Unlike several other PS5-to-PC ports, God of War Ragnarok isn’t handled by Nixxes Software of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Miles Morales, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and so on fame, but Jetpack Interactive. The studio did a good job bringing God of War (2018) to PC, but how does Ragnarok fare?

Graphical Options and Settings

Our test bench consisted of an AMD Radeon 5950x, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB of RAM, and an NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD. There are four graphical presets to choose from – Low, Medium, High, and Ultra – with options to modify the quality of Models, Textures, Lighting, Anisotropic Filtering, Shadows, Reflections, Atmospherics, Tessellation and Ambient Occlusion.

Features like Latency Reduction, unlocked frame rates, and Frame Generation are also present but if you dreaded the previous title’s focus on Temporal Anti-Aliasing, it returns once more. You can adjust the modes with Native, Balanced and Quality available, and there are other scaling options available, like AMD FSR 3.1, Intel XeSS, and Nvidia DLSS with DLAA.

For our test, we went with Ultra settings, AMD FSR Frame Generation enabled and DLAA at 4K resolution. To say that it looks stunning would be an understatement. Just from the opening alone, the skin texture quality of Kratos and how it’s illuminated, both from light entering the cave and the campfire inside, is incredibly realistic.

PC Performance

Of course, for an action-adventure title with a big focus on combat, how it runs is equally important. The good news is that God of War Ragnarok on PC is initially no slouch. Shader compilation is a quick 15 seconds, and the opening sequence showcases great draw distance (which is probably aided by the fog) and destructible elements with no slowdown.

Traversing through the wintery Midgard, battling enemies as the snow realistically deforms under your feet, the frame rate is pretty solid throughout. Even when Kratos and Thor are battling out, the transitions between combat and cutscenes with all the atmospherics and lighting still look great.

The problem, such as it is, only really emerges when traveling to Svartalfheim. Upon exiting the Realm Between Realms, the environment will be visible in low-polygonal form – even the clouds are absent for a few frames. While both are briefly noticeable and quickly fixed, it takes a second or so longer for the foliage in the foreground to load. Some pop-ins are also visible further away but this is fixed in short order as well.

It’s far from a dealbreaker – odd to see this on PC but not on PS5. However, we also noticed the frame rate taking a few dips during combat in the same area, even if it wasn’t a particularly intense sequence. The frame rate was stable when venturing out onto the water via boat and when climbing the dilapidated structures. Perhaps those dips are due to the area’s size and sheer amount of graphical fidelity, from the environmental textures and water to distant details and backgrounds. While it’s due for some optimization, the PC version still looks utterly gorgeous and delivers some solid performance overall.

PS5 vs. PC

On the PS5, God of War Ragnarok offers two modes – Quality and Performance. The former delivers native 4K while the latter targets 60 frames per second, running fairly solid throughout. However, the Performance mode’s resolution is dynamic, averaging around 1872p. Aside from the frame rate, both modes are comparable in quality and details, differing only in better LOD and lighting in Quality Mode. Resolution and frame rate will vary even further if you opt for Quality Mode at 40 FPS or Ultra-High Performance Mode.

With the PC version and the right hardware, you get the best of both worlds – native 4K and 60 frames per second (or higher). This is arguably how the sequel should be experienced and having additional options for further refining the image quality or improving the fidelity beyond the PS5 version is noteworthy. Of course, that’s not even factoring in features like Ultra wide-screen support. Interestingly, we did experience one crash, which occurred when the GPU utilization suddenly shot up to 100 percent. It’s likely due to a bug since the rest of our experience saw no similar issues or hang-ups.

Loading Times

You’d be hard-pressed to find any “true” loading screens for God of War Ragnarok on either PS5 or PC. The game jumps right into a cinematic and into gameplay shortly after the main menu pops up, with no cuts in between, maintaining the cinematography and presentation of its predecessors. If anything, the “loading” is masked through instances where Kratos has to squeeze through crevices, or even when traversing the Realm Between Realms.

When initiating fast travel between the realms, there’s a two-second flash before entering the Realm Between Realms and another one-second transition before venturing into Svartalfheim on PS5. The “loading” times in these instances are roughly the same on PC, though you may spot a few milliseconds of difference. Either way, it’s impressive, even with some of the rougher edges seen in the PC version.

Conclusion

Much has been said about God of War Ragnarok and how it concludes the Norse saga. From rants about how it could have ended differently to alternate story directions. Regardless, very few have argued against the game’s technical capabilities or artistic merit. There have been no doubts about the beauty of its environments or how it’s leveraged the PS5 hardware to deliver a visually spectacular experience.

