Capcom has delivered an exceptional year for its fanbase, following the success of Resident Evil Requiem with the introduction of Pragmata. This new sci-fi shooter not only captivates with its compelling narrative but also showcases a plethora of cutting-edge technical features designed to engage PC gamers. Our recent tests of Pragmata across 18 different GPUs have revealed the optimal ways to experience this innovative title.
At the heart of Pragmata lies the story of Hugh, the sole survivor of a doomed lunar rescue mission, and Diana, an endearing android equipped with impressive hacking capabilities. Together, they navigate the expansive 3D-printed lunar facility known as the Cradle, confronting an AI overseer and a variety of additively manufactured robots intent on thwarting their escape.
However, the decision to lock out Radeon support has raised eyebrows, appearing to stem more from business motivations than technical constraints. Notably, the Radeon RX 9000-series cards excel in this game, and AMD possesses a comparable suite of FSR technology that could have been utilized. Yet, with Nvidia dominating the gaming GPU market and benefiting from substantial AI revenue, financial interests seem to prevail.
For AMD users, Pragmata offers FSR 3 upscaling as a standard feature, with FSR 4 support available for Radeon RX 9000-series cards. This includes the advantageous FSR ML Frame Generation. In contrast, older RX 7000- and RX 6000-series cards are limited to FSR 3 upscaling and frame generation, while Intel Arc gamers must rely solely on FSR 3 for performance enhancements.
Image Quality Comparisons and Notes
Before diving into performance metrics, we spent several hours immersed in Pragmata, documenting the advantages and drawbacks of each rendering mode: pure rasterization, ray tracing (RT), and path tracing. These observations are crucial for understanding the trade-offs associated with GPU cycles across different rendering modes.
The initial gallery illustrates raster image quality at maximum settings across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions, alternating between TAA and DLAA. At 1080p, the base raster image, utilizing the RE Engine’s TAA, exhibits noticeable noise and fuzziness, particularly in reflections, which can detract from the overall experience. While increasing the resolution to 1440p or 4K mitigates some of these issues, it does not entirely resolve them. Both DLSS and FSR provide some relief from the noise, yet not completely.
In our GPU benchmark hierarchy, the RX 6700 XT does not significantly outperform the RTX 3070 until reaching 4K, indicating that maximizing Pragmata’s graphical fidelity does not heavily tax VRAM. This trend is similarly observed with the RTX 3060, where performance bottlenecks occur long before VRAM limitations come into play.
Ray-Traced Gaming Performance
The basic ray tracing implementation in Pragmata is relatively forgiving on hardware, allowing all but the RTX 5050 to maintain an average of 60 FPS at 1080p. However, at 1440p, cards with 12GB and 16GB of VRAM begin to distinguish themselves from their 8GB counterparts, as evidenced by the RX 9060 XT 16GB and RTX 5060 Ti 16GB. At 4K, only the most powerful GPUs can sustain a baseline of around 60 FPS without resorting to upscaling.
Path Tracing Performance with Upscaling and Frame Generation
Analyzing path tracing performance in Pragmata reveals a complex landscape. At 1080p, only the RTX 5090 achieves 60 FPS, with performance declining sharply beyond that. Our 4K results, while interesting, are largely theoretical for even the RTX 5090. Nvidia and Capcom appear to anticipate that players will utilize upscaling and frame generation to achieve a playable experience with path tracing enabled.
As previously discussed, as long as input latency remains manageable, the image quality of DLSS Frame Generation and Multi Frame Generation has improved significantly, minimizing any potential artifacts. The introduction of DLSS 4.5 allows RTX 40-series and 50-series card owners to achieve high output image quality even at lower input resolutions. This means enhanced performance and reduced concerns about latency.
For those equipped with capable RTX 40-series or 50-series cards and high-refresh-rate monitors, not utilizing DLSS Frame Generation or MFG is a missed opportunity. Pragmata exemplifies a game where the path-traced visuals warrant fully leveraging these technologies.
The myriad combinations of DLSS quality presets and frame generation multipliers are extensive, making it impractical to cover every graphics card comprehensively. Instead, we’ve identified reasonable starting points for various output resolutions, which are detailed in the accompanying charts.
Notably, the RTX 3070 lacks DLSS frame generation support, necessitating the use of FSR 3 FG for fairness in testing. However, it’s essential to note that FSR 3 FG’s image quality lags behind the latest DLSS frame generation model in this title, introducing noticeable artifacts. The RTX 3060 12GB was excluded from testing due to its inability to deliver a playable experience, regardless of upscaling or frame generation.
Our results indicate that even with path tracing enabled, Pragmata remains manageable on VRAM at 1080p, allowing frame generation with DLSS Quality on 8GB cards. While the RTX 5050 and RTX 5060 struggle with high input latency, the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB manages a playable experience under these settings, albeit precariously close to a performance cliff.
At 1440p, the RTX 4070 and RTX 5060 Ti 16GB exceed the 60 ms input latency threshold, prompting a potential switch to DLSS Performance for a snappier experience. However, input latency remains tolerable. Conversely, 8GB cards struggle to deliver a playable experience despite seemingly adequate frame rates.
At 4K with DLSS Performance, the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB and RTX 4070 reach their limits, while the RTX 5070’s 1% low frame rates are less than ideal. Only the RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090 offer a consistently playable experience. For those seeking to explore DLSS Ultra Performance and DLSS 4.5 Preset L on the RTX 4070 and RTX 5070 to reduce latency and enhance frame rates, the option is available.
These findings underscore the current era where DLSS Frame Generation is not only viable but advantageous. As long as input latency is monitored and settings are adjusted accordingly, there is little reason to avoid it, barring hardware limitations or personal preferences.
Bottom Line
While Pragmata boasts an impressive array of technical features for discerning gamers, it ultimately shines as an engaging gameplay experience. Set against a lunar backdrop filled with 3D-printed mechs, the game combines strategic gunplay with quick-thinking puzzle-solving, creating a captivating adventure.
From a technical perspective, Pragmata presents a notably vendor-dependent experience. The game’s primary path tracing mode is exclusive to GeForce cards, limiting flexibility for optimal performance. GeForce gamers benefit from access to Nvidia’s latest software features, significantly enhancing image quality. DLSS, whether utilized as DLAA or for upscaling, markedly improves upon the RE Engine’s subpar TAA implementation when ray tracing is disabled.
However, enabling Pragmata’s basic ray tracing mode introduces distracting artifacts and can obscure desirable reflections in certain scenes. Players must weigh the significance of these issues against the typical screen-space errors encountered without full path tracing.
For those with compatible graphics cards, exploring path tracing is highly recommended. As expected, native path tracing demands upscaling and frame generation for a smooth experience. Fortunately, this is no longer a significant hurdle for RTX 40-series and 50-series card owners, as the advancements in DLSS upscaling and frame generation allow for a seamless gaming experience.
Path tracing delivers the richest and most stable image quality among the available options, rewarding players with moments that make Pragmata’s environment feel remarkably lifelike. For those using RTX 30-series cards without DLSS Frame Generation support, achieving a satisfactory experience will require higher-end models with ample VRAM. Additionally, Radeon gamers can enjoy solid raster and RT performance, although Capcom’s FSR implementation could be improved. While Pragmata supports FSR 4 on compatible cards, the absence of a native AA option akin to Nvidia’s DLAA is a missed opportunity.
Ultimately, Pragmata is a visually stunning and engaging game, particularly for GeForce RTX 40- and 50-series owners eager to showcase their hardware’s capabilities. The anticipation of uncovering the next chapter in Hugh and Diana’s journey is a testament to the game’s allure.
