Best PS4 Graphics

Uncharted 4 would be my pick for #1. The very subtle facial cues that are extremely difficult to animate and get right were flawlessly executed in it. I'll never forget the look Elena had on her face when Nate was going on about how Avery poisoned the other pirates. With a single look, she conveyed years of love, frustration, and understanding. Stellar, groundbreaking stuff.

Persona 5 easily wins best graphics on PS4 for me, simply because of how stylish they are.

I would put Horizon at #2.

I'd have had Detroit at the top spot personally. Can't believe how good that game looks on current-gen hardware. It really is like having an early glimpse into the PS5.

@Turismo4GT Persona 5 is pretty much the most stylish game in existence, but on a graphical level, it's pretty basic — gotta remember it was on PS3 as well.

Purely for this list we were looking at technical quality as well as sheer graphical heft and visual spectacle. If we were doing a list on art style alone, I think Persona 5 would be on it, and it'd definitely be near the top.

Mmmm I dunno.... the top 6 could all share the number 1 spot. GOW is just as beautiful as HZD, Uncharted has the cutscenes with no competition. RDR2 is crazy! Why? Because open world, and it's ambient occlusion is unique.

The witcher 3 for me is still head and shoulders above anything, the way the trees sway in velen is awe inspiring when it comes to creating an atmosphere

DG looks easily better than Spider-Man.
Even GOW looks amazing but definitely not number 1. Not even top 5
Point of views you know

Uncharted 4 still looks the best, horizon close second..

Resident Evil 2 is too low on this list but its difficult to choose which would be number 1, for me its be between God of War, Uncharted 4 or Horizon, it still blows my mind how many different pieces you can knock off those robot dinosaurs and considering how fast paced it can be and all of the effects on screen it never falters. Then of course there is that scene in Uncharted when playing Crash Bandicoot which is easily the most lifelike animation I've seen in a game and God of War is constantly beautiful, even the rugged Kratos. Days Gone should also be higher and probably above Spiderman, the amount of detail is amazing with even plants and rocks on the floor casting shadows to make it look that much more realistic and its HDR implementation is fantastic. RDR2 is an unbelievably good looking game but I feel its let down by poor 4K upscaling on Pro and very poor HDR.

Basically though there are a lot of fantastic looking games on PS4 with special shoutouts to Persona 5 and Tetris Effect for some of the most striking visuals this generation

Would totally argue Days Gone needs a spot on the list. The dense forests and crazy good lighting in camps...top ten i think

I'm replaying Horizon at the mo and it's still a gorgeous looking game. My number one choice would be RDR2, though. Whether you're galloping across the Great Plains with the picturesque mountains of the Grizzlies in the background or rambling across the Heartlands at night with the distant lights of Saint Denis far off to the south, the game is truly breathtaking at times.

god of war have the best graphics ever.word up son

ni no kuni looks way better than dragon ball z.i would put doom.dragon quest .infamous second son.etc word up son

wait .god of war is a hack and slash.so why is devil may cry the best looking hack and slash and it's number 9.and god of war is number 1.anyways devil may cry looks amazing.word up son

I had all my fantasy pennies on RDR2 winning this, and after looking at your list, I know I was right and you’re wrong

Horizon my #1.

I would also put resident evil 7 in the list

I expect God of War's number one spot on this list to be usurped in due time by Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us Part II. I can't wait to see more of GoT, if the retail game's graphics hold true to the demos we've seen it will just be another testament to the level of graphical fidelity talented 1st and 3rd party developers can get out of this little slanted box.

I'm surprised RE2 and DMC5 made the list but RE7 didn't.

Great list. When Death Stranding and TLoU 2 release, I think there will be a new sheriff in town.

Regarding this feature, it says The Order 1886 "It may have been a dud" was it though? This site gave it 6 out of 10. And I wouldn't consider 6 a dud.

This site literally posted a feature yesterday that a 7 out of 10 being referred to as bad is ridiculous.

I know it's just a throwaway comment but this is one of the reasons games getting 6 and 7's are panned so much.

