While PS5 and Xbox Series X owners have a fairly good idea of what to expect from Resident Evil Village thanks to a playable teaser demo, owners of last-generation hardware may be a bit more wary. If the whole Cyberpunk 2077 debacle has taught us anything, it’s that some games just don’t play brilliantly on last-gen hardware.
Thankfully, it doesn’t look like the game will offer any unpleasant surprises — or at least not on PS4 Pro. IGN’s First Look has published five minutes of Resident Evil Village running on Sony’s souped up PS4, and the title looks very nice indeed on the five-year-old hardware. You can see for yourself in the video below.
- These are the best PS5 games
- PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: Which console wins?
- PLUS: The Xbox Series X mini fridge is real
On one level, this shouldn’t be overly surprising, given Resident Evil 7 remains one of the best looking games of the previous generation. It plays perfectly well even on the original PS4 and Xbox One (even if the rumored next-gen upgrade could really make it shine).
All the same, with pre-release footage previously limited to next-gen hardware, it would be easy to worry that Capcom had something to hide. Thankfully, that doesn’t appear to be the case — although it is of course still possible that the game will be a considerable step down on the base PS4.
That’s a huge relief for those who haven’t yet been able to get their hands on PS5 or Xbox Series X stock, thanks to the ongoing shortages. Not only does the game look perfectly playable on last-gen hardware, but buyers have been promised a free upgrade from PS4 to PS5 or Xbox One to Xbox Series X/S. In other words, you should be able to start the game on PS4 without having to worry about buying the game again, should you manage to get lucky during a PS5 restock.
There’s not long to go until Resident Evil Village’s May 7 release date, but fans eager to hear more about the game ahead of time should have an opportunity before then. Capcom is planning another showcase of the game this month, and the word is that a longer, more representative demo is on the way, too. Hopefully that’ll launch on all formats so Xbox One and PS4 gamers can get a full taste of the experience on last-gen hardware, before parting with their hard-earned cash.
