Hands-on: Crew Motorfest has never looked better with PS5 Pro

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We’re huge fans of The Crew Motorfest here, so we were elated to see it Improved PS5 Pro version announced with the modern Sony console. When the Pro finally arrived, we took to some well-worn roads in Hawaii to see if the improvement was enough.

Ubisoft’s racer was already available on the base PS5, but it posed the question of this generation: frame rate or resolution? Crew Motorfest has a Fidelity option in 4K and 30 fps and Performance in 1080p and 60 fps on the base PS5. The former is a bit stuttery for a racer, and the latter loses the polish that brings the Motorfest world and cars to life.

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A step-by-step PS5 Pro patch that actually does exactly what it was intended to do: remove the need for choice. Using PSSR to upscale to 4K, The Crew Motorfest now retains those shiny features at a sleek 60 frames per second, and the modern Pro mode completely replaces the original two. Plus, it actually improves loading distances and shadow detail so you can really take in those Hawaiian landscapes.

On paper, this is the best way to play The Crew Motorfest, but does it even matter when you’re cruising through cities and countryside at 150 miles per hour? We actually found the update to be quite noticeable, and muddy 1080p was our problem when running the game before the PS5 Pro.

The combination of high fidelity with bright colors (especially on the OLED display) is completely stunning, and the inclusion of lightweight reflections on the car (not ray tracing, mind) really scratches that shiny car. Of course, all of this is topped off by the huge frame rates that make Motorfest playlists great to spend even half an hour in.

Our only caveat is that if you’re sitting more than a few feet away from the screen or monitor, or are using a mid-range TV, you’ll miss most of these improvements. Motorfest’s spirited color palette and speed do a lot of the visual work, so it’s simple to not sweat the petite stuff.

The Crew Motorfest on PS5 Pro

That being said, as regulars of The Crew Motorfest and positioned ourselves in the optimal viewing position, we were quite delighted with the improvement on display here. It’s not exactly a difference that many will be looking for day and night, but for those bothered by the lackluster 1080p resolution on the base PS5, it’s a welcome improvement. It’s a “does what it says on the tin” upgrade, exactly as it was intended for the PS5 Pro, combining high-fidelity and higher performance modes for a nicer, smoother experience.


Will you be watching The Crew Motorfest on PS5 Pro? Do you think this is a worthy Pro upgrade? Go to the comments to let us know.

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