Bethesda has released the graphical specifications for Doom Eternal, and many users are disappointed that Doom Eternal will not run in true 4K resolution, except for a very niche number of PC owners with incredibly powerful hardware. Stadia users may be feeling the most disappointment that Doom Eternal will not run in true 4K even on Stadia, given that streaming Doom Eternal on its platform was both promised and expected, and is one of the original staples and selling points of the streaming service.
However, some fans should not feel completely let down, if these graphical specifications are understood fully, especially console gamers. When looking at the PC requirements for Doom Eternal, which were released back in early-March, 4K resolution was likely never expected on consoles for those who were hardware-savvy enough to make some ball park figures based on the the recommended PC hardware required, and Doom Eternal's graphical output, which also was not 4K.
Doom Eternal: Platforms with the Best Graphics "on Paper"
1. PCs with "Ultra-Nightmare" specifications - 4K at 60 FPS or 1440P at 120 FPS
2. Google Stadia and Xbox One X - Up-Sampled to 4K from 1800p at 60 FPS
3. PS4 Pro and PCs with "Recommended Specifications" - 1440P at 60 FPS (Up-Sampled to 4K on PS4 Pro)
4. PS4 and PCs with "Minimum Specifications" - 1080P at 60 FPS
5. Xbox One and Xbox One S - Up-Sampled to 1080P from 900p at 60 FPS
Doom Eternal: Comparing The Best Graphics Versus Minimal Costs
It is important to understand this list does not address all details and merely acknowledges the resolution the games will run at while still maintaining a smooth-running 60 frames per second. For example, while Google Stadia and Xbox One X appear to be tied, there is no way to know if the Stadia platform may have other graphical enhancements and effects which Xbox One X may not have, given that the Stadia platform is, in theory, capable of more powerful graphical processing from the server-side of its root functions.
Also, while PCs with the minimum specification required run at 1080P, similarly to regular PS4s, it should also noted that the graphical options in such a PC setup would be set to low settings. We do not know if the low settings on PC are on par with, inferior, or superior to the overall graphical settings on a regular PS4 for instance. Also, it is hard to determine if the PS4 Pro's upscaling to 4K from 1440p will really make a practical visual difference from a PC capable of running at 1440P. And PC's, which usually provide more ways to tweak the graphical options, could still look superior overall.
Unfortunately, until Doom Eternal is released and there are high-resolution videos in which to compare the graphics of the different platforms side-by-side, it is impossible at this point to predict which platforms truly are graphically superior, though there are some obvious takeaways. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises here is that the Google Stadia and Xbox One X appear to be the most graphically impressive options among Doom Eternal's platforms, in terms of the sharpness derived from their base resolutions.
In order to run the game on such a PC platform, one would need both an i9-9900K CPU processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (11GB) video card. To date, this video card alone costs well over $1,000, and the i9-9900K runs on the market for about $500. Add in all the other components needed, such as the motherboard, 16GB ram, power-supply unit, and extras, and the overall cost is well over the amount of money most people are willing to pay or afford. Even upgrading their current rig to these specifications is a costly feat, but if playing Doom Eternal at true 4K resolution on PC is a must, this may be the only option thus far.
For most people, of which the luxury of the above PC platform is not an option, the Xbox One X and Google Stadia platforms may be the most impressive options for running Doom Eternal with some fairly impressive graphical power. At their graphical base, both games originate at 1800P graphical resolution, despite their 4K Up-Sampling. Not to be confused or misread as the inferior 1080P, in simple terms, one could think of 1800P as "3.5K" roughly.
This hits fairly close to the 4K gold standard of current gaming resolution, but not quite. If anything, this demonstrates just how graphically rich and detailed Doom Eternal will likely be, if it can not quite manage 4K, even on Stadia, and may be reason for some fans to feel excited rather than disappointed.
