The PS4 Is Struggling To Keep Up With God Of War Ragnarok

The PS4 Is Struggling To Keep Up With God Of War Ragnarok
Images via Sony

Written by 

Tom Chapman

Published 

4th Nov 2022 16:00

Surprising to literally no one, it sounds like the PlayStation 4 is struggling to run Sony Santa Monica's God of War Ragnarok. By the sounds of it, Kratos of picking up his Leviathan Axe and hacking the last-gen console to pieces. Well, don't say we didn't warn you.

It's hard to believe it's been two years since Sony launched the PS5 - mainly because most of us can't get hold of one. 2018's God of War became a titan of the industry as the best-selling PS4 game of all time, but sadly, its 2022 sequel isn't more likely to take the console down in a blaze of infamy. 

How Does God Of War Ragnarok Play On The PS4?

As critics get their hands on the game, there are some worrying reports that the PS4 will sound like a jet engine if you try and play Ragnarok. Even though Kotaku gave the game a pretty solid review, there were some niggles they couldn't forgive. More than saying it feels a bit like an expanded DLC at times, it's apparently taking a beating if you play God of War Ragnarok on PS4.

"I've never heard my PS4 get this loud before. It's almost scary. I had to turn up the TV a lot just to cover up all the noise it was making," says reporter Zack Zwiezen. He said he dug out his old PS4 and booted it up to try and run the new-gen game on a decidedly last-gen console. 

There are some plus points if you haven't got a PS5 yet. Zwiezen praised the devs for keeping things crisp even at 1080p. Although the Ragnarok performance it's also locked to 30fps on PS4 (uh oh, Gotham Knights again), it handled most scenes without a frame drop unless it was big fights with a lot of enemies. Added to this, motion blur lets things look a little smoother. 

Can The PS4 Handle God Of War Ragnarok?

Concluding what Ragnarok plays like on the PS4, Zwiezen concluded apart from lengthy loading times, "Your PS4 is going to sound like a jet engine playing Ragnarök." Apparently, even sitting idle on the main menu can make your PS4 "scream." A handy video from IGN outlines the differences between the PS4 and PS5 versions. Obviously, the PS5 Ragnarok is the way to play. 

All of this further compounds the problems with Sony refusing to leave the PS4 behind. Only recently, head honcho Jim Ryan confirmed the gaming giant will keep making last-gen games. Sigh. If you're content with running Ragnarok on the PS4, maybe think of going down to the bottom of the garden or investing in some earplugs for yourself. Then again, you won't be able to hear the game's rousing cinematic score.


Tom Chapman
About the author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
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