The release of the PS5 and Xbox One Series X|S has once again brought the conversation of consoles vs. PCs back to the forefront of the gaming industry. The pros and cons can be debated for hours, but there's one indisputable benefit of playing on PC. If someone has the funds to afford the high-end hardware, PC gaming provides the best visual and graphical performance around. Because the majority of gamers don't own high-end PCs, many developers aren't willing to spend too much time optimizing their games.

After all, the majority of players won't get the chance to see them performing at the top level. That's not to say that there's a shortage of games that will test the limits of even the best hardware though. Numerous games compensate players for the eye-watering investments that top builds require. It's worth pointing out that the games on this list are judged on the developer's intended product; adding mods into the equation would turn this into an entirely different list.

Updated on April 4, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The PC has long since been hailed as the superior platform for players who want to push the visuals of their video games to the very limit. While the question of major games being optimized for this platform will continue to exist, there's no denying that players who want to push the graphics of their games to the very limits and get immersed in a beautiful world will find a PC to be right up their alley. There are many games that look downright breathtaking on this platform, making them perfect for players who have the rig to support these titles in all their glorious splendor.

24 Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

Pandora Looks Breathtaking When Players Step Into The World For The First Time

There's no denying that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora had some problems that stopped it from becoming a worthy movie tie-in that most people wanted it to be. The dated world design, an incessant focus on gathering, and a poor main story all stopped this game from reaching the glorious heights it could've achieved.

However, one aspect of the game that has been universally lauded is its visuals, with the various biomes of Pandora looking downright breathtaking. The visual spectacle of this game will bombard players time and time again as they explore more and more of this gorgeous world. On a PC with the settings cranked up to the max, the sheer quality of the graphics is more than enough to make up for the game's drawbacks.

23 Horizon: Forbidden West

A Beautiful Game Done Justice To By A PC Port That Lets It Shine

Sony hasn't enjoyed the best success with its PC ports, with most games launching in a less-than-ideal state that always takes away something from what should otherwise have been an immaculate experience for players who were salivating to play these PlayStation exclusives for the longest time. So, when Horizon Forbidden West dropped, players were more than pleased to see the amazing quality of this PC port and how it elevated the quality of this game to new heights.

The game's visual quality was a step above in every way, making it one of the finest games players can check out on the PC in no time. The massive open world can be enjoyed in all its splendor, which more than makes this port worth the price of admission.

22 Hogwarts Legacy

Gazing Upon Hogwarts And The Scottish Highlands' Beauty In The Late 1800s Is Amazing

The hype for Hogwarts Legacy was through the roof before it came out, with most people loving the idea of finally getting their hands on a game that feels like an original adventure through the halls of Hogwarts instead of a rehash of the movies. Despite some flaws revolving around the story, voice performances, and the immersion of the player as a student, Hogwarts Legacy was an incredible celebration of Harry Potter's legacy in every way.

The world of Hogwarts and the Scottish Highlands is a blast to explore, and it's easy to see why people couldn't get enough of this game when it launched. The PC port was shambolic but has been fixed with numerous patches, making it worth checking out if players want to push the graphical fidelity of this game all the way to the max.

21 Cyberpunk 2077

Overdrive Mode Will Take Anyone's Breath Away

Ray-tracing is the biggest craze to hit PC gaming, and it's easy to see why players are going crazy about this new revolution in graphics. Lighting plays a huge role in deciding how a game looks, and ray-tracing aims to overhaul this aspect of a game's graphics to make things look more realistic than ever before.

Ray-tracing made Cyberpunk 2077 look gorgeous once the game was stable enough. For players who have the hardware, Overdrive mode can be triggered to unlock a version of ray-tracing so complex that it's downright impossible to use this mode without DLSS, even on high-end graphic cards!

20 Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Ray-Tracing Makes New York Look Unbelievably Good

The release of PlayStation exclusives on PC has been a boon for people who game on the latter. As long as games are released with proper optimizations, the PC can render PS exclusives at higher resolutions and frame rates, making these titles look more impressive than they already are.

