Phantom Blade Zero hasn't even been released yet, but its PC version has already earned the title of "this quarter's number one GPU killer." According to initial benchmarks, even the flagship RTX 5090 cannot reach 30 FPS at native 4K resolution with Ultra settings and path tracing enabled; even with ray tracing completely turned off, it barely approaches 60 FPS.
Under the same conditions (native 4K + Ultra settings) with ray tracing disabled, the RTX 5080 could only maintain 37–40 FPS. For a hack-and-slash game where victory hinges on split-second differences, such numbers sound like a death sentence.
With DLSS disabled, RTX 5090 at Ultra settings and path tracing: average of only 27 FPS at native 4K, reaching 70 FPS only at 1080p
RTX 5090 FPS performance with DLSS enabled
These benchmark charts quickly spread online. The subsequent development was all too familiar: Phantom Blade Zero is made by Chinese studio S-GAME using Unreal Engine 5, so following Black MYTH - Steam Edition: Wukong, which also uses this engine, many people categorized it as another case of "poor optimization."
Adding fuel to the controversy, some discovered that lowering quality settings from Ultra to Very High, or even to High, resulted in almost no FPS improvement. One player summarized their dissatisfaction: "The game does look good, but not good enough to justify the RTX 5090 failing to hit 60 FPS at native resolution."
In Phantom Blade Zero at 1080p with max settings and ray tracing disabled, achieving 60 FPS requires a graphics card at least on the level of the RX 6900 XT.
However, foreign media tests used the most demanding scenarios: native 4K resolution, "Ultra" preset, path tracing enabled, and absolutely no upscaling technology. Under similar conditions, Cyberpunk 2077 with path tracing enabled yields comparable results. Wccftech measured the RTX 5090 at only 33 FPS in similar tests.
DSOGaming's charts have spread widely online, with conclusions that even praised the port highly:
· At native 4K resolution, the RTX 5090 can steadily maintain over 65 FPS at High settings; an additional 10 FPS at Medium settings; and reach 100 FPS at Low settings.
·There were no severe stutters during shader compilation or location loading, although the initial launch required a long pre-compilation time.
· All major image upscaling solutions are supported, with the only drawback being the inability to switch between ray tracing and path tracing without exiting the game.
YouTuber Skill Up also tested using an RTX 5090:
He played at 4K resolution, max settings, with ray tracing off and DLSS set to "Quality" mode, achieving around 90 FPS.
· After enabling path tracing, he switched DLSS to "Performance" mode, allowing the game to steadily reach 60 FPS without using frame generation.
Some players with 4K monitors bluntly stated that almost no one plays at this resolution without using some form of upscaling technology. Native 4K requires processing four times as many pixels as 1080p. Modern DLSS "Quality" mode sometimes even looks cleaner than native images using standard TAA anti-aliasing.
However, players who insist on native resolution counter that the best anti-aliasing method is ultimately DLAA. It uses the same neural network technology as DLSS but runs at native resolution.
That said, player dissatisfaction is understandable, and it's not just path tracing causing frustration. What's more concerning is that a top-tier graphics card costing nearly $10,000 can barely maintain 60 FPS even with ray tracing off, relying solely on traditional rasterization rendering.
Some recall that as soon as DLSS first appeared, warnings were issued that studios might treat upscaling technology as a convenient crutch, using it to replace proper optimization. Now, with frame generation added on top of upscaling, these concerns have only grown among some players.
Of course, others hold the opposite view. They believe that "Ultra" quality presets are often intended for future hardware, targeting GPUs not even available in stores today. This approach ensures the game's visuals remain relevant and don't look outdated for years to come.