Playing it on PC evokes the same magic as first playing it on consoles, and the optimization, complete with specialized features and additional options, is very good. Yes, some areas could be improved, especially when venturing to Svartalfheim, including whatever happened when exiting a portal into a new realm. Nevertheless, considering the increased scale, and sheer size of the experience (especially when factoring in the expansive end-game compared to 2018’s reboot), Jet Pack Interactive has done an excellent job translating it all to PC.

If you want to experience its visuals in native 4K, the PC version is the winner by sheer virtue of fidelity and options. However, whether you play on PS5 or PC, God of War Ragnarok is an unforgettable experience and still one of the best action-adventure titles in gaming history.

Comparatively, God of War (2018) reached 73,529 concurrent Steam players on January 16th, 2022. Given that it launched on January 14th and saw impressive numbers over the weekend, Ragnarok could repeat this success. Of course, the previous title didn’t mandate linking Steam with PlayStation Network to play (despite being a single-player title), so you have to wonder how much impact that has on the sequel.

It also creates concern for Ballistic Moon’s upcoming remake of Until Dawn, which launches on October 4th for PS5 and PC, and also requires a PSN account on Steam. Stay tuned for updates on the same.

In the meantime, check out our review of God War Ragnarok for PS5. You can also check out our feature for more details on PC-exclusive features.

In a PlayStation Blog post, developer Santa Monica Studio has revealed two new gameplay customization settings. One will let you reduce the frequency with which companion characters offer hints for puzzles, which is something that many were annoyed back when the game first launched a couple of years ago. The second new setting, meanwhile, will allow you to enable audio descriptions.

Both settings will also be coming to the game’s PS5 and PS4 versions “soon”, but a specific date hasn’t been confirmed.

Ahead of the action-adventure title’s release on PC, Sony recently also unveiled a new launch trailer, highlight critical acclaim for its original PlayStation release. Check it out through here.

God of War Ragnarok launches for PC on September 19. It is currently available on PS5 and PS4, and as of December last year, has sold over 15 million units worldwide. Check out our review of the base game through here, and the Valhalla DLC through here.

God of War Ragnarok is the follow-up to the 2018 title, with Kratos and Atreus awaiting the battle of Ragnarok. Along with exploring all nine Norse realms, combat is improved significantly with new abilities, armaments, armor sets, and more for players to customize. The PC version includes all the updates, including the free rogue-lite expansion, Valhalla.

As for PC-exclusive features, there are unlocked frame rates, Super Ultrawide support, native 4K, and customizable key bindings. You can also leverage Nvidia DLSS 3.7, AMD FRS 3.1, and Intel XeSS 1.3. Check out more details on the title here or the full PC requirements (including what you’ll need to run the game in 4K/60 FPS on Ultra settings).

Setting

Fimbulwinter has arrived. While Kratos and Atreus await the arrival of Ragnarok, they come to a rather not-so-friendly face-to-face with Thor. They subsequently begin a quest to find Tyr. We won’t go into further details yet as the conclusion to the Norse saga, the story offers multiple high stakes and more drama than its predecessor.

Characters

It also sports new and returning characters. Outside of Kratos and Atreus (whose role is expanded from the original), players encounter the mysterious Angrboda, the quick-witted Ratatoskr, who guards Yggdrasil, the World Tree, and, of course, Thor. Returning characters with deeper roles include Freya, blacksmiths and brothers Brok and Sindri, and Mimir, each playing their part in the impending Ragnarok.

Gameplay Loop

As with the previous game, Ragnarok is a hack-and-slash title with action-adventure elements. You’ll explore the world and discover unique armor, relics, currency, and materials. Different armor sets have perks and can be upgraded to improve their inherent stats. Upon accruing XP, Kratos and Atreus can unlock new skills, further expanding their combat repertoire. So far, nothing too surprising.

Explorable Regions

Of course, this is a much bigger game since all Nine Realms are available to traverse. New locations include Svartalfheim, home to the Dwarves and Vanaheim, where lush forestry abounds. Every other realm from the first game returns, though they’ve changed like Midgard’s lake being frozen over. As you explore the realms, new side quests, activities, enemies, treasure chests, puzzles and more will be discovered.

Combat Changes

While the gameplay loop of Ragnarok is very familiar to fans of the original, there are a lot of new mechanics to mix up combat. There are now multiple kinds of shields, ranging from the default Guardian Shield and its balance of parrying and blocking to the defense-focused Stonewall Shield, which can’t parry but offers superior blocking.