Art style is more important to me than the actual complexity of the graphics. Persona 5 and Okami HD are two of the most eye-popping games I've ever played, and they're both quite technically basic given the power of the hardware.

While I'm not usually a fan of realistic visuals in games, I will say that I thought P.T. was a really, really good looking game at the time.

I would include HELLBLADE SENUA'S SACRIFICE. absolutely stunning and the lack of UI is a fantastic Idea. I also think either of the last Tomb Raiders could be here.

@Dange Boom! Roasted!

Oooops I forgot DOOM that game always gets wows from my friends when they see it. And at a staedy 60fps, something severely missing this gen.

I think mgs v still deserves a spot on this list. Too bad konami owns the fox engine.

Persona 5 would be #1 if Sammy had full say on the list...

@Wesker If that’s a Funky Ben Askren reference, you’re alright in my book.

I'm sorry but the last guardian and shadow of colossus look like trash compared to some games that didn't make it. They look washed out and the environments look like they belong on the ps3. I like the games but I always thought they looked poor in the graphics department. Still blows my mind that GOW and Horizon can run silky smooth while TLG and SOC barely chug along.

I'm surprised that Nier: Automata isn't there. I'm playing through it and the lighting and environments are breathtaking.

@nessisonett When you say lighting and environments you mean 2b's arse don't you?

Great list! I haven’t played about half of these, but I totally agree with most of the placements. Especially good call on The Order and Detroit, two games that don’t get a lot of press but are just so incredibly stunning visually.
The only ones I’m a little iffy on are DriveClub and The Witcher 3. DC was good, not great graphically per my recollection and W3 is undoubtedly a technical achievement due to the open world, but probably not cream of the crop visually anymore.

@ApostateMage BUSTED

How come no RESOGUN?

I wish The Order: 1886 got a Pro support update.

I've heard the game runs Letterboxed to save CPU.

A Pro version could run full screen, which would look amazing.

It also might prompt some people to give it a second chance.

@Dange Dud sales-wise and with fans.

@doctommaso No, it says "It may have been a dud" not it sold like a dud.

And i don't think you understood my point. Articles mentioning things like this promotes the idea that a 6 or a 7 is essentially a dud even if a review was positive in the first place.

Like I said originally i get that it's a throwaway comment but I thought I'd just point out the irony considering the article posted on this site just one day before stating how ridiculous it is that games getting 7 are considered bad by some.

GOW had good graphics, but not the best. Horizon, RDR2, UC4, Detroit, all had better visuals IMO. Can't wait for the "GOW is the best game/visuals/audio/multiplayer/racing game" to end. We get it, you're God of War fanboys, but admit defeat when it comes to it

@Dange Oh I completely understood your point and agree with it. I do think though they meant it was a sales dud. I could be wrong.

Detroit is absolutely stunning. Everything about it; technical achievements
such as it being one of the relatively small amount of PS4 games to actually be 4K and true HDR (unlike, say, RDR2 or KH3) and the insanely good motion and facial capture. Then artistic things from the large scale (architecture and overall world design) to the smallest detail (eye twitches to show subtle emotion, and snow flakes building up in characters' hair).

Again, the more I play Days Gone, the more I find the graphics unbelievable. GOW characters look incredible (Kratos and Baldur mainly) but the world is not that much detailed even if the art is pretty.
Days Gone MANY characters look incredible and the open world looks amazing and so detailed. Don t forget the weather wizardry too. In the top 5 for sure.

God of War wouldn't be anywhere near number one for me. The character models are great, but the animation often lets it down.

Jumping over gaps looks like a PS2 game, and it often suffers from that 2D beat-em-up thing where it jumps from one animation to another without smooth transitions, giving sudden jumps from one pose to another. It's very jarring to see after the exceptional animation in the likes of Uncharted, Horizon, Days Gone, etc.

uncharted 4 is the best looking i think.

that lighting in the scotland chapter is unlike anything else imo.

and for the witcher 3,it is the blood and wine expansion that realy shines it's visuals. that city just wow.

I think the upcoming rage 2 is gonna out do all these game graphically. That game is looking beautiful!