For those who only have a PC with Doom Eternal's Recommended Specifications, or less, the Google Stadia platform may be the platform of choice actually. To be clear, Doom Eternal is a graphical hog, and such a PC configuration still still requires some fairly powerful hardware. Just to meet Doom Eternal's Recommended Specifications, this requires an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (8GB). This configuration also requires an i7-6700K (or equivalent), which will cost a few hundred dollars more.
Overall, these Recommended Specifications requirements still require a beefy PC system and a lot of money to play Doom Eternal, and perhaps the most disappointing outcome is that it will still only play it at 1440P, as opposed to 1800P on Doom Eternal's Stadia platform and even Xbox One X platform (both of which are also Up-Sampled to 4K). This actually should may make Stadia's version of Doom Eternal seem quite enticing in comparison, for PC players.
While many were disappointed at the news in which Stadia's Doom Eternal will not be running at true 4K, this is still fairly impressive when considering the minimal cost of the Stadia platform, as opposed to the cost of a PC which meets Doom Eternal's Recommended Specifications, the latter of which runs at a lower resolution.
While Xbox One X also runs at 1800P resolution, similar to Stadia, one can not rule out the possibility that Stadia always has the option of increasing Doom Eternal's graphical output at a later date, since it is processing the game's operations from the server-side. But if Doom Eternal's asymmetric 3v1 multiplayer is a much desired feature, the Xbox One X may be the platform of choice if one does not mind using a controller instead of a mouse and keyboard.
Doom Eternal Multiplayer and Controller Preferences
To date, Stadia's community is fairly small, and match-making in game's such as Borderlands 3 can be a challenge, keeping players waiting for quite some time. Regular PC software platforms such as Steam, and Xbox One's solid online communities will certainly give Doom Eternal advantage in its multiplayer gameplay. To date, Stadia's Doom Eternal will not allow cross-play with regular PC players, even if one is playing Doom Eternal on their PC in the Chrome browser.
For that reason, one with a solid PC which meets the Recommended Specifications may still want to buy the PC version of Doom Eternal instead of Stadia's, if multiplayer is important to play with a mouse and keyboard. If multiplayer is important enough, this may be a better incentive, even if it means graphical sacrifices and playing the game at 1440P resolution instead of the Stadia's 1800P resolution for Doom Eternal. If a controller is preferred for multiplayer, then Xbox One X may be the platform of choice over the Stadia, due to its strong online community for multiplayer.
However, Doom Eternal's exclusively asymmetric multiplayer may not be for everyone, and some players may only be interested in its single player experience, which may mean that the Google Stadia is still the best platform of their choosing, especially given the option to play on laptops and PC, with a mouse and keyboard, and through the Chromecast on the television with the Stadia controller.
Overall, if multiplayer means anything to the player, then Google Stadia's Doom Eternal may be the least attractive. If obtaining the most out of the graphics and enjoying the single player experience is the main attraction, then Google Stadia offers an enticing package for its price, especially given that Stadia has fixed some of its initial shortcomings since launch, such as Stadia's ability to play games in 4K in the Chrome web browser. If one can afford the costs and has no problem plunking down at least a couple thousand dollars, then then PC could be the way to go for enjoying true 4K graphics, a strong online multiplayer community, and the option of utilizing a controller or a mouse and keyboard.
As for those with PCs for Minimum Specifications, the older Xbox One/Xbox One S, or regular PS4', the preferences really dwindle down to which controller preference or online multiplayer community a player prefers to play on, since graphics are the least of considerations to prioritize here. Although, the regular Xbox One and Xbox One S takes a slight hit, not quite consolidating the 1080P mark, and running instead at 900P on the regular Xbox One and Xbox One S. Thiscould make the difference in choosing which version to purchase if one has two or more of these platforms. However, Doom Eternal should look graphically superb regardless of which platform it will play on, especially given that it runs at a smooth and fast 60 FPS in all these configurations.
Doom Eternal releases on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One on March 20, 2020 and will release on Nintendo Switch at a later date.