You can also infuse the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos with ice and fire elemental magic to unleash powerful status effects. The level design offers more avenues for vertical traversal, which allows for new jumping attacks. Spartan Rage also has three variants, while Atreus has an expanded arsenal for more functionality in combat.

Endgame

While the first game offered a few end-game challenges, Ragnarok has a fully fleshed-out end-game to pursue. Once again, no spoilers, but there will be new locations to explore (including one that’s like a completely new region), tougher bosses to face, Trials in Muspelheim to complete, armor to collect, and much more. There are Burdens with negative Perks to equip, thus providing more of a challenge. You can also pursue New Game Plus, which features new armor sets and even provides some new attacks for specific bosses.

Then there’s Valhalla, a separate rogue-lite mode added for free post-launch. It features a unique story that examines Kratos’ past while providing unique progression, encounters, and boss battles. If you enjoyed the original trilogy and always wanted the Norse saga to connect to it in some way, Valhalla is a must-play experience.

Unlocked Frame Rates

Ragnarok offered some great performance on PS5, but the PC version supports unlocked frame rates. Players can finally enjoy 60 frames per second or higher at native 4K resolution, though you’ll need some pretty hefty hardware to run it (more on the requirements shortly).

Super Ultrawide Support

Another feature in PlayStation Studios titles on PC is support for super ultrawide displays. Ragnarok is no exception, supporting 21:9 ultra-widescreen and 32:9 super ultra-widescreen monitors on PC. Based on the images seen thus far, the results are unprecedented, immersing players in the Nine Realms like never before (or since the PS5 release, really).

PSN Account Required

Unfortunately, PC players need a PlayStation Network account to enjoy the game. While it didn’t apply to the single-player campaign of Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, this and the upcoming Until Dawn remaster are subject to PSN linking on PC, even though they’re single-player-centric. It’s terrible but such is Sony.

System Requirements

Hardware requirements for Ragnarok on PC are pretty high, which is to be expected. Regardless of everything else, you’ll need Windows 10 64-bit and 190 GB of installation space on a solid-state drive to run the game. Minimum requirements include an Intel Core i5-4670K or AMD Ryzen 3 1200, 8 GB RAM, and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD RX 5500 XT for an average of 30 FPS at 1080p on Low settings.

Recommended requirements for 60 FPS average at 1080p on Medium settings include a Core i5-8600 or Ryzen 5 3600, an RTX 2060 Super or RX 5700, and 16 GB of RAM. For 1440p resolution at a 60 FPS average on High settings, a Core i7-7700K or Ryzen 7 2700X, 16 GB of RAM, and an RTX 3070 or RX 6800 will be required.

4K Requirements on PC

Those looking to go even further beyond, specifically 4K and 60 FPS average will need a Core i7-7700K or Ryzen 7 2700X, 16 GB RAM and an RTX 3080 Ti or RX 6900 XT. That’s enough for playing at High settings but for 4K/60 FPS at the very pinnacle of graphics fidelity, Ultra, you’ll need a Core i5-11600K or Ryzen 7 3700X, 16 GB RAM, and an RTX 4070 Ti or RX 7900 XT.

DLSS 3.7, AMD FSR 3.1, Intel XeSS 1.3, Reflex Support

Nvidia Reflex support is confirmed, reducing system latency and accommodating faster reaction times (which can be important in Ragnarok, especially in the end-game challenges). Nvidia DLSS 3.7, AMD FSR 3.1 and Intel XeSS 1.3 are also supported. Since the standard and 4K requirements don’t take upscaling into account, PC players can utilize them for more performance gains.

DualShock 4 and DualSense Support

Like other first-party PlayStation titles launching for PS4 and PS5, Ragnarok supports the DualShock 4 and DualSense on PC. The latter even features haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support, though you’ll need a wired connection to take advantage of the same.

Other Gamepad Support and Customizable Key Bindings

Those rocking other devices (including but not limited to a certain Microsoft console-based controller) can take heart, as they’ll also be able to use their gamepads. Keyboard and mouse controls are also fully customizable, allowing PC players the freedom to change key bindings.

Playtime

Whether you’re a new player or well-versed in the previous game, Ragnarok offers significant bang for your buck. The main story takes about 26 to 27 hours, while a completionist run requires 54 hours on average, according to HowLongToBeat. That doesn’t factor in New Game Plus or Valhalla, the latter adding another 10 to 11 hours on average for completionists. As one of the best games of 2022 and even to date, Ragnarok will keep you busy for quite some time.