@Turismo4GT i think you need to differentiate between art direction (style) and graphics. there is a major difference between the two terms. persona 5 would not qualify for "graphics" (i.e., it is not pushing millions of polygons in the way the other games on this list are). persona 5 would absolutely win in the best art direction, though... or be in the top 5 at the least.

Star Wars Battlfront 2015 has the best visuals this generation. It's not fashionable but it's the truth. Word up son!

On graphics? The Order 1886, Get Even, RDR2, BF1, Mafia 3.
Just personal choices.

Excellent list. DriveClub and The Order Deserve those nods. But I will burn the MF down if y'all don't add AstroBot to this list

So glad you didn't forget The Order. Still one of my favorite games of this generation.

Detroit is #1 for me, although I haven't exactly seen every single title mentioned in person (watching it on youtube/twitch doesn't count).

@Dange Pushsquare is often contradictory. They say things that are politically correct, like "the price-length ratio shouldn't really matter" or that "you should take a game's budget into account before reviewing a game since Indie games can't match AAA titles"... but then they do the opposite in practicality, especially when it comes to games from mid-tier studios.

This is something Pushsquare always does: in their reviews they might state that a 6-7/10 game is "not bad', but when they later refer to that game in articles (like this one) it's always described as 'bad' or 'rubbish'.

@doctommaso The thing is though; they have a tendency to do this. They don't use wordings such as "commercial flop' of similar, that describe the commercial succes of a 6-7/10 rated game, intead they use words that describe the game itself.

God of War is a very worthy winner, with HZD second in my opinion.

GoW is a game where you buy a new TV and get your mates round to show them how awesome it looks. My wife came in and thought I was watching the next episode of Vikings without her.

@Bonbonetti I see, yeah.

@JoeBlogs Just to be clear, I personally love Pushsquare. It's my favourite and first stop for PlayStation news features and reviews and I simply point this out in a purely constructive way.

A 6 out of 10 and a dud are two completely different things. Regardless of who reviewed the game, the Push Square verdict is a six for the review. So it should be treated as such. I could be wrong but I think an element of consistency needs to be applied to each website.

@JoeBlogs fair enough, I get that.

I think saying "It may have been a dud" is very different to saying for example "I think It's a dud"

I pointed it out in the first place because as I said originally, Push Square posted a feature the day before about how a 7 out of 10 being referred to as bad is ridiculous.

No The Division 2? I think it deserves a place on the list, it does look pretty amazing at times. Also to make the list a little less predictable, some games should be shuffled around. As pretty as God of War is, is it still really the best looking game on PS4 right now?

Of course God of War is #1. It wouldn't surprise me if GoW was also best racing, multiplayer and indie game. OK we get it, GoW is your favourite game, but half the games on this list crap all over GoW's graphics. Detroit, RDR2 and RE2 easily beat it.

god of war is the best.but wheres no no kuni 2.that games is a top 5 on a graphical level .level 5 hahaha.word up son

Push Square did a great job here. Only thing I would switch around is Detroit at # 1 and God Of War at #2. I will explain. When God Of War has cut scenes,its neck and neck with Detroit. But when you are in game having a battle, the graphics get kind of cartoonish. Detroit is realistic all throughout. And that menu that youre greeted where the android, says something new to you each time. So jawdropping realistic.I wonder how this game will look upscaled on PS5.

Spider-Man shouldn’t be on this list. It’s an amazing game but graphically isn’t anywhere near this list. Especially the character models and faces of the humans. Surprised it’s so high

I thought Killzone had really good graphics.

@Stocksy I just started Spider-Man and I am impressed with its visuals. I can see your point, but part of the graphical achievement is in the speed and amazing combat animations. I’m trying to think of another game that is as fluid and dynamic visually and all I can think of is Horizon Zero Dawn, or maybe Infamous Second Son, but the only games on the list with the degree of speed and feeling of movement are the racing games.

Uncharted 4 and GoW above Detroit for me. Other than that can't argue much, all spectacular looking games!

Havent played everything on this list but of what I have played id go with this as a top 3....

