Xbox vs PC Graphics in Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Differences)
Image Credit: Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Alright, if you’re trying to decide whether to play Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Xbox Series X or a PC that cost more than your car, here’s the lowdown. Both versions look great, but there are some key differences that might help you choose — especially if you care about ray tracing, frame rate, and how pretty grass looks.
Ray Tracing: What You Get and Where
Xbox Series X / PS5 (Quality Mode at 30 FPS)
Ray-Traced Global Illumination (RTGI): Yes. This makes lighting bounce more realistically in scenes, especially indoors or at sunset.
Ray-Traced Reflections: Nope. Consoles don’t get those. You’ll see the usual screen-space reflections — good enough unless you’re obsessed with puddles.
Textures: High-quality, though not ultra PC level. Close-up stuff looks solid, but on PC it’s sharper.
PC (with a good GPU)
Ray-Traced Global Illumination: Yes.
Ray-Traced Reflections: Yes — this is exclusive to PC.
Textures: Ultra textures available, depending on your VRAM. Also, better draw distances and more detailed shadows.
Frame Rate & Modes
Xbox Series X Performance Mode:
Aiming for 60 FPS.
Uses FSR upscaling (so actual resolution might hover around 1440p).
No ray tracing, lower shadow quality, and shorter draw distance.
PC:
If you have something like an RTX 4070 or better, you can play at 4K with ray tracing and use DLSS + Frame Generation for 90-120 FPS.
Mid-range GPUs (e.g., RX 7800 XT) can target 1440p/60 FPS with RTGI if you’re careful with settings.
Stability & Bugs
Consoles: More stable, fewer bugs. Ubisoft typically optimizes console builds well, even if they’re not the prettiest.
PC: Potentially better graphics, but with the risk of random crashes and driver tantrums — especially at launch.
Final Blurb
If you want stable performance and solid visuals, Xbox Series X in Quality Mode will do you just fine — just expect 30 FPS and no fancy reflections in puddles. But if you want to go full eye-candy mode with 4K, ray tracing, and buttery frame rates, PC wins — as long as your rig doesn’t melt. Choose wisely... or just buy both like an unhinged completionist.
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