When it comes to TV shopping, almost all marketing points toward one form of media: Movies. There’s no shortage of excellent4K HDR moviesto break in your TV, but there is a shortage of games that accomplish the same task. The standard for HDR in games is extremely low, with some implementations looking excellent and others that wash out the image into a flat mess. Thankfully, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you, nailing down the 10 best games for a 4K HDR TV.
Further reading
Since the days of the Xbox 360 and the originalGear of War,Microsoft Game Studios and The Coalition have consistently demonstrated how good games can look when developed for a single piece of hardware.Gears 5continues that trend, with stunningly high-resolution textures, consistent frame rates, and excellent visual effects. Plus, the game probably has one of the best HDR implementations we’ve seen.
Gears 5gives you granular control over how HDR is used in the game, allowing you to tweak brightness for the lightest and darkest areas of each scene. This eliminates the often overly contrasty look of poor HDR implementations, leading to a realistic but never distracting experience. If you have the cash to spare,Gears 5also looks great onan OLED.
Read ourGears 5review
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Another gem from Microsoft Game Studios,Ori and the Will of the Wispsis the first game we’d turn on to showcase HDR. Even without HDR, the whimsical art style has a way of bringing out the most contrast from a scene without clipping the whites or blacks. Even more impressive is the fact that developer Moon Studios is able to draw so much power from the Xbox One. The game supports 60 frames per second, with 4K resolution and HDR support for the Xbox One X.
Since launch, the game has received a number of patches, further improving performance. One major patch in May brought improved HDR on Xbox One, dynamic resolution scaling, and an FPS limit, ensuring that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate stays solid.
Read ourOri and the Will of the Wispsreview
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderis one of thebest Star Wars gamesever made. It’s also a treat for the eyes. Seeing true particle effects on lightsabers and laser beams brings the world to life in a way that other Star Wars games never have, popping off the screen with HDR enabled.
The environments are incredibly varied, too.Fallen Order’s various planets each bring a unique aesthetic, showcasing the art powerhouse that is Respawn Entertainment.
Read ourStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderreview
The Last of Us Part II
Unlike our first three entries, there are no particle effects here.The Last of Us Part IIis a grim tale with visuals to match. However, there’s beauty among the destruction, with sprawling cityscapes overgrown with foliage and infected spores growing to begin to new life. It might make your PlayStation 4 Pro sound like it’s on its last breath, butThe Last of Us Part IIproduces some stunning visuals.
For HDR, it’s all about the god rays.The Last of Us Part II’s tightly packed world produces lifelike streaks of light, breathing life into an otherwise dead world. The game isn’t a one-trick pony, though. The variety of set pieces leads to wildly different scenes, allowing your 4K HDR display to flex its muscles.
Read ourThe Last of Us Part IIreview
Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn,released in 2017, still consistently puts the graphics of games being released today to shame. Put simply, it’s a visual feat. Developer Guerrilla Games has a long history of producing stunning graphics, dating all the way back to the days of the PS2. In many ways, Guerrilla defined the visual style that countless first-person shooters would use moving into the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation.
Horizon Zero Dawnisn’t a gritty shooter, though. It’s a beautiful open-world game full of color and life. The sequel,Horizon Forbidden West,looks better, but not by much. That isn’t to say the PS5 won’t produce amazing graphics —it will. It’s a testament to how much Guerrilla got right a few years back.
Read ourHorizon Zero Dawnreview
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Anime and HDR are a perfect pairing.Dragon Ball FighterZisn’t a particularly demanding game — it even maintains stable frame rateson the Switch— but it’s still visually stunning. For this game, it’s all about the special effects. Punches send a flurry of colors across the screen, slams push up rubble from the ground, and special moves fill the screen with bombastic special effects.
More than simply looking good,Dragon Ball FighterZisa great fighting gameand stays true to the anime that inspired it.
Read ourDragon Ball FighterZreview
God of War
LikeHorizon Zero Dawn,God of Waris another visual treat from one of Sony’s first-party studios — in this case, Santa Monica Studios. The God of War series isn’t particularly known for its graphics but rather acclaimed for its visual style and animations. 2018’sGod of Warchanges that. Incredible amounts of detail pop off the screen, no matter what kind of display you’re using. The experience is only further enhanced with a 4K HDR display.
God of Warlooks so good because Santa Monica took the time to make it look that way. The God of War series, for the most part, has stuck to a development cycle of no more than three years.God of Warbreaks that tradition, with five years of development under its belt. The extra time clearly shows in the visuals.
Read ourGod of Warreview
Tetris Effect
Tetris Effectis pure eye candy. That’s the point of the game, really. For the most part,Tetris Effectis just Tetris. Slide blocks into place, clear lines to increase your score, and if you ever reach the top of the board, it’s game over.Tetris Effectheightens the experience, though, with an endless barrage of particle effects that seemingly shoot out of a 4K HDR display.
That’s not to say that the gameplay is a poor point. In addition to core Tetris mechanics,Tetris Effectincludes the “zone.” Once you’ve cleared enough lines, you can enter the zone. This will slow time, allowing you to carefully choose where to place each block. Of course, it’s a great way to get out of a tough situation, but a skilled Tetris player can use the zone to clear more than four lines at once — something that isn’t possible in any other Tetris game.
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Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
The Assassin’s Creed series has always been known for high-quality visuals, andAssassin’s Creed Odyssey,the latest in the series, only furthers that tradition. Much likeThe Last of Us Part II,Assassin’s Creed Odysseyisn’t trying to earn style points. Visually, it’s a game directed by color and art style, heightening the overall sense of realism.
Odysseyis also one of thebest Assassin’s Creed games. Although titles likeAssassin’s Creed IIandBlack Flagstill rank at the top, the series’ push into a truly open world withOdysseyis surprisingly graceful.
Read ourAssassin’s Creed Odysseyreview
Devil May Cry 5
Assassin’s Creed Odysseylooks great, but we can’t end this list with a game that’s merely realistic.Devil May Cry 5is all about style, not only in terms of combat but visuals as well. It’s a particle overload, with various colored projectiles flying across the screen with each strike. If you want to frantically see what your 4K HDR TV is capable of,Devil May Cry 5is a great way to do it.
More than just looking great,Devil May Cry 5is a showcase of next-gen tech. Powered by the RE Engine — the same engine behind the remakes ofResident Evil 2andResident Evil 3—Devil May Cry 5is, for the most part, is a next-gen game that’s been optimized for current-gen platforms.
