Is Far Cry 6 Native 4K on PlayStation 5?
As a long-time gaming enthusiast and content creator focused on graphics analysis, 4K gaming has been an obsession of mine ever since the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X arrived. With the newer PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles boasting even more powerful GPUs and advanced rendering techniques, 4K gaming is now firmly in the mainstream.
And without a doubt, Far Cry 6 fully supports native 4K resolution on the PlayStation 5. Both officially and in practice, it lives up to the promise of 4K fidelity. But there are a few caveats to discuss regarding optimal settings.
PS5 – A True 4K Gaming Machine
Sony designed the PS5 hardware with ultra high-fidelity gaming in mind, not just higher framerates. The custom AMD RDNA 2 GPU inside provides 10.28 TFLOPs of power – enough to drive many games natively at 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) while maintaining smooth 60 FPS performance.
It also supports critical display formats for pristine image quality:
- 4K rendering at 60 Hz or 120 Hz
- High Dynamic Range (HDR)
- Wide color gamut (YUV420, Rec 2020)
Plus, the PS5 uses advanced rendering techniques like dynamic resolution scaling. With this, games can dynamically adjust rendering resolution to maintain performance, while using temporal reconstruction methods to upscale back to 4K with minimal artifacts.
When optimized properly, dynamic scaling allows PS5 titles to hit near-native 4K quality at rock-solid 60 FPS for buttery smooth motion clarity, yet scales down gracefully if needed during demanding scenes.
Far Cry 6 – Benchmarking Native 4K on PS5
According to official specifications from Ubisoft, Far Cry 6 for PlayStation 5 renders at a native 2160p resolution, aka 4K, while "targeting" 60 FPS.
Digital Foundry‘s independent technical analysis further confirms these details:
- Dynamic 4K from 80% to 100% resolution
- Sticks close to full native 4K at all times
- Typical resolution around 90% 4K (3584×2016)
So in practice, Far Cry 6 on PS5 regularly hits full native 4K during normal gameplay like exploration, driving, stealth. More demanding sequences like fast chaotic action may dip resolution slightly to maintain 60 FPS, then upscales back to 4K via high-quality reconstruction techniques.
This dynamic scaling occurs imperceptibly so the game feels like a locked, stable native 4K presentation that fully leverages the PS5 hardware.
Optimizing Far Cry 6 Image Quality
Far Cry 6 also offers a free optional add-on – the High Resolution Texture Pack for further enhancing environmental detail. But there‘s a catch with using this on PS5…
The texture pack is designed primarily for the Xbox Series X and high-end PCs with over 12GB of graphics memory (VRAM). It can demand around 11-14 GB VRAM.
Since the PlayStation 5 only has 10 GB shared between system and graphics, using the texture pack has been known to cause issues:
- Blurry or visually degraded textures
- Long texture loading times
- Pop-in artifacts
Many PS5 players thus report downgrading back to the stock textures provides much cleaner image quality. So I actually recommend skipping the texture pack when playing in 4K HDR:
| Display Mode | Settings |
|---|---|
| Native 4K | 60 FPS mode + base game textures |
This allows Far Cry 6 on PS5 to fully render at a crisp, ultra high fidelity 4K while avoiding any VRAM-related defects.
Showcasing Far Cry 6 in 4K
Here are some notable examples that demonstrate the level of enhanced details and clarity only visible in native 4K:
- Individual leaves and foliage is so well-defined, you can make out minute veins and fibers
- Impressive texture filter and resolution on surfaces like tarmac or stone walls
- Subtle environmental effects like heat shimmer are more pronounced
The vibrant HDR colors also burst with more nuance and realism at 4K. Even tiny set dressing objects that might go unnoticed at 1080p are now perfectly legible, creating an incredibly life-like world.
The Verdict – Stunning, Fluid Native 4K
Without a doubt, Far Cry 6 for PlayStation 5 renders natively at 4K while targeting 60 FPS for an uncompromising level of visual fidelity matched only by gaming PCs.
Occasional dips below native res helps maintain smooth 60 FPS motion and flawless 4K reconstruction makes these near imperceptible.
So while the title lacks dedicated next-gen features like hardware ray tracing or 120 FPS support, Far Cry 6 undoubtedly sets a new standard for the series with its pristine 4K presentation that fully harnesses the PS5 power.
Just stay clear of the texture pack issues by using stock textures, and Far Cry 6 offers one of the most stunning, crystal-clear 4K gaming experiences possible on modern console hardware.
