Directive 8020
Directive 8020 is Supermassive's first Unreal Engine 5 game and it gives both PlayStation consoles the same three-mode structure: a 30fps quality mode, a 40fps balanced mode that needs a 120Hz display, and a 60fps performance mode. Every mode uses Lumen. On base PS5 that Lumen is software-based, which suits the metal-and-glass corridors of the colony ship but leaves blotchy, flickering shadows and reflections; resolution is dynamic, roughly 864p to 1440p in performance mode and a native 1440p in quality, all reconstructed to 4K with TSR. Frame rates hold up well, but the 30 and 40fps modes suffer uneven frame pacing that shows as judder during camera pans, and image noise around strobing lights is a recurring issue. PS5 Pro gets the meaningful upgrade: the quality mode switches to hardware-accelerated Lumen, which stabilises reflections dramatically — most visibly on transparent surfaces like helmet visors — and PSSR replaces TSR with a resolution floor pushed up to 1728p-2160p. It still stops short of the PC path-traced option, since console ray tracing does not feed shadows, but on Pro this is the reference console version. Performance mode is the pick if you value response; quality mode on Pro is the one to see the game at its best.
- Frame rate67
- Image quality95
- Graphics modes95
- Visual features100
- Responsiveness85
- Technical stability—
The PS5 Pro PSFoundry Score of 87 is a weighted average of these indicators. Unrated indicators show as “—” and are excluded. Read the methodology.
Graphics modes on PlayStation 5 Pro
Hardware Lumen in the quality mode plus PSSR reconstruction make the Pro the reference console version.
Quality mode moves from software to hardware Lumen ray tracing, with PSSR reconstruction and a higher resolution floor.
Quality
PS5 Pro1728p-2160p reconstructed to 4K with hardware Lumen: far more stable reflections, including on transparent surfaces such as helmet visors.
Balanced
PS5 ProNative 1440p reconstructed to 4K; requires a 120Hz display.
Performance
PS5 ProDynamic 864p-1440p reconstructed to 4K, cleaner than base PS5 thanks to PSSR.
Graphics modes on PlayStation 5
Three well-judged modes and stable frame rates, but uneven frame pacing at 30 and 40fps plus a noisy reconstructed image cost it.
Performance
PS5Dynamic 864p-1440p reconstructed to 4K by TSR; noticeable noise and aliasing around strobing lights.
Quality
PS5Native 1440p reconstructed to 4K with the highest Lumen settings.
Balanced
PS5Dynamic 1152p-1440p to 4K; needs a 120Hz display.
PS5 vs PS5 Pro
Side-by-side comparison of graphics modes, resolution and technical features.
The Pro replaces software Lumen with hardware ray tracing in the quality mode and reconstructs with PSSR instead of TSR, cleaning up the noisiest part of the base build.
| Metric | PS5 | PS5 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| PSFoundry Score | 83Great | 87Great |
| Recommended mode | Performance | Quality |
| Modes available | 3 | 3 |
| Peak target FPS | 60 | 60 |
| PSSR | No | Yes |
| Ray tracing | Yes | Yes |
| VRR | Yes | Yes |
| 120 Hz support | Yes | Yes |
| PS5 Pro Enhanced | No | Yes |
| Load time | Not verified | Not verified |
- PSFoundry Score
- 83Great
- Recommended mode
- Performance
- Modes available
- 3
- Peak target FPS
- 60
- PSSR
- No
- Ray tracing
- Yes
- VRR
- Yes
- 120 Hz support
- Yes
- PS5 Pro Enhanced
- No
- Load time
- Not verified
- PSFoundry Score
- 87Great
- Recommended mode
- Quality
- Modes available
- 3
- Peak target FPS
- 60
- PSSR
- Yes
- Ray tracing
- Yes
- VRR
- Yes
- 120 Hz support
- Yes
- PS5 Pro Enhanced
- Yes
- Load time
- Not verified
Load time: PS5 and PS5 Pro use the same SSD, so loading is normally identical between the two consoles. A difference is only reported when it has been measured and published.
Known issues
We haven't documented technical issues for this title yet — this doesn't mean the game is bug-free.
Video analysis
Independent technical videos referenced in our analysis.
Editor-approved YouTube technical reviews for this title will appear here once curated.
Frequently asked
Answers built from the verified data on this page.
What frame rate does Directive 8020 run at on PS5 Pro?
On PS5 Pro, Directive 8020 offers 3 graphics modes: Quality targets 30 FPS at 4K; Balanced targets 40 FPS at 4K; Performance targets 60 FPS at 4K.
What frame rate does Directive 8020 run at on PS5?
On PS5, Directive 8020 offers 3 graphics modes: Quality targets 30 FPS at 4K; Balanced targets 40 FPS at 4K; Performance targets 60 FPS at 4K.
Does Directive 8020 support 120 Hz on PlayStation?
Yes. Balanced on PS5 Pro, Balanced on PS5 run with 120 Hz output on a compatible display.
Does Directive 8020 use PSSR on PS5 Pro?
Yes. At least one PS5 Pro graphics mode of Directive 8020 uses PSSR, Sony's machine-learning upscaler, according to the sources cited in our analysis.
Is Directive 8020 worth playing on PS5 Pro?
The Pro replaces software Lumen with hardware ray tracing in the quality mode and reconstructs with PSSR instead of TSR, cleaning up the noisiest part of the base build.
What is the PSFoundry Score of Directive 8020?
Directive 8020 scores 87/100 on PS5 Pro. The PSFoundry Score measures technical performance only — frame rate, image quality, graphics modes, visual features, responsiveness, loading and stability — not how good the game is.
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