Uncharted 4
God of War
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Shadow of the Colossus
Resident Evil 2

Something about Horizon doesnt look as good for me, and witcher 3 is nowhere near as good as the above 5 graphically either. Havent played Red Dead. As a side note there is a game not mentioned in this list which deserves an entry...Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice. Not the best one but better than some of the lower ones here.

Updated with Death Stranding!

well this entire this is an extremely subjective list, as they say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" for me there are only a few on this list i agree with such as Horizon, some i don't agree with like Ratchet and Clank and some i feel are omitted such as Kingdom Hearts 3 after all the best graphics don't always mean the most realistic or most advanced but how they work with the game world and it's style such as Wind Waker, that game is gorgeous but i wouldn't say it's advanced

How is Death Stranding not top? It is the best looking game I've ever played, those character models are astonishing. The world is gorgeous and the battles with the BTs as buildings are rising and falling into all that black liquid all the while they are fully interactive, I don't think any other game engine could pull that off on current gen machines, then you have the HDR which is amongst the very best.

Uncharted 4 is a bit too high too, the close ups of the characters still look great but during normal gameplay they are nowhere near as detailed, it still looks good but the likes of Red Dead 2 is a lot better looking and I'd say Resident Evil 2 looks better overall too.

I'd also give a big shout out to Tetris Effect, that is a beautiful looking game

@ApostateMage I lol'd😂

Mass effect original face animations blow all these dog turds out of the water!

Red Dead Redemption 2. Even Red Dead Online looks utterly stunning at times, like just walking down the streets of Saint Denis during a rainy night.

I've only recently played gow (not sure what took me so long) and it blows everything else away. Uncharted 4 is great hzd looks nice (and that's about it) and Witcher is massive but God of war...man I'd be playing and then suddenly notice just how impressive this gen graphics are. Looking forward to ps5

Well if graphics here means the most SHARP graphics then GOW is rightfully #1 but in terms of overall art style I'd give it to RDR2. You won't find the same looks in any other game. GOW is pretty much the same as HZD only a bit sharper.

So... basically a list of some if the best ps4 games to date?

@fuzzy833 My brother once did the same thing when I was playing Uncharted 4. He came in my room and asked me what movie I was watching. Lol.

Death Stranding should be at the top now. Go watch Digital Foundry’s analyses of the game and they prove how Death Stranding is the new benchmark in visual quality on PS4. It’s a fascinating 25 minute or so video.

Out of curiosity, given RE7, REmake 2 and DMC V use the same engine, is there any particular reason the second and third are in completely different positions, and the first removed from the list altogether?

@RBMango My thoughts are that it was possible because of the superior motion capture technology, not simply animated by hand.

How is Red Dead 2 not top? That has by far got the best visuals to ever appear in a console game, the amount of stuff that game is doing visually is unmatched so far. God of War looks incredible as does Uncharted 4 but Red Dead 2 is on a whole other level.

What happened to The Last of Us?

I would have switched GT Sport and DriveClub personally. Nothing from any driving game has been any better yet IMHO. Yes the lighting in GT Sport is great, and the interiors are more detailed, but even the paintwork on the cars in DriveClub just looks so real, to my eyes at least. I won't even get started on those rain effects.

Death Stranding should be in the number one spot. Surely it pushes the technical capabilities of the PS4 to near its limits. While God of War is a stunning game, I don't think it visually compares.

@get2sammyb This could do with a little update with FF7 Remake, TLoU2 and GoT shortly I'd assume.

As much as I love TLoU2, I'd argue that RDR2 has the best graphics on PS4. When playing I often took long pauses just to admire the vistas, the morning fog, the sunlight through the trees and wild animals roaming free.
Also, I imagine GoT fans will throw a fit when they see it's not even in the top 10. Great list in my book!

Final Fantasy rant. FFXV With HDR is one of the best looking game this generation. And the FF7R characters models are way better than anything on the list, though 😅not the general performance maybe, but easily better than a lot of titles on the list. I mean the Witcher 3 is my favorite game this gen but it doesn’t look that well and it’s very poorly optimized.

