The PC requirements have been released for Doom Eternal, and unless one has an incredibly beefy PC system -as in something even more powerful than the GTX 1080- then Stadia may be the most superior platform to consider playing Doom Eternal on. If playing Doom Eternal in 4K graphics is a must, and spending considerable money on new PC hardware is not an option, there is a good chance that Google’s Stadia may be the platform of choice, with some necessary issues to contemplate.
Doom Eternal’s PC requirements were briefly released on Steam, then removed. If they offer an accurate gauge of its hardware demands, an i7 6700K, 16gb of ram and an nVidia GeForce GTX 1080 will only play the game at 60 frames per second at 1440p, not 4K.
The minimum requirements for PC still require a GTX 970 or similar specs, but that will only play the game at 1080p on low settings. It is hard to place an accurate comparison between PC hardware and console hardware, especially given that games tend to be better optimized for console hardware given it is catered to a singular platform.
However, in terms of specs, a PS4 Pro’s power and video card, all matters considered, is slightly more powerful than a GTX 970. Considering optimization and hardware power, a fair ballpark figure may see PS4 Pro and Xbox One X consoles playing Doom Eternal on settings equivalent to PC’s medium settings. While 4K is possible at these settings, it would be very surprising if it can pull it off at 60 frames per second, and without some compromises in graphical features and effects.
Stadia may, surprisingly, turn out to be the gold standard for playing Doom Eternal at a high frame rate, specifically in 4K at 60fps at the least financial cost, if it can actually pull this off that is. There are some important reservations one should maintain and consider before gambling on this possibility with an early purchase, however.
Firstly, 4K resolution in the Chrome browser is only just now starting to be rolled out to a limited number of users, and may not be a guarantee for every user by the time of Doom Eternal’s release. If playing with a mouse and keyboard is a must, this may be an important matter to consider, and waiting and seeing what transpires after the first day of release may be the best option, to ensure that Doom Eternal plays at 4K at 60fps in a browser.
If playing with a controller on a 4K TV using Stadia with Chromecast is a viable option for some, there are also other matters to consider. For example, when Borderlands 3 first released, while it was able to manage 4K on the television screen, it was only running at 30 frames per second.
On paper, Stadia has a lot of potential to offer, but actual game performance has proven to be varied for each game, with some running great and others not so much. If one plans to play with a keyboard and mouse on a PC monitor, another feature to consider and keep an eye on is Doom Eternal’s HDR capabilities on the Stadia platform, which may actually be inferior to consoles for a number of reasons.
Firstly, most 4K computer monitors do not have HDR, or specifically true HDR10. Secondly, due to the diversity of PC hardware available, overall, computers have not succeeded in establishing HDR standards in their software and hardware that are on par with video gaming consoles and televisions. The latter two have effectively defined precise standards that have worked well. For example, if a game supports HDR10 or Dolby Vision, the two dominant standards currently, then there is normally no issues as long as the HDR television supports those standards.
Unfortunately, some users have reported that games, such as Borderlands 3, result in washed out colors and pixelated graphics, especially in dark colors and shades of blacks, when HDR settings are turned on in Stadia. It should be noted this is limited to playing Stadia in a computer browser using an HDR supported monitor. On the other hand, Stadia’s HDR settings on television screens, using its controller, have performed well in that regard.
On a positive note, it is important to consider the fact that Doom Eternal was one of the first games which Google chose to demonstrate Stadia’s capabilities last summer. Doom Eternal may prove to demonstrate itself as the Stadia platform’s gold standard if all the above considerations can be addressed properly. Those who played the demo of Doom Eternal on Stadia had positive impressions overall, as has been reflected in general video game news media. However, at the time, the title was only shown in 1080p resolution on a Pixelbook laptop.
For some, the most concerning issue in considering Doom Eternal on Stadia may be its multiplayer. To date, the Stadia community is not vastly large. Currently, Borderlands 3 on Stadia has players waiting quite some time for effective match-making to occur for co-op gameplay on many occasions. But if one is exclusively looking forward to Doom Eternal for its single player experience, which is its main selling point thus far, this may not be an issue.
Doom Eternal will not have traditional multiplayer currently in the form of deathmatches, team deathmatches, and other conventional modes of play. Instead, it is going to rely on a asymmetrical 2v1 Battle mode, where one overpowered player controls one of Doom's demon monstrosities while the rest of the players attempt to terminate it.
The Demon player can also summon AI controlled monsters to help do its bidding. At the current time, it appears that this Battle mode comprises the entirety of Doom Eternal's multiplayer paradigm and experience, but there is always the possibility that other modes could become available in future content updates.
Stadia has faced a number of setbacks and heavy criticisms since its launch, some of which have been addressed, and many of which still need to be hashed out. But if Google can hit all the key markings for Doom Eternal on Stadia, with 4K at 60fps being the big one, it could become the platform's proving ground and score some much needed credit. While it is not sure bet yet, one should not count out Stadia just yet if players are deciding on the best way to experience Doom Eternal.
Doom Eternal is set for release on Stadia, Xbox One, PS4, and PC on March 20, 2020, and on Nintendo Switch at a future date.
