eternal, cyberpunk 2077, mount and blade 2, ready or not, and I was planning on replaying the revamped metro series as well as death stranding
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Emulate TotK on Yuzu and play it at 1440p/60FPS with graphical mods. It’s BEAUTIFUL.
You can also CEMU BotW and play at 144hz, also with graphical upgrades.
