Doom: The Dark Ages is set to launch on May 15 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC, with early access available on May 13 for players who pre-purchased. This latest title explores the origins of the Doom Slayer, depicting his early battles that earned him the feared title of the Hell Walker. Set in a medieval world filled with gothic architecture and fantasy elements, it delivers a fresh atmosphere not seen in Doom 2016 or Doom Eternal. Despite its medieval appearance, it runs on the advanced IDTech 8 engine, an evolution of the IDTech 7 engine used in Doom Eternal and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Visual and Technical Improvements Over Doom Eternal
One of the standout features in Doom: The Dark Ages is the addition of ray-traced global illumination. This feature transforms every environment, from the smallest torch-lit chambers to vast outdoor arenas. The opening mission demonstrates this with realistic lighting that reacts to player movement, enemies, and environmental effects like rain and thunder. Destructible objects also receive significant upgrades, allowing structures and surfaces to break apart more naturally when hit.
Ray-traced reflections further enhance the visual fidelity. For example, in one mission, demon projectiles and bodies reflect realistically on wet floors, adding to the atmosphere. Enemy density has also increased significantly compared to Doom Eternal. Open environments are filled with dozens of enemies, making the action feel more chaotic and intense.
PC Performance and Hardware Requirements
Doom: The Dark Ages continues the franchise’s reputation for excellent PC scalability. Running the game at 2160p, 60 frames per second, and ultra settings requires a high-end CPU, such as an AMD Zen 3 or Intel 12th Gen with eight cores. The developers recommend a ray tracing-capable GPU like the RTX 4080 or AMD RX 7900 XT, 32 GB of RAM, and an NVMe SSD with at least 100 GB of free space.
Testing on a Ryzen 9 5950X and RTX 3080 Ti showed impressive performance. With settings at 3840×2160, DLSS on balanced mode, ultra quality presets, and motion blur enabled, the game consistently held a stable 60 frames per second. Even during the most chaotic moments filled with enemies, projectiles, and particle effects, performance remained flawless. The game’s level design, complete with background details and massive structures, loaded seamlessly without noticeable pop-in.
PS5 Performance and Limitations
The PlayStation 5 version runs at a locked 60 frames per second. While players can adjust the field of view, chromatic aberration, depth of field, and motion blur, there are no additional graphical options. Despite these limitations, the PS5 version holds its own in performance. Even in large battles with dozens of enemies, the frame rate remains consistent, with no major performance drops.
While the PS5 version lacks the visual sharpness of the PC version, it still delivers an impressive experience. Ray-traced global illumination and large-scale environments remain intact, making it a strong showing for console hardware.
Comparing PC and PS5 Visual Quality
As expected, the PC version offers superior clarity and sharper reflections, particularly noticeable in side-by-side comparisons. Dynamic resolution scaling appears more aggressive on PS5, but this is expected given the hardware differences. The PC version brings out more environmental detail, especially in ray-traced reflections and texture sharpness.
However, both versions deliver equally short load times, maintaining the series’ trademark speed when transitioning between levels or cutscenes. The PS5’s performance, while slightly less detailed, is a testament to ID Software’s optimization skills.
Doom: The Dark Ages Sets a New Standard
Doom: The Dark Ages is more than just a technical showcase; it proves that ID Software continues to lead the industry in visual fidelity and performance optimization. From realistic lighting and destructible environments to massive enemy encounters and smooth frame rates, the game sets a new benchmark for first-person shooters.
While the lack of higher frame rate options on consoles may disappoint some players, the stability and quality at 60 frames per second are impressive. Doom: The Dark Ages stands as a true achievement in the series, pushing the boundaries of what players can expect from both PC and console hardware.