Ragnarök’s debut on PC isn’t just another lazy port. Several welcome additions make Kratos’ journey look and feel better than it ever did on the PS5. Sony Santa Monica enlisted the help of Jetpack Interactive to incorporate a host of PC-centric bells and whistles; and just like their previous work on the 2022 version of the reboot, Ragnarök is going to harness your PC’s full potential in some pretty neat ways.

The PC port of Ragnarök will support unlimited framerate, 4K resolution, and a suite of upscale technology (Nvidia DLSS 3.7, AMD FSR 3.1, Intel XESS 1.3). And if you have a particularly large monitor, you can finally put it to good use with 21:9 ultra-widescreen and 32:9 super ultra-widescreen support for Ragnarök.

What’s curious is the Steam page for Ragnarök lists ‘increased geometric detail’ and enhanced lighting and shadows as PC-exclusive additions. Did Santa Monica and Jetpack clean up the textures on the back end and add even more detail? Or, is this just marketing lingo to say that the crisp resolution helps you see things better? Regardless, it’s not entirely misplaced to call Ragnarök PC a full-blown remaster if you have the high-end PC capabilities needed to harness its true potential. For those who’ve played the game, you can imagine how epic certain boss fights are going to be on a PC running on all cylinders. And it’ll need to run on all cylinders as Ragnarök takes a whopping 190 GB of storage on PC.

And lest we forget, you can bring Ragnarök with you on the go via Steam Deck. Yes, that’s right, Ragnarök has full Steam Deck compatibility. It’s a rather ideal Steam Deck game too, considering how much more expansive the zones are than the first game. As a personal anecdote, when the Dwarf homeland of Svartalfheim opened its seas to my boat and me to explore freely, I pined for the ability to do the numerous side activities on the go. You have Odin’s Ravens to locate, lore artifacts to collect, Kvisir’s Poems to find, numerous chests housing important gear, and Yggdrasil’s Dew scattered across the waters. Collecting the copious amounts of stuff in Ragnarök will be made easier when you can play it anywhere on your Steam Deck.

It’s not total freedom for Steam users, though, since Ragnarök PC requires an external PlayStation Network login to play. This is an unfortunate trend that has followed other PlayStation-exclusive ports like Ghost of Tsushima. At least fans of the Ghost of Tsushima PC port can look forward to the nifty PlayStation overlay and trophy compatibility that will inevitably function with Ragnarök. While the PlayStation overlay isn’t confirmed for Ragnarök yet, it’s highly likely based on previous PS-exclusive ports.

As expected, the PC port of Ragnarök includes the free Valhalla DLC. This is the perfect opportunity to try this DLC out if you haven’t yet. Sure, it isn’t heavy on plot or character development like the main story, but the new Greek enemies and equipment reference Kratos’ other games in fun ways. Oh, and fans of roguelikes will enjoy the randomly generated levels and newly integrated reset system in that Valhalla introduces too.

If you haven’t played Ragnarök at all yet, well, you’re in for a treat and couldn’t have asked for a better jumping-on-point. The thing that I always admire about the 2018 reboot and Ragnarök in particular is its one-shot cinematic camera which omits loading and cutscenes. It’s a seamless journey from beginning to end with no cuts or jumps in perspective. I can only count the games that do this kind of no-cut camera on one hand, with Half-Life 2 being the next best example outside the two recent titles. There’s an immersive quality to this fixed perspective that draws one into the world with greater intimacy and attachment.

Intimacy is just one of the many ways the reboot, as well as Ragnarök, differentiate themselves from the older titles. And Ragnarök goes above and beyond the reboot in several ways. As noted earlier, there’s a ton of content with side quests and collectibles oozing out of every corner of the world. The world itself features all nine realms, rather than the limited six from the prequel. And these areas are BIG, almost getting the open-world treatment. Ragnarök gives you multiple modes of transit, from bobsleds hoisted by Midgardian wolves of legend, to the boats of Svartalfheim. Equally as impressive as the size and variety of areas is the detail ingrained in every ledge and building. The game uses authentic Norse script engravings across runes and sculpted monuments throughout the game. It’ll be a treat to see the finer details that a powerful PC running 4K visuals can show.

A far cry from Kratos’ Greek days, Ragnarök sees him settled down with his son Atreus as they hide away in a hut to survive through the frigid Fimbulwinter. The story is much more down to earth and intimate than the Greek titles, with Atreus and the snarky talking head companion Mimir helping to balance Kratos’ dominant personality. You’re constantly hearing new lines of dialogue between these three companions as you journey through the nine realms in the quest to stop the apocalyptic Ragnarok.

