by Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve marks a major technical leap for the series, getting the best of Unreal Engine 5 while incorporating new bespoke technology in the form of Q-Games' volumetric cloud tech. The result is high-fidelity, high-speed aerial combat that scales well across PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
A principal technical hurdle for flight action titles is managing terrain geometry and object pop-in over vast distances, to not distract from the work poured into the macro-scale view. Developer Project Aces addresses this by adopting UE5's Nanite geometry system, allowing draw distances to expand significantly without the noticeable asset pop-in present in earlier entries. The implementation keeps complex ground environments, dense foliage, detailed urban structures and geometric shadows stable even during high-speed low-altitude passes, providing the most detailed ground terrain in the franchise's history - and going well beyond what you'd expect from a game that puts you at hundreds or thousands of feet above the surface of the Earth.
Interestingly, the lighting pipeline is divided into two distinct methods. UE5's real-time global illumination system, Lumen, is jettisoned during flight gameplay due to concerns over stability, visual shimmering and the heavy performance penalties associated with distant views. Instead, Project Aces reserves Lumen exclusively for cutscenes and hangar viewing sequences to deliver cinematic rendering, though these non-interactive moments do exhibit visible RT noise and reduced frame-rates as a consequence.
You'll of course spend plenty of time looking at aircraft models, and they have been treated lavishly, with exceptional geometric and texture detail. Exterior surfaces, cockpit interiors and pilot models are rendered with high fidelity, which the game features during replays and in-cockpit cutscenes. Character rendering has also seen significant advancement over older titles, allowing human and animal models to integrate more cleanly into close-up story sequences - without the meme-worthy visual disparity seen in earlier generations.
Beyond the planes and terrain, the most critical visuals are the volumetric weather effects, which have been overhauled through a custom cloud framework built with Q-Games. These volumetric formations are not merely background decorations; they function as structural level design, allowing players to use cloud cover for tactical concealment. Additionally, dense cloud banks provide immediate spatial reference points close to the aircraft, which significantly enhances the in-flight perception of speed compared to open skies.
Across each console, image resolution scales aggressively to preserve a high frame-rate, resulting in a generally soft image - this is one of the only real areas where I think the game could be improved. In performance mode on PS5 Pro, the title renders around 1080p, whereas base PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X range between 720p and 1080p. Xbox Series S operates at a native 720p maximum, lacking both the graphic preset options and the expanded Lumen lighting features found on the higher-tier consoles. There is a quality mode that ups resolution on all consoles except Series S, but the lower, unlocked frame-rate is hard to stomach in this sort of game.
Performance unfortunately isn't bulletproof either, with better results in gameplay than in cutscenes, which frequently dip below 60fps - and PS5 Pro typically sitting around 10fps faster than other versions. Thankfully, on PS5 Pro, gameplay maintains a near-locked 60fps, while base PS5 and Xbox Series X largely achieve 60fps with minor drops during heavy action. Conversely, Xbox Series S experiences substantial performance degradation, with an unlocked frame-rate that targets 60fps but frequently drops towards 30fps - alongside noticeably downgraded asset textures. VRR can help these frame-rate lurches, but it's more effective on the Xbox consoles where it can be used below the 48fps cut-off of the PS5.
The PC release provides a broad suite of graphical options alongside native support for 21:9 and 32:9 ultrawide monitor display ratios for gameplay and cutscenes, though HUD elements remain fixed to a 16:9 aspect ratio. However, the title proves demanding on system resources, with shader compilation routines running on startup and reports of lower-spec configurations struggling to maintain a smooth frame-rate, though we've only tested the game on a high-end system. HDR support is included across all platforms, using the default Aces tonemapper, though color grading inconsistencies occur when switching between standard and HDR modes.
Complementing the graphical pipeline is an expansive multi-channel audio setup designed to immerse players in aerial combat. Dynamic sound design couples realistic weapon, engine, and environmental audio with an intricate multi-layered soundtrack that shifts interactively based on mission narrative events. It's rare to see audio done this well in a console title, and cements Bandai-Namco as amongst the best in gaming history when it comes to audio production.
Combining heavy technical ambition with refined presentation, Ace Combat 8 demonstrates how modern rendering pipelines can successfully modernise a classic vehicle-action formula. Image quality and performance could still use optimisation - perhaps using PS5's new QSSR - but the game still comes across excellently. It's a technical tour-de-force, in a game that is a perfect entry point for series newcomers - a perfect combination.