So, before anything else, you ought to know that, as of today, Returnal has received a crisp 4K upgrade for PlayStation 5 Pro. The patch issued by Housemarque goes live today, and boy, does it matter! We are talking about a possible up to 2.5 times pixel overload from the regular PS5; that surely cannot be a minor bump. We are talking aeons away on the scale, from ‘standard def’ to ‘ultra HD’ while being walloped across the chops by alien monsters.
Where have you been if you have not played Returnal yet (seriously, where have you been)? Imagine a soul-crushing rogue-lite shooter set on far, far grounds of alien lands, and the player must travel between harder roguelike-like obstacles. The PS5 version looked insane with particle effects and lighting, but this is just on the next level- the weird biomes and hellish colors now cranked up so high you can practically count the lists on Selene’s space suit.
And about timing, if the PS5 best has found its way into players’ hands, then it is going to be one of the most beautiful titles that can appreciate the extra power. No waiting for days; download the patch, like, now, and see for yourself.
How crazy is it that Returnal looked great before? Rain splattering on your visor, alien guts pulverized in gallons of punchy red blood raining all over during buttery-smooth 60fps. And crank that back to 11. It is not just about sharper textures, from the environmental detail to enemy designs; this is the one that makes the original look almost blurry.
Besides really upping the resolution, Housemarque heard fans’ calls and most probably took some real-time feedback into serious consideration. Full patch notes are not available yet, but, from initial reports, loading times have been improved and there are now instances of more stability during areas of peak performance, you know, those chicken-sweating sections that challenge the limits of your controller.
This is the kind of real next-gen showcase that PS5 Pro needed for this start. Not some lame enhancement with zero differences, but an actual enhancement that makes you want to play through the entire game again to see just how good it looks now. And let’s be honest: any reason to justify jumping back into Returnal’s hurtful-but-addicting gameplay loop is a good one.
The patch is live now for free download for everyone who purchased Returnal. No special editions, no extra purchases; just download it and let the eyeball distraction begin. Housemarque continues its reign as one of the most player-centric studios out there.
If you own a PS5 Pro and have any semblance of an interest in Returnal (or just perhaps see now what the console can do), you owe it to yourself to try this upgrade. The difference is like rhinoceros horns on the forehead of an elephant – plain gory and unbearable. Just save some controllers, though; you’ll need them for all those spikes in difficulty at a glorious 2.5X.
With this and many upcoming titles being enhanced for the PS5 Pro, the new console is starting to earn its keep. It was already a technical showcase – it’s now upending the yardstick on what the term “Pro Enhanced” should mean. Other developers better take notes because Housemarque just taught them a lesson in style.
