While the PS5 version of Armored Core 6 runs very well and mostly at 60 FPS in performance mode, the PS4 Pro version run on a PS5 appears to give you a locked frame rate of 60 FPS, much like it did for Elden Ring.
As noted by Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) and confirmed by IGN, the PS4 Pro version of Armored Core 6 will run with a locked framerate of 60 FPS on PS5 despite Namco Bandai saying it maxes out at 30 FPS at 1800p resolution. While it takes a small resolution hit, those looking for the best performance may want to give this a shot.
Despite Bandai Namco telling us that the PlayStation 4 Pro build of Armored Core 6 maxes out at 30fps at 1800p resolution, just like Elden Ring, if you boot up the PS4 Pro build on a PlayStation 5 the framerate locks to 60fps. Much smoother than the PlayStation 5 native build. pic.twitter.com/diDRmDVQcA
— Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) August 25, 2023
As previously mentioned, this was the case with Elden Ring as well, as we showed in our Elden Ring performance review.
“One nice benefit of the PlayStation 5’s backwards compatibility mode is you can also play the PS4 version, or in this case the PS4 Pro version, which provides a reduced image quality of 3200×1800 (likely a reconstructed method as per Sekiro) and some graphical cutbacks,” IGN’s Michael Thompson wrote about Elden Ring. “The reward is a perfectly locked 60fps readout from all tested sections. This offers the absolute best way to play if performance is your main priority, and that includes the PC due to the current patched version experiencing heavy prolonged stutter and slow down when it happens.”
McDonald went on to say that the PS5 version of Armored Core 6 runs “GREAT almost all the time, but it does have moments of slowdown that aren’t hard to see whatsoever. They mostly happen in cutscenes but also when exploring areas with heavy weather effects. (Yes, this is Framerate-priority mode).”
The PlayStation 5 version of Armored Core 6 runs GREAT almost all of the time, but it does have moments of slowdown that aren’t hard to see whatsoever. They mostly happen in cutscenes but also when exploring areas with heavy weather effects.
(Yes, this is Framerate-priority mode) pic.twitter.com/mxK0sGGjNy— Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) August 26, 2023
For more, check out our Armored Core 6 performance review for PS5 vs Xbox Series X/S vs PS4 vs Steam Deck and out review.
In our Armored Core 6 review, we said its “stellar customization options feed into its excellent mecha combat, and the result is challenging combat puzzles that kept my attention all the way through its 15-hour campaign and beyond. It’s let down by a dull story, but lands direct hits where it counts.”
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.