After a tumultuous PS3 era that divided players, while still producing some incredible games that pushed the console to its limits, Sony went to great lengths to ensure that their next home console was friendly to both players and game developers. The result was the PlayStation 4, which was both hugely successful and widely acclaimed. Thanks to using the popular x86 architecture as opposed to the PS3’s infamous Cell Processor, it was relatively easy to develop games for the PS4, insofar as developing games can ever be called “easy.”
The PS4 may not have been a graphical leap above the previous generation the way the PS3 was a leap over the PS2, but framerates became smoother, resolutions got a boost, and the introduction of HDR color-grading allowed for the PS4 to have some truly incredible-looking games.
Let’s take a look at five particularly gorgeous PS4 titles that showed off the power of the console. These games feature grand vistas, stunning animation, and boundary-pushing art styles. Simply put, these games would have been absolutely impossible on the PS3. One thing to keep in mind: some of these games would get remastered for PS5 or otherwise run better on Sony’s current generation of hardware, but we’re only looking at the PS4 and PS4 Pro versions for this story.
These are the PS4 games with the best graphics, ranked.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
In 2013, the long-running “Tomb Raider” franchise was rebooted for the second time with a brand new story about a young Lara Croft learning how to become a survivor. This story continued with 2015’s “Rise of the Tomb Raider” before concluding with “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” in 2018. For the first time in the trilogy, there was no version for Xbox 360, which means “Shadow” was finally a current-gen exclusive.
“Shadow of the Tomb Raider” is largely set in a Peruvian jungle, with lush foliage, mud to wade around in, and beautiful lakes in which to swim around. This might not seem like a massive leap beyond what was seen in previous titles, particularly the gorgeous winter landscape of “Rise of the Tomb Raider,” but “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” has a secret weapon: HDR color grading. While some games are subtle or even lazy with their HDR implementation, “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” is an absolute smokeshow in HDR, so to speak.
If you’re playing “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” on a regular ol’ SDR television, you haven’t had the full “Tomb Raider” experience. If you don’t understand what the fuss is about HDR, “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” will make you a believer.
Red Dead Redemption II
Generally speaking, open world games feature less in-depth detail and overall visual fidelity than their more linear counterparts. Linear games have more narrow play spaces to explore, so they can afford to invest more detail in these limited spaces. On the other hand, open world games are huge, so there’s less expectation for the developers to fill every inch of the land with outstanding sights. Basically, linear games favor visual quality, while open world games favor quantity.
When it comes to Rockstar Games, though, they have the budget for both. While 2013’s “Grand Theft Auto V” is an all-time great game, it was originally released for PlayStation 3, and that’s obvious, even on the PS4 and PS5 versions. For this story, we’re looking at “Red Dead Redemption II,” released in 2018. The game features a representation of a facsimile of 1800s America, from the New Orleans-esque Saint Denis to the Rocky Mountains-adjacent Grizzlies region. These locations, and everything in between, are beautiful and detailed like nothing you’ve ever seen in an open world game.
But they’re not just empty wilderness. There is so much to see and do in these areas, you can practically smell the flowers in real life as you stroll through a field on horseback. “RDRII” also features more industrialized areas that have been ‘tamed’ by man, and they offer a completely different vibe from the wilderness, though they’re no less beautiful, spectacular, and packed with granular detail with which players can both observe and interact. The upcoming “Grand Theft Auto VI” has been delayed multiple times, presumably to match the same level of quality achieved by “Red Dead Redemption II.”
The Order: 1886
Released in 2015, “The Order: 1886” is one of the PlayStation 4’s more high-profile commercial underperformers. It was met with mixed reviews by critics, no sequel was ever put into production, and developer Ready at Dawn was acquired by Oculus in 2020 before being shut down in 2024, so it’s safe to say that “The Order” was not a significant hit.
It’s a shame, too, since “The Order: 1886” is a visual masterpiece that uses its incredible graphics to advance its story and gameplay. Some complained that the game was too linear and focused on cutscenes and carefully curated (if brief) shootout sequences, but “The Order: 1886,” while short, is an unforgettable experience. From the mo-capped performances to the fully-realized Victorian art style, “The Order” is not only a fun game but also a tech showcase of the PS4’s capabilities.
One of the best features of the game is its Photo Mode, which was quite rare back in 2015. But “The Order” went above and beyond what most of today’s Photo Modes do, with players able to fully customize the color grading of their photo with a variety of styles and then keep those color styles enabled during gameplay. Want to play through the whole game in sepia, black-and-white, or any number of psychedelic visual effects? You can do it. Overall, “The Order: 1886” is a short game, but it’s one you’ll want to play through multiple times.
Death Stranding
After Hideo Kojima parted ways from Konami on less-than-amicable terms, fans of the auteur game maker were curious to see what the erstwhile “Metal Gear” mastermind would do next. The answer would arrive with 2019’s “Death Stranding.”
Set in a devastated United States, “Death Stranding” puts players in the shoes of a porter played by Norman Reedus. A particularly buff Norman Reedus, I might add. The supporting cast includes Léa Seydoux, Mads Mikkelsen, and Margaret Qualley, among others. These stars are instantly recognizable in video game form and the actors do a tremendous job with both acting and motion-captured performances.
But the game is gorgeous even beyond its cinematic qualities. The open world is empty, but there’s purpose in that emptiness. The terrain is varied and dangerous, and oy can lead to varied combat encounters since enemy units, called BTs, can show up at any time. These creatures, which look like they’re made from black oil, are a visual spectacle on their own, and that’s before you defeat them and they transform into gold crystals. There’s nothing else out there quite like “Death Stranding,” and the fact that it’s such a visual showpiece is just the icing on the cake.
The Last of Us Part II
The original “The Last of Us,” released for PS3 in 2013, basically took the graphics engine of the “Uncharted” games and applied it to a survival horror game. Seven years later, “The Last of Us Part II” launched as a PlayStation 4 exclusive and pushed the console to its limits, while telling a more disruptive, violent, and downright brutal revenge story.
“The Last of Us Part II” might just be the most violent video game of all time. Unlike most video games, which feature cartoonish levels of over-the-top gore, “The Last of Us Part II” goes for uncomfortable levels of realism. Every drop of blood is believably rendered, every knife plunged into the neck of an enemy is intimately visceral, and every gunshot that finds its target leaves an impression you won’t soon forget. It’s hard to call literally seeing the light leave an enemy’s eyes as they draw their last breath “beautiful,” but that’s what “The Last of Us Part II” offers, and it’s amazing.
In addition to the horrific levels of violence, “The Last of Us Part II” also features top-notch performance capture from its cast of actors (including Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, and Jeffrey Wright, among others). The character models are some of the most detailed ever seen in a video game, and the dilapidated city ruins reclaimed by nature are picturesque in their own unique, bittersweet way. Even six years after its initial release, “The Last of Us Part II” is still one of the best-looking games ever made.
