Resident Evil Requiem Review: Stunning Visuals Meet Smooth Performance

Capcom’s latest survival horror masterpiece, Resident Evil Requiem, marks the triumphant return of the franchise with a fresh take on the classic formula. This time, players are treated to a dual gameplay experience that seamlessly blends stealth mechanics with intense gunfight sequences, all while introducing a new protagonist alongside the beloved Leon Kennedy.

At the heart of Requiem‘s visual splendor lies Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine, which has been steadily evolving since its debut with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The engine now boasts path tracing capabilities, delivering unprecedented levels of realism in lighting, shadows, and reflections that push the boundaries of what’s possible in survival horror gaming.

Performance Analysis: From Handhelds to RTX 5090

Handheld Gaming PC Performance

Starting with the Asus ROG Ally running at 15W with 6GB VRAM, the results are underwhelming. Despite Capcom’s minimal system requirements suggesting handheld compatibility, the integrated GPU simply can’t handle the rendering demands. Even with the device’s 30W power mode and FSR Ultra Performance upscaling, performance remains unplayable—a disappointment for portable gaming enthusiasts.

Entry-Level Gaming Laptop Experience

The GeForce RTX 4050-equipped Acer Nitro V 15 laptop tells a different story. With its discrete GPU and 6GB VRAM, this entry-level machine delivers surprisingly solid performance at 1080p with low preset settings. Ray tracing, even in its simplest “Normal” mode, runs smoothly, though some frame time instability appears when loading new inventory items. The RTX 4050’s ray tracing capabilities clearly outshine the RX 5700 XT in the minimum spec PC, which lacks hardware RT support.

Minimum Spec Gaming PC

An aging Core i7 9700K paired with a Radeon RX 5700 XT proves that Requiem is accessible to older hardware. Running at 1080p with normal preset settings and FSR balanced upscaling, the game maintains playable frame rates despite the Windows installation’s age and clutter. The eight-core CPU gets heavily utilized, contributing to slightly lower 1% low frame rates, but overall performance remains acceptable.

Mainstream Gaming PC Performance

The Ryzen 7 5700X3D and RTX 3060 Ti combination handles 1440p resolution admirably. While ray tracing is disabled in our test configuration, this setup demonstrates that mainstream hardware can deliver excellent performance with proper upscaling. The frame time spikes during new item interactions persist across multiple test systems, suggesting this may be an engine limitation rather than hardware-specific.

High-End Gaming PC Capabilities

The Core Ultra 9 285K and Radeon RX 7900 XT combination showcases what happens when high-end hardware meets Requiem‘s demanding visuals. At 4K resolution with high ray tracing settings and FSR performance upscaling, the game maintains 60-65fps in most scenarios. Dropping ray tracing to “Normal” provides a significant 10-15fps boost, demonstrating the performance cost of maximum visual fidelity.

Ultra High-End Gaming PC: RTX 5090 Dominance

The ultimate test configuration featuring a Ryzen 9 9950X3D and RTX 5090 graphics card pushes Requiem to its absolute limits. With every setting maxed out and path tracing enabled, this powerhouse setup delivers impressive performance when paired with aggressive upscaling and frame generation. The RTX 5090’s capabilities make it one of the few cards capable of handling path tracing at playable frame rates.

Frame Generation Implementation

AMD FSR 3.1 Frame Generation

AMD’s shader-based FSR 3.1 frame generation provides a noticeable smoothness boost on the RX 7900 XT, though it doesn’t double frame rates as some might expect. The implementation shows minimal input latency increase, making it a worthwhile addition for users seeking enhanced fluidity.

NVIDIA DLSS 4 Frame Generation

Nvidia’s DLSS frame generation implementation on the RTX 5090 demonstrates superior performance with only 5-10ms input latency increase. The RTX 3060 Ti, lacking native DLSS 4 support, must rely on FSR, resulting in slightly inferior results.

DLSS Multi-Frame Generation

The RTX 50-series exclusive DLSS Multi-Frame Generation feature provides an additional performance boost, though it’s not quite as impressive as implementations seen in other recent titles. The feature works best when frame rates are already solid, as it can’t compensate for poor baseline performance.

Ray Tracing Worth Analysis

The ray tracing implementation in Requiem offers three distinct modes: Normal, High, and Path Tracing. Each tier provides progressively more realistic lighting and reflections, with path tracing delivering near-photorealistic results that are particularly impressive in indoor environments.

The performance impact varies significantly by hardware. On the RTX 5090, there’s minimal difference between no RT and Normal RT, while path tracing cuts frame rates nearly in half. On less powerful hardware, the performance cost of ray tracing becomes prohibitive, making it a feature best reserved for high-end systems.

Final Thoughts

Resident Evil Requiem represents a significant step forward for the RE Engine, demonstrating its versatility across different hardware configurations. While not perfect—handheld compatibility remains elusive and frame time spikes during item interactions persist—the game delivers a consistently solid experience across the performance spectrum.

The inclusion of DirectStorage support suggests Capcom is committed to optimizing loading times and asset streaming, while the robust implementation of multiple upscaling and frame generation technologies ensures broad hardware compatibility.

For survival horror fans, Requiem offers a compelling experience that balances visual fidelity with performance accessibility. Whether you’re running a modest gaming PC or a top-tier RTX 5090 system, Capcom has ensured that Resident Evil Requiem delivers the terrifying experience fans expect, wrapped in some of the most impressive visuals the genre has ever seen.

Tags: Resident Evil Requiem, RE Engine, path tracing, ray tracing, performance analysis, gaming PC, handheld gaming, DLSS 4, FSR 3.1, frame generation, Capcom, survival horror, Leon Kennedy, RTX 5090, Ryzen 9 9950X3D, Asus ROG Ally, Acer Nitro V 15

Viral Sentences: “Resident Evil Requiem proves RE Engine shines brightest in linear experiences,” “RTX 5090 is the only card that can truly handle Requiem’s path tracing,” “Handheld gaming fans left disappointed as Requiem refuses to run on portable devices,” “Capcom’s ray tracing implementation sets new horror genre standards,” “Frame generation transforms Requiem from good to great on high-end systems,” “Minimum spec PC owners can still enjoy Resident Evil’s latest nightmare”

,