Miles Morales is a great standalone expansion to Marvel's Spider-Man, with the powers of this hero being a joy to mess around with. Fans can't wait to get their hands on Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and play as both Spider-Men in one game. With the release of the sequel coming sooner rather than later, there's no better time to check out the first few games in the series if players want to get up to date with the story of Insomniac's amazing Spider-Man adventure.

19 A Plague Tale: Requiem

A Sequel That's Bigger, Better, And More Gorgeous Than Ever Before

A Plague Tale: Requiem benefited from the immense success of its predecessor. The areas in this game are bigger than ever before, with the graphical prowess of this title being a sight to behold. Rats may be disgusting, but seeing so many tiny creatures being rendered at the same time on powerful PCs makes for a pretty memorable image.

A Plague Tale: Requiem may lack the focused approach of its predecessor, but it more than makes up for it with its broader and more impressive scope. The story also reaches an emotional conclusion that fans will love, especially if they are invested in the struggles of Amicia and Hugo.

18 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

The Best-Looking Uncharted Game That Still Holds Up

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End serves as the final chapter in Nathan Drake's story. It's also a massive improvement in every way, with everything from the graphics to the individual levels being massive. The game was a technical masterpiece at the time of launch and still looks drop-dead gorgeous to this day.

Players who are lucky enough to crank the settings of this title to the max will find their jaw falling on the floor as they gaze upon some of the more beautiful areas in the game. The release of this game on PC was very much necessary for players who wanted to enjoy the visual fidelity of this title at its highest level without any console hardware limitations standing in the way.

17 God Of War

A Beautiful-Looking Chapter In This Illustrious Series

God of War is another great PlayStation exclusive that made its way to PC after a lengthy hiatus. Kratos' return to the mainstream was a massive success and looks amazing at the highest settings and 60 FPS. Given the action-heavy focus of God of War, it's easy to see why a higher framerate would be perfect for this title.

Fans can't wait to see God of War Ragnarok on the PC, with Kratos' final chapter in Norse mythology having the potential to look amazing on a high-end PC. Of course, there's still a long way to go before this legendary title makes its way over to the PC, but fans who prioritize graphics quite a bit won't mind this wait.

16 Dead Space

A Stunning Visual Upgrade To A Horror Classic

The Dead Space Remake was hotly anticipated, with the game being absolutely timeless and truly gorgeous to behold to this day. Many fans were worried that a remake would lose a lot of what made this title amazing, but that isn't necessarily the case. The changes to Isaac's character and certain interactions may have more of a mixed reception, but the game itself is solid and looks gorgeous.

It helps that certain areas have been expanded upon quite a bit to give returning fans something to look forward to. The Dead Space remake more than justifies its existence, making it clear why so many people are looking forward to the future of the Dead Space series.

15 Microsoft Flight Simulator

Continues The Trend Of This Series Boasting State-Of-The-Art Graphics

Microsoft Flight Simulator was released in August 2020, and let players explore the world at a time when much of the world was in lockdown. Asobo Studio's game features an incredible rendition of Earth thanks to data from Bing Maps, letting players fly over some of the most iconic locations across the globe.

The game's rendition of Earth is the main selling point for many players. For others though, the flight controls are also a treat for anyone wanting an authentic, immersive experience.

14 Star Wars: Squadrons

Dogfighting In Star Wars Has Never Looked This Good

From one flying game to another, Star Wars: Squadrons ditches Microsoft Flight Simulator's realism for the fantasy sci-fi battles from the Star Wars universe. Where Flight Simulator provides a true-to-life look at Earth, Squadrons throws players in enormous space battles with countless ships engaging in combat.

Rather than giving players a third-person perspective of their ship, the game puts them front and center in the cockpit. This helps to provide an engrossing experience. The incredible warfare visuals combined with the immersive sound design make players feel like they're in the midst of battle.

13 Hitman 3

The Third Game In The Hitman Reboot That Looks And Feels Exceptional

A game centered around being a hitman may not seem like a natural source of stunning locations. However, Agent 47 is lucky enough to travel to numerous beautiful areas throughout 2021's Hitman 3.

From the game's starting location of Dubai to a quintessential British manor to a vibrant nightclub in Berlin, these locations will put the capabilities of even high-end PCs to the test. Hitman 3 treats players to an incredible range of places to see while conducting their deadly missions throughout the eight-hour story.