Among the many highlights of Ragnarök are the big climactic boss confrontations. You’d think Kratos was the one initiating the fights, but they come to him; and trust me, they pack quite a punch, forcing you to use your full arsenal of abilities and skill to overcome. It’s hard to imagine that the prequel didn’t show Thor at all throughout the entire game; you’re mostly focused on fending off the usual enemies as well as Freya in the prequel. Thor’s omission from the first game works in Ragnarök’s favor, especially since the main characters are so well-developed and creatively presented here.

Ragnarök serves as a great send-off for the series. The plot follows the climactic apocalyptic events of Ragnarök and sees Atreus and Kratos’ maturation. If you haven’t experienced Ragnarök yet, the PC port has a great chance of being your game of the year. If you already beat it on PlayStation, well, the upscaled resolution and uncapped framerate offer up a good enough excuse to go through it again. And if you don’t have a high-end PC, some portable Ragnarök sessions on Steam Deck sound like a blast.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

On ultra settings at 4K and 60 FPS, God of War Ragnarok will require either an RTX 7070 Ti or an RX 7900 XT, along with either an i5-11600K or a Ryzen 7 3700X. Meanwhile, on recommended settings, which will run the game at 1080p and 60 FPS, you’ll need either an RTX 2060 Super or an RX 5700, along with either an i5-8600 and Ryzen 5 3600.

All settings will also require 16 GB of RAM, with the exception of the lowest setup, where that requirement is knocked down to 8 GB. Specs have also been detailed for “High” and “Performance” settings, which will run the game at 1440p/60 FPS and 4K/60 FPS respectively. You can view the full system specs for God of War Ragnarok below.

Additionally, Sony has also confirmed that the PC port will support DLSS 3.7, FSR 3.1, and XeSS 1.3. Those who pre-order it will also receive bonus in-game items in the form of Kratos’ Risen Snow Armor and Atreus’ Risen Snow Tunic cosmetic.

God of War Ragnarok launches for PC on September 19. It will require a PSN account, as previously confirmed.

Both games, however, are going to come with a bit of a caveat on the platform. Helldivers 2 recently attracted widespread controversy upon making PSN account linking mandatory on Steam, following which Sony walked back on said decision. Shortly afterwards, however, when Ghost of Tsushima launched for the platform, its co-op mode Legends did require a PSN account to be played.

Now, in a PlayStation Blog post, Sony has confirmed that God of War Ragnarok will also require a PlayStation Network account on Steam, which is a little bizarre, considering the fact that it is an entirely single-player game with no multiplayer features whatsoever. Meanwhile, Until Dawn’s upcoming remaster will also require a PSN account on PC. The same is confirmed with a note at the bottom of the screen in its most recent trailer at about the 00:08 mark. Check it out through here.

The question, of course, is whether, like Helldivers 2 and Ghost of Tsushima, God of War Ragnarok and Until Dawn are also going to be unavailable for purchase on Steam in all the countries where PSN isn’t available.

God of War Ragnarok launches for PC on September 19. Meanwhile, the Until Dawn remaster will release for PS5 and PC sometime in the fall.

God of War Ragnarok is coming to PC this September, along with its free roguelike DLC Valhalla. The action-adventure title’s PC port is developed by Jetpack Interactive, just like its predecessor’s PC version, and will feature support for uncapped frame rates, super ultrawide resolution, DLSS 3.7, FSR 3.1, and XESS 1.3. Check out the PC version’s announcement trailer below.

In our review of God of War Ragnarok upon its 2022 release, we awarded it a score of 10/10, saying, “God of War Ragnarok surpasses its predecessor in every way. From its captivating story to its thrilling combat to the endlessly explorable and wonderfully designed Nine Realms of Norse mythology, it’s an unequivocal triumph from top to bottom.” Read the full review through here.

God of War Ragnarok is currently available on PS5 and PS4. As of last November, the game has sold over 15 million units worldwide.

They believe an announcement is coming this month, though a release date is unknown. A PC port seemed a given, though creative director Cory Barlog had “no idea” in 2022 if it was happening. Shortly before this, the title popped up on the LinkedIn profile of senior programmer Warren Lee at Jetpack Interactive. The studio is responsible for porting God of War (2018) to PC.

A potential announcement also adds fuel to rumors of a PlayStation Showcase this month, with Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb reporting that it’s still happening. Though it may happen next week, there’s the belief that it could be at “any moment.” Stay tuned for an official announcement in the meantime.

God of War Ragnarok is available for PS4 and PS5, with over 15 million units sold worldwide. Check out our review for the base game and its free Valhalla expansion.