One of the more surprising announcements from the PS5’s last big showcase was the PS Plus Collection. Backwards compatibility onPS5may not encompass anything beyond the PS4, but it is nice to have a ton of free PS4 classics coming on the PS5’s launch. Other than players being able to experience some of the greatest games from last generation, there was another big (if expected) feature announced recently called Game Boost. Game Boost essentially boosts the frame rate and resolution for select PS4 titles when playing on PS5.
This is huge for quite a few PS4 titles, which pushed the last generation PlayStation’s graphical capability to its limits. Even on PS4 Pro, several of the games on this list struggled with a weird choice between high resolution/low frame rate, or vice versa. Even if the consoles were able to tackle these high-fidelity games, they often sounded like jet engines working overtime to render the game. Now onPS5, with true 4K gaming potentially at 60 FPS, some of the best PS4 games may actually benefit a great deal by Game Boost.
The Last of Us Part 2
Putting aside any controversy about the game itself, from a purely objective standpoint,The Last of Us Part 2is easily one of the best looking video games on consoles. Even without the PS4 Pro, the game still had a fantastic art direction and optimization for the PS4. That being said, both versions (PS4 and PS4 Pro) were both locked to 30 FPS, with the Pro rendering up to 1440p resolution. While vistas were generally impressive looking, a boost in frame rate and resolution could helpmakeThe Last of Us Part 2’s stunning visuals even better. Seeing post-apocalyptic Seattle in 4K at 60 FPS would be extremely impressive, especially considering how detailed Naughty Dog games are.
God of War (2018)
God of Warwas also one of those games that made PS4 systems work hard to render the game. Exploring Midgard on a standard PS4 just never does the expansive world justice, as often the system would hover around the 25-30 FPS mark in high motion scenarios. Even the PS4 Pro implemented two rendering modes, resolution or “performance” mode, which would reduce the output resolution to 1080p but could muster a higher frame rate as a result. That being said, the PS5 likely wouldn’t have any trouble providing the best of both worlds.God of Waris known for its set pieces, and seeing those scenarios play out in 4K at 60 FPS would beawesome for those waiting onRagnarok.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Same deal withFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. For the game to ship and run well on PlayStation 4, it’s clearFinal Fantasy 7 Remakemade a lot of sacrifices in certain areas to help maintain the game’s performance on PS4/PS4 Pro.Muddy and low-resolution textures were a common sight in Midgarwhen checking the nooks and crannies, but the game did run genuinely well and look beautiful when it wasn’t under a microscope. However, with the PS5’s SSD and higher graphical output, the texture loading issues and environmental details inFinal Fantasy 7 Remakecould easily be enhanced with Game Boost. Not to mention it could be a sign of what to expect fromRemake’s part 2.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Even some of the earlier PS4 titles, which still ran surprisingly well, would especially benefit from Game Boost.Horizon Zero Dawnin particular would benefit greatly from Game Boost, as fans have already seen how the game benefits from a performance boost. Watching the game played on high-end PC rigs shows how great the game looks at 4K and 60 FPS. Obviously the PS5 isn’t going to support ultrawide FOV or anything like that, but increased draw distances, easily maintaining 60 FPS, and whatever other graphical improvements from PC come along would be perfect. EspeciallywithForbidden Westcoming next year, might as well give players a chance to play the definitive version.
Uncharted 4
Of course, prior to a lot of games on this list,Uncharted 4used to be the baseline for how good games could look on PS4. Outside ofThe Last of UsRemastered, this wasthe game on PS4 that set the graphical standard for Naughty Dog gamesmoving forward. Not to mention the leap in graphical fidelity betweenUncharted 3toUncharted 4was drastic. Like theNathan Drake Collectionbefore it,Uncharted 4is certainly a game that deserves the 4K/60 FPS boost. Sharpening one of the best looking and highly detailed games on PS4 would make Drake’s swan song a bit more bittersweet on PS5.
The backwards compatibility FAQ at PlayStation does mention that Game Boost will only enhance “select” PS4 titles, but considering all but 10 PS4 games will be playable on PS5, the optimization should encompass plenty of the PS4’s best titles. Sucker Punch has already confirmed thatGhost of Tsushimawill be seeing a significant boost in frame rateto 60 FPS, alongside better load times. These classic PS4 titles will almost certainly receive similar treatment on the PS5’s launch.
PS5launches on July 05, 2025.
MORE:Naughty Dog Confirms All Its PS4 Games Will Work on PS5
