Horizon Zero Dawn PC Performance Review and Optimisation Guide

Graphical settings comparisons

Most PC gamers should aim for Horizon Zero Dawn’s “Original” preset and adjust their settings upwards depending on their system’s remaining performance headroom. Horizon’s “Original” preset matches the game’s PlayStation 4 version, the original platform that the game released on. As such, the game looks great at these settings, though improvements can be made over these PlayStation settings if your PC is powerful enough.  

Going below Horizon Zero Dawn’s Original Preset significantly downgrades the game’s visuals. Many distant details are missing, and the game’s ambient occlusion is disabled, making the game’s visuals appear flat. Pop-in also becomes a lot more noticeable at these settings. 
  

(Favour-Performance VS Original)
  

 

The main change between Horizon’s Original and Favor Quality settings can be seen in the game’s draw distances. More objects are visible at a distance, and this makes Horizon’s landscapes appear much more detailed. Pop-in becomes a lot less noticeable at higher settings, making the game look a lot better when players are moving quickly through the game’s open world.  

(Original VS Favor Quality)
  

 
At the game’s highest settings, Horizon’s draw distances are extended further and the game’s distant objects gain even more detail. The two distant platforms in this image sit between LOD boundaries at these settings, causing only half of the connecting wire to be visible below Horizon’s highest settings. With the game’s Ultimate settings, pop-in remains a factor, but it is minimised. 

(Favour-Quality VS Ultimate Quality)