I don’t need a PS5 to be happy with God of War Ragnarok

Old-school fun

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It’s November 9, and here I am, sat with noGod of War Ragnarokand no PS5; what a sorry sight.

God of War Ragnarok’slaunch has been a much-anticipated date for fans. Marked in their calendar months in advance and a beacon of light raising their spirits and encouraging them to get to the end of the year. Unfortunately, as God of War Ragnarok’s release date approached, my blood pressure was the only thing that rose.

I have been plaguing myself with the question: “should I finally get aPS5in time for God of War Ragnarok?” The truthful answer is that I still don’t know. In my messy internal debates, I’ve seemed to land myself between a rock and a hard place where I don’t have God of War Ragnarok or a PS5.

With theBlack Friday 2022 dealsapproaching with the possibility of getting some greatBlack Friday PS5 deals, I still haven’t ruled out purchasing a PS5. However, I will not force myself into financial ruin just for nicer graphics.

Bad eyes or bad graphics?

The reality of playing on aPS4isn’t as bad as it first may seem. In my quest to determine whether I should purchase a PS5, I did what any self-respecting fan would do: beg their friend to let them play a little bit of God of War Ragnarok on their PS4.

I was pleasantly surprised. If you’re playing on aPS4 Pro, God of War Ragnarok looks similar to its PS5 counterpart. Maybe I’ve gotten used to bad graphics on my old, dusty PS4 Pro, or I need to check my eyes. But just for the visuals alone, I wouldn’t pay the fee of$499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.95to get my hands on a PS5.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Despite the graphics looking pretty spick and span, there are some drawbacks to playing on the last-gen console. All in all, the complete experience of God of War Ragnarok seems better on a PS5.

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First, the current-gen console and haptics add to the immersion and experience in God of War Ragnarok. No surprise there, then, as one ofthe PS5’s best featuresis theDualSensecontroller. You’ll also have a wonderful time with the audio, thanks to thePS5 Pulse 3D Wireless headset. After a PS5 update, thesePS5 wireless headphones are a must-buy. Now you can create your own audio mode preset and gear up for some booming base and great 3D audio.

With a PS5, you’ll fly high at 4K resolution at 60fps

The real kicker, though, is the frame rate. With a PS5, you’ll fly high at4Kresolution and 60fps. Unfortunately, for those using the PS4 and PS4 Pro, like myself, you will be locked at 30fps. That’s a pretty big difference. Some may not see this as a problem but for games likeGotham Knights, having the game stuck at 30fps impacted player immersion in a negative way.

Will Black Friday convince me?

In reality, it’s not just the prospect of financial ruin holding me back from getting a PS5. In recent months, the next-gen console has been like stardust, as it’s increasingly hard to come by. Hopefully, we’ll see more PS5s grace our shopping pages as Black Friday gets closer, but you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled on thePS5 restock pagefor that.

Due to shortages, the base price for the PS5 has increased for UK and Australian buyers. On release, it cost£449.99 / AUD$749.95, and now sits at£479.99 / AU$799.95for the past few months. Even though this doesn’t seem like a massive hike, you must be aware of how low these deals go. Without a serious price drop, buying a console for the benefit of one game doesn’t seem like a good investment to me.

However, if you have $500 to spare, then a PS5 is a good long-term investment. With God of War Ragnarok andGhost of Tsushimareceiving special treatment on this next-gen console, you’ll have plenty to be in awe of. The upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake is a PS5 exclusive, which may mark the beginning of the end ofSonyexclusives being released on PS4.

If you’re dead set on getting a PlayStation console, then PS5 is the best choice or go for the cheaper PS5 Digital Edition that sits at$399.99 / £389.99 / AU$649.95. Despite the PS4 holding up with games like God of War Ragnarok, thanks to Sony discontinuing production of PS4 Pros they aren’t reasonably priced and will soon be outdated. We’re all going to have to upgrade someday.

Elie is a Features Writer for TechRadar Gaming, here to write about anything new or slightly weird. Before writing for TRG, Elie studied for a Masters at Cardiff University JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs or editing the gaming section for their student publications.

Elie’s first step into gaming was through Pokémon but they’ve taken the natural next step in the horror genre. Any and every game that would keep you up at night is on their list to play - despite the fact that one of Elie’s biggest fears is being chased.

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