Best style: P5 and Cuphead👌🏻

Playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider at present. This game should be on this list.

RDR2 for me is No. 1 with The Last of Us Part II in second place and Horizon Zero Dawn in third.

Haven't played Ghost of Tsushima yet so unable to comment on where this game should appear on this list.

Still Red Dead for me. I've been playing RDO for two and a half years now and I'm still wowed by it's stunning vistas and spectacular weather effects.

doom has no place in the top 20 heh.

Can't believe Worms Battleground didn't make the list. The depth of emotion in each worms face is incredible...😉

Horizon is the best looking game I’ve played on PS4, followed by God of War imo. Would probably have TLOU2 top 5 graphically even though I didn’t like it that much, same with Death Stranding.

Top 5 seems about right, though I'm surprised RDR2 isn't higher from what I've seen and heard about it.
Outside of the top 5, the only things that strike me as weird are the inclusions of DB FighterZ and Cuphead (which seem more about their art style then graphical detail), as well as the high placement of Detroit: Become Human (which does look good, but not as good as some of the lower-ranked titles on the list).
Overall though, there's no shortage of contenders for great looking PS4 games, so while there are a few titles I personally feel could be here (FFVII Remake, Jedi: Fallen Order, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, etc.) I get that in keeping the list to 25, some are inevitably going to miss out.

Horizon Zero Dawn at 10? That's absurd.

@ApostateMage 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Why is the Witcher 3 on there when Geralt's animation makes him look like he's suffering with piles or has cacked himself??

Why is this ancient thread still being rolled out? Have push square run out of things to report on?

It’s nice to have a game with good graphics but I would rather play a game with not so good graphics for longer play time than a game with better graphics with a lot shorter game span.

This article kind of proves that this generation(ps5) came out, too early. When you have games like tlou2 and GoTsushi looking great, not to mention hzd and gow, it kinda shows that hfw and gow:rag won't be miles better, in terms of graphics or gameplay. Graphically, I think, can only go so far. Gimme more gameplay with the graphic fidelity of tlou2, I'm fine with that.

@ShogunRok You know, I’d actually put Sakura Wars on the list. The anime graphics foe that with the quality of animations in the cutscenes was essentially new grounds for an anime game, especially when you combine it with the gorgeous color palate. If DBZ gets a spot, I’d argue Sakura Wars is nothing if not a beauty game.

Last of us 2 and it’s not even close. The facial animations the realism just freaking incredible.

Red Dead 2 and TLoUP2 are the only real contenders with Death Stranding being 3rd. I'm leaning more towards Red Dead 2 due to the sheer amount of OCD like detail though facial animations and character models TLoUP2 has the lead in.

@PhhhCough Disagree as games were starting to struggle on last gen, Control for instance runs like ass on them and well Cyberpunk should never been released on last gen consoles. What the PS5 brings is 60fps as standard, insanely short loading times, immersive features with the Duel Sense and 3D Audio and games like Returnal what could never work on a console not called a PS5. Next year the PS4/X1 will struggle, Dying Light 2 is rumoured to be a bit of a problem on last gen machines and is a game the Devs want you playing on a PS5, Series S/X and PC. After having my PS5 now since June/July i could never go back to PS4.

Those are all great games and all look amazing. I’d say the one the speaks to my eye the most was Resident Evil 2 and God of War. Even on base PS4 all these looked good.

@get2sammyb you hate final fantasy 15 dont you

Bloodborne still has some of the best graphics ever because it looked so unique and stylish. Many games are prettier but more generic in terms of design and style.

Anything using the RE:Engine looks stunning. RE2 and 3 and Village, DMC5 all look absurdly good.

Tsushima doesn’t blow me away in the graphics department? Yes, the armour looks incredible up close but character models aren’t great and environs are very minimal. Death Stranding as Sci-Fi is almost futureproofed in that regard but you have to bring the cutting edge tech… very stylish game I played through The Order again recently because it gave no trophies; first time which led me to believe I didn’t play it at all?! Felt like a new game. Memory must be shot but a trophy goldmine 🏆🏆🏆 easy plat and all