12 F1 23

Codemasters' Renown For Featuring Games With Amazing Visuals Continues With This Flawed Entry

The latest entry into the F1 gaming franchise is another great entry in a series that continues to push the boundaries of racing sims to their very limit. While there are some issues that players can point out in this title, there's no denying that it's still one of the best motorsport games that fans can get their hands on.

The game's many great modes can provide hundreds of hours of entertainment for die-hard Formula 1 fans. However, F1 23 wasn't just beloved by fans of the sport in real life. The game's incredible attention to detail brought a whole new audience to the motorsport. Many gamers were instantly encapsulated by the game's immersive look and feel.

11 Dirt 5

Beautiful Visuals And Impressive Effects Make This Racing Game's Visuals Stand Out

Dirt 5 was developed by Codemasters, the same studio that developed the F1 series. This game, however, takes players to the other side of the racing spectrum. Instead of crisp, meticulously designed tracks in the heart of some of the world's most stunning cities, Dirt 5 takes players to grimy tracks that will put the player's car handling skills to the test.

There's no denying that the game looks fantastic on top-of-the-range rigs and is thus well worth checking out for PC players who enjoy a good racing game.

10 Star Wars Battlefront 2

Lauded For Its Visuals, Even During Its Stunted And Infamous Launch

To say that EA had a tough time with the marketing of Star Wars Battlefront 2. would be an understatement, as the implementation of microtransactions understandably soured many players on the Star Wars title.

As much as some players would like to ignore the game, it's hard to deny that EA provided players with an incredible, immersive visual experience that truly made players feel like they were in the movies.

9 Just Cause 4

The Best-Looking Game In The Series

For developers, there are plenty of great things about creating an open-world setting in a fictional location. One of the greatest is that there's no limit to how ambitious and extraordinary the game world can look.

Just Cause 4 takes place in a fictional South American country named Solís. The stunning landscapes aren't Solís' only impressive feature though. The country suffers from frequent thunderstorms and tornados that will test not just the player's capability to survive, but the capabilities of their PC's hardware too.

8 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

A Massive Sandbox That Looks Amazing With All The Settings Cranked To The Max

When Assassin's Creed Origins took Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series in a more RPG-centric direction, it wasn't just the gameplay that changed, but the franchise's already impressive visuals took a sharp increase in quality too. The game's visuals have been improving since, and the latest iteration, Valhalla has the best aesthetics yet.

Valhalla takes players to Norway for the first time in the series, as well as taking them back to England; this time in the 9th century. For those with the processing power needed to crank the settings, it's one of the best-looking games on PC, not to mention one of the best Assassin's Creed games in years.

7 Far Cry 5

The Area Of Hope County Looks Stunning

Despite being set in Montana, United States, Far Cry 5, much like Just Cause 4, is set in a fictional location that gave the developers free reign to create a fantastic open world. Needless to say, they took full advantage of the opportunity provided to them.

Players aren't restricted to just admiring the world that the development team created though. In Far Cry 5, players can try their hand at creating their open-world paradise with the map creator.

6 Shadow Of The Tomb Raider

The Final Game In The Survivor Trilogy, And The Best Looking One By Far

The third entry into the rebooted Tomb Raider series saw a shift in development teams, as Eidos-Montreal took over from Crystal Dynamic who developed the previous two games and just had a supporting role with Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

2015's Rise of the Tomb Raider is another PC game that can look great on the right hardware, but Shadow of the Tomb Raider trumps it with its fantastic tropical environments. Even so, both games are well worth checking out, as is the 2014 reboot.

5 Metro Exodus

The Final Chapter In An Excellent Trilogy Of Horror FPS Games

Metro Exodus is the third entry into the Metro series and gives players an open world to explore for the first time in the series. The scenery is far from being the prettiest though, as the game takes the player on a long journey across a post-apocalyptic Russia.

However, this premise shouldn't fool anyone, since Exodus is far from being a walking simulator. The survival horror game's unsettling and atmospheric visuals will make gamers wish they were playing on N64 graphics.