Capcom’s latest title, Pragmata, exemplifies the potential of path tracing technology on PC, showcasing exceptional visuals and impressive performance through the renowned RE Engine.
A Glimpse Into Capcom’s PRAGMATA: Stunning Visuals and Solid Performance on Most GPUs
Since debuting with Resident Evil 7, Capcom has continually refined and upgraded its RE Engine, proving crucial for the developer’s success. The engine received its first significant enhancement through Resident Evil 2 Remake, which showcased initial ray tracing capabilities. Over time, this technology evolved spectacularly, cementing titles like Resident Evil 4 Remake as standout projects in terms of graphical fidelity. This versatile engine has also powered other beloved franchises from Capcom, including Devil May Cry and Monster Hunter.
Recently, Capcom released Resident Evil Requiem, marking their initial foray into path tracing capabilities. This fresh approach significantly enhanced visual quality, providing a noteworthy upgrade from previous titles. Now, with Pragmata, set in a captivating moon-based sci-fi environment, the use of advanced path tracing elevates the already stunning graphics.
In Pragmata, path tracing enhances shadows, lighting, and reflections, revolutionizing the gameplay experience. Today, we will analyze the game’s performance on PC, exploring both its graphical quality and FPS capabilities.
Graphics Settings for PRAGMATA on PC
For those indulging in Pragmata on PC, the game provides a wide range of graphical customization options, a familiar layout for players of Resident Evil Requiem.
Below is a comprehensive list of the Graphics Quality Settings available:
- Hair Quality
- Texture Quality
- Texture Filtering
- Mesh Quality
- Shadow Quality
- Shadow Cache
- Contact Shadows
- Effects Quality
- Video Quality (FHD or 4K)
- Anti-aliasing
- Ambient Occlusion
- Volumetric Lighting
- Bloom
- Screen Space Reflections
- Motion Blur
- Lens Flare
- Lens Distortion
- Depth of Field
After reviewing the basic graphics settings, let’s delve into the Display Settings, which feature:
- Display Mode
- Screen Resolution
- Frame Rate
- V-Sync
- Ray Tracing
- Path Tracing
- DLSS Ray Reconstruction
- Global Illumination Quality
- Upscaling (Super Resolution Tech)
- DLSS/FSR Super Resolution
- Dynamic Resolution
- Frame Generation
- NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency
Currently, the game does not support Multi Frame Generation (MFG) modes of 5x or 6x, as attempts to enable them through the NVIDIA application proved unsuccessful.
Moreover, enabling path tracing mandates activating upscaling via DLSS, which restricts users from modifying the dynamic resolution and anti-aliasing settings if upscaling is in use.
PRAGMATA features four distinct presets:
- Minimum: Focuses on enhanced performance at reduced visual quality.
- Performance: Balances better performance against lower visual quality (6 GB graphics memory recommended).
- Balanced: Aims for an equilibrium between graphics quality and performance, suitable for 8 GB or more of memory.
- Quality: Emphasizes visual fidelity at the cost of performance (12 GB or more of graphics memory recommended).
Evaluating PRAGMATA’s Performance: Benchmark Insights
Prior to rigorously testing, let’s inspect how the game scales across varying quality presets. The Minimum setting achieved an impressive 240 FPS with an RTX 5090 at 4K resolution. Transitioning to the Performance preset saw a minor 5% drop in FPS. However, shifting to the Balanced preset resulted in a substantial 25% loss, and moving to Quality incurred an additional 11% FPS decrease. In total, moving from Minimum to Quality translates into a 36% reduction in performance, emphasizing the need for upscaling technology when utilizing higher quality settings with path tracing.
In regards to performance, testing outcomes revealed that at 4K, graphics cards such as the RX 9070 XT and any RTX 5070 series can sustain 60 FPS even in multiplayer scenarios. Notably, lower-tier GPUs, using reduced visual quality options like Ultra or High, can still achieve 60+ FPS while maintaining decent visual quality.
At a resolution of 1440p, many mid-tier graphics cards, starting from the RTX 5070 and above, can successfully maintain 60 FPS. The RTX 4070 also manages to stay above this threshold at High settings. Users with lower-tier options may need to rely on reduced graphic settings combined with features like upscaling and frame generation to achieve playable frame rates.
For 1080p gaming in multiplayer, GPUs such as the RTX 5060 Ti or RX 9060 XT are capable of sustaining over 60 FPS. The Arc B580 requires some fine-tuning but can still achieve comparable frame rates at a reduced graphics level.
Frame-generation and upscaling options are incorporated into the game. Users with robust enthusiast-level hardware need not rely heavily on frame generation, as upscaling efficiently supports over 100 FPS. For those looking for the ultimate experience at 240Hz in 4K, enabling Multi-Frame Generation is recommended. Through 2x MFG, an RTX 5090 can surpass 250 FPS, while 4x MFG pushes frame rates past 400 FPS when integrated with path tracing.
Performance Impressions of PRAGMATA on PC
Pragmata presents a refreshing gameplay experience from Capcom, combining engaging mechanics with stunning visual elements. Early reviews have highlighted the game’s commendable graphics, which played a significant role in maintaining my interest throughout the gameplay.
The sci-fi environments, lunar structures, and vibrant neon elements collectively contribute to the intricate visual depth made possible by implementing path tracing technology.
View the images below to witness the dramatic enhancements in visual quality, especially when comparing standard ray tracing with path tracing. The clarity of reflections on polished surfaces and the improvement in shadow details are distinctly observable with path tracing enabled.
Image Comparison #1 (No RT, RT, PT)
Image Comparison #2 (No RT, RT, PT)
Image Comparison #3 (No RT, RT, PT)
During testing, we also observed artifacts with standard ray tracing, such as visual noise when transitioning through doors. Path tracing, in contrast, showcased minimal to no visual disruptions, primarily due to NVIDIA’s Ray Reconstruction technology, which adeptly replaces the in-game denoisers for cleaner visuals.
When it comes to performance, path tracing demands considerable resources, necessitating the use of frame generation and upscaling for optimal playability. We recommend the RTX 5060 or higher for 1080p, and the RTX 5070 and above for 1440p displays, while for 4K resolution, RTX 5080+ is advisable. The game performs exceptionally well when using Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation, although this feature is yet to be enabled via the NVIDIA application. We eagerly anticipate further testing with this functionality in the future.
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