DOOM: The Dark Ages Graphics Analysis – An Astounding id Tech 8 Showcase on PC and PS5 id Software's latest is a graphical feast and an incredible showing of id Tech 8's capabilities, regardless of the platform. Posted By Ravi Sinha | On 09th, May. 2025 id Software’s latest title in the DOOM series is nearly upon us, launching on May 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC (May 13th for those who pre-purchased). It’s also arguably the most epic game in the franchise yet. DOOM: The Dark Ages visits an earlier point in the Slayer’s life, whereupon he fought hordes of demons and really earned his reputation as the Hellwalker. Though its setting is full of medieval architecture, lending a fantasy flavor and atmosphere unseen in the 2016 reboot and DOOM Eternal, the technology powering it is as cutting-edge as they come. It’s powered by id Tech 8, the developer’s latest iteration of its proprietary software, which evolves significantly over id Tech 7, last used in DOOM Eternal (though MachineGames also used it for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle). How does it improve over its predecessor, and for that matter, how does the performance measure up, especially on consoles? Evolution from DOOM Eternal Before we delve into its performance, it’s worth noting all the improvements that DOOM: The Dark Ages brings to the table compared to DOOM Eternal. The most obvious is the implementation of ray-traced global illumination, which adds a stunning new dimension to everything. Levels feel more naturally illuminated with realistic shadows, with some of the most notable examples being in the opening mission, with the smallest fire casting a natural glow on the surroundings, including nearby enemies. It’s also stunning to see atmospherics like rain illuminated when there’s a sudden flash of thunder, especially when a horde of enemies awaits the Slayer. Not only does this highlight the more detailed textures and environments, which are absolutely brimming with details, but it also makes them feel more natural and lived-in. It also adds to the destructible components in the environment, which are a huge step up from Eternal. You can see this in the opening level when shooting wooden structures – they’ll crumble realistically (though some jank was noticeable at one part). In another level, striking an enemy and sending their carcass into a nearby stone pillar results in it slightly crumbling, emitting dust and dislodging stones from the impact. Of course, ray-traced reflections are amply implemented as well. One notable example is in the second mission, where you battle demons in a darkened room, their bodies and projectiles reflecting on the wet floors, which brings us to the increased enemy count. Though there are still linear paths to traverse and tight in-door environments to fight in, DOOM: The Dark Ages features much more open environments. Filling them out with enemies is thus important, but the numbers are significantly higher than Eternal, with dozens roaming around at some points. This is ordinarily where you would start to wonder about the performance, but there’s good news. PC Performance One of the hallmarks of the contemporary DOOM series is its scalability on PC, and The Dark Ages is no different. Running it at 2160p/60 FPS and Ultra settings requires an AMD Zen 3 CPU or a 12th-generation Intel CPU at 3.2 GHz and eight cores. A ray-tracing capable GPU is needed across all recommended configurations, with an RTX 4080 and AMD RX 7900 XT provided as examples. Finally, you’ll need 32 GB of RAM and an  NVMe SSD with 100 GB of installation space. Our test rig consisted of an AMD Ryzen 9 5950x, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, an NVMe SSD PCI-e 4.0 and 94 GB of RAM. As for the settings, we opted for a 3840×2160 resolution (with dynamic scaling), 60 Hz refresh rate, V-Sync with Triple Buffering, and a 90-degree field of view. Nvidia DLSS was enabled for upscaling on Balanced mode with the sharpness set to 46 percent. Motion Blur is on High with its quality set to Ultra, and we opted for the Ultra preset on everything else – Shadow Quality, Reflections Quality, Directional Occlusion, you name it. In terms of performance, DOOM: The Dark Ages seamlessly maintains the 60 FPS target, even with the sheer number of enemies on-screen, projectiles, particles (especially in effect trails), and fast-paced action that’s happening. The overall scale of the levels is also impressive, not just because of the quality of the environments or background details (including larger foes walking around) but also because of the lack of pop-in and asset loading. It’s a tightly optimized experience that keeps the action rolling fiercely, whether you’re fighting on the ground or in the Atlan mech. PS5 Performance The PS5 version sadly only offers one mode, which runs in 60 frames per second. There are options to adjust the field of view and enable or disable Chromatic Aberration and Depth of Field. Motion Blur can also be toggled with options for customizing the amount, but otherwise, there are no other graphical options. On the bright side, the PS5 version does a great job keeping up with the PC version in terms of performance. We didn’t face any slowdown (at least nothing was noticeable enough to hamper the experience), even during explosive action scenes. There is a noticeable difference in fidelity from the PC version, which we’ll get into. However, considering the detail, RTGI implementation and environmental scale, it’s still an incredible effort by id Software. PC vs PS5 Quality As usual, the PC version is superior in quality, though the PS5 version holds its own in performance. Even the loading times are pretty much the same, and they’re extremely short, whether you’re transitioning from the main menu into the next campaign mission or from a cutscene directly into gameplay. When comparing the fidelity, it seems that dynamic resolution scaling is more in play on the PS5 version than PC, though we’d attribute this more to the sheer difference in hardware. The image quality doesn’t take too big of a hit, though the PC version still offers better clarity, allowing all the individual details to shine more. Ray-traced reflections also look sharper on PC, with the PS5 version producing slightly less clear reflections in puddles. While the differences are much more obvious when comparing them side by side, id Software has done an impressive job with the PS5 version. It just speaks more to the work put into the PC version (and this isn’t even on the absolute highest settings) to provide the most graphically superior experience. Conclusion DOOM: The Dark Ages doesn’t just highlight id Software’s mastery when it comes to optimized PC ports, but also its ability to eke out so much from the base PS5. Gorgeous atmospherics, expansive environments brimming with all kinds of decals, impressive usage of ray-traced global illumination – and above all else, smooth performance. While console players will no doubt miss options for a higher frame rate, the fact it looks and runs this well while maintaining 60 frames per second is still commendable. As it stands (and fights), DOOM: The Dark Ages is unquestionably id Software’s magnum opus. A worthy showcase of the power of id Tech 8 but above all, it raises the bar for first-person shooter fidelity and optimization. I’m curious to see how much further the team can take it into the future, but for now, The Dark Ages is a top-tier visual feast that shouldn’t be missed. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More DOOM: The Dark Ages Publisher:Bethesda Softworks Developer:id Software Platforms:Xbox Series X, PS5, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! DOOM: The Dark Ages Graphics Analysis – An Astounding id Tech 8 Showcase on PC and PS5 id Software's latest is a graphical feast and an incredible showing of id Tech 8's capabilities, regardless of... The First Berserker: Khazan Adds Two New Boss Rush Modes on May 15th Battle against bosses with preset loadouts or engage in consecutive fights in a rogue-like run to earn powerfu... Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Can Surpass 8-10 Million Copies Sold – Larian Publishing Head In a post congratulating Sandfall Interactive, Michael Douse spoke about the potential for more sales thanks t... Bandai Namco Reports 995 Percent Increase in Profits From Previous Year Bandai Namco has credited Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree for driving growth... Stardew Valley Creator Might Eventually Make a Sequel In an interview, developer Eric Barone spoke about how much easier it is to add content to a game than to crea... DOOM: The Dark Ages Trailer Prepares for the Slayer’s Launch Watch the Slayer dismantle demons with various firearms and melee weapons and jump into an Atlan mech for some... View More