Update 6 for Doom Eternal is now live and, despite the boring name, this may be the biggest change for the game released so far.
This is because Update 6 also ushers in the next gen version of the game for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
As announced in the past those who own the game on the previous generation PlayStation 4 and Xbox One get a free upgrade to this next gen version. On top of this Xbox Series X|S players can access the newer version of the game with an active Xbox Game Pass subscription.
So what’s on offer here? There are subtle differences between the three next gen consoles but it’s worth noting that the PlayStation 5 has a leg up when it comes to controls. The much lauded adaptive triggers of the PS5 are utilised in the next gen version of Doom Eternal and players on that console can adjust the level of trigger resistance or turn off adaptive triggers altogether.
The main point of this newest version is, of course, graphical fidelity with the three consoles gaining the following features according to an official blog post:
Xbox Series X
• Ray Tracing Graphics Mode running at 1800p/60 FPS
• 120 FPS Graphics Mode running at 1800p
• Balanced Graphics Mode running at 4K/60 FPS
• HDR 10 in any Graphics Mode
• Ultra-Quality Style Graphics Settings
• Cross-Gen BATTLEMODE support with XBox One
• Variable Refresh Rate
• Variable Rate Shading
Xbox Series S
• 120 FPS Graphics Mode running at 1080p
• Balanced Graphics Mode running at 1440p/60 FPS
• HDR 10 in any Graphics Mode
• Cross-Gen BATTLEMODE support with XBox One
• Variable Refresh Rate
• Variable Rate Shading
• Ray Tracing Graphics Mode is not available on Xbox Series S
Playstation 5
• Ray Tracing Graphics Mode running at 1800p/60 FPS
• 120 FPS Graphics Mode running at 1584p
• Balanced Graphics Mode running at 4K/60 FPS
• HDR 10 in any Graphics Mode
• Ultra-Quality Style Graphics Settings
• Cross-Gen BATTLEMODE support with PlayStation 4
• DualSense™ adaptive trigger support added for a new dimension to the Slayer’s iconic arsenal
As alluded to earlier Update 6 isn’t just about the next gen port as there’s a lot that was added to the game too.
The full patch notes are available here but they’re extensive and will eat up a chunk of your day reading, so let’s summarise.
Ray Tracing is now available with beefy systems and the Ballista gets a shiny log in reward skin to show off this tech.
Taras Nabad is the next Master Level and “Corrosion” is the name of the new map for the multiplayer Battlemode.
The singleplayer campaign, Ancient Gods expansions and the Battlemode all have long lists of balance changes too. Bug fixes and corrections