Is Uncharted 4 60 FPS on PS4?

As a passionate gamer and creator focused on the technical aspects of games, I‘ve done extensive research into the frame rates of the critically acclaimed PlayStation exclusive Uncharted 4: A Thief‘s End. In this article, we‘ll dig into whether or not it achieves the silky smooth 60 frames per second (FPS) benchmark on PS4 and PS4 Pro platforms.

PS4 – Stuck at 30 FPS for Cinematic Experience

Right off the bat, the answer is no, Uncharted 4 does not hit 60 FPS on the base PS4. Instead, developer Naughty Dog decided to lock the game at 1080p resolution and 30 FPS during gameplay to push the graphical fidelity to its limits.

According to detailed analysis by Digital Foundry, Uncharted 4 on PS4 has extremely stable 30 FPS performance throughout, with only minor single frame drops in the most intense sequences. Naughty Dog‘s custom engine does an excellent job sticking to 30 FPS for a cinematic feel they were targeting.

As a passionate gamer myself though, I‘ve always preferred the smoother, more responsive gameplay that 60 FPS unlocks. While 30 FPS is definitely still playable, getting up to 60+ FPS vastly improves the shooting precision needed in action-oriented games like Uncharted.

So why didn‘t Naughty Dog boost performance to 60 FPS? Their focus was on delivering jaw-dropping set pieces and environments, pushing the PS4 with effects like dynamic sand simulation. Sacrificing frame rate reduced overhead for visual effects.

PS4 Pro – Enhanced But Still Not Perfect 60 FPS

On the more powerful PS4 Pro, Naughty Dog did try to hit 60 FPS with an "enhanced performance mode" that runs Uncharted 4 at 1440p resolution. And while this mode does get much closer to the target, it still has dynamic frame rates dropping into 40-50 FPS range in taxing scenes.

In my experience playing on both PS4 and PS4 Pro, the performance mode certainly feels smoother during traversal and combat. But those frame rate dips below 60 FPS in certain areas prove the PS4 Pro just doesn‘t have enough overhead to fully lock 60 FPS while also bumping to 1440p displays.

Cutscenes are still locked at 30 FPS across both consoles though, likely due to the resource heavy runtime animation and visual effects used. Naughty Dog maintains their cinematic approach for storytelling segments, leveraging temporal anti-aliasing for clean video quality at 30 FPS there.

So while PS4 Pro gets you closer with an almost 60 FPS, it can‘t fully eliminate frame rate drops. For a rock-solid 60 FPS throughout on PS4 hardware, some visual compromises would need to be made.

PS5 Enhancement – True 4K and Perfect 60 FPS

The PlayStation 5 upgrade finally delivers what many Uncharted fans have been waiting for: 4K resolution at a flawless 60 FPS frame rate! This provides both the pixel count to appreciate textures in crystal clarity, and uncompromised smoothness for perfect combat reactions.

By leveraging the PS5 powerhouse CPU/GPU, Naughty Dog didn‘t need to sacrifice visuals to hit both 4K and 60 FPS this time. Thanks to technologies like the custom SSD, PS5 also reduces loading times from over 30 seconds on PS4 to under 5 seconds.

As someone who obsessively chases ever higher FPS counts for competitive play, getting 60+ FPS should genuinely improve K/D ratios for most players. Quick movements with the DualSense‘s excellent haptics feel incredible at 60 FPS. It breathed new life into replayng Uncharted 4‘s epic set pieces yet again for me on PS5!

If you have a choice, I‘d strongly recommend playing Uncharted 4 on PS5 over older PlayStation hardware. The improved frame pacing makes it feel like a true "next-gen" title now, even years after its initial PS4 release.

Performance Comparison Table

Here is a comparison table summarizing the resolutions and frame rates across each PlayStation platform:

The Case for 60 FPS in Cinematic Action Games

While film purists argue for preserving a "cinematic" 24-30 FPS rate, I‘d counter that 60 FPS actually better immerses players and gives direct control over the action. Seeing Nathan Drake‘s hand movements update twice as frequently with the controller flows in harmony at over 60 FPS.

And during frantic shootouts against mercenaries, having frame rates above 60 FPS provides life-saving reaction time to take out enemies first. Similar games like the PS4 God of War reboot also benefited massively from its 60 FPS patch on PS5.

For single player experiences without competitive elements, 30 FPS presents less issues outside of immersion. But 60 FPS delivers tangible gameplay improvements given Uncharted 4‘s action-oriented gameplay. I strongly believe 60+ FPS should be the new standard target for AAA gaming after playing Uncharted 4 on PS5 with it.

The Verdict – PS5 Version Reigns Supreme

So in summary – while you can enjoy A Thief‘s End at 30 FPS on launch PS4s, I‘d advise playing the PS5 remaster for the best balance of visuals and frame rate. Once you get smooth 60 FPS combat and traversal, it‘s tough going back!

Let me know what you think of Uncharted 4‘s frames – are you fine with 30 FPS cinematics? Or do you also chase the 60 FPS dream like me? I‘m curious to hear your take! Feel free to reach out in the comments below or on my YouTube channel for more tech analyses.