This ground-up remake of Ark Survival Evolved moves to UE5 with a bevy of new visual features - starting with Lumen, Nanite, volumetric clouds and updated physics. The performance cost runs deep on console though, leading to a 20-40fps range with full screen tearing. On the plus side, Ascended offers a small reprieve via a console command menu, letting us tweak select settings on PS5, Series X and S - so can we better optimise the game ourselves for 60fps? Want some DF-branded tee-shirts, mugs, hoodies and various items based on DF catchphrases? Check out our store: Join the DF Supporter Program for pristine video downloads, behind the scenes content, early access to DF Retro, early access to DF Direct Weekly and much, much more: Subscribe for more Digital Foundry: 00:00 Intro/Ark Survival Ascended Upgrades 03:28 PS5 vs Xbox Series X/S Visual Comparisons 06:59 PC's Epic Settings Tested 08:13 Command Console Explained 10:04 Xbox Series S Frame-Rate Test 14:07 Xbox Series X Frame-Rate Test 16:19 PS5 Frame-Rate Test 19:08 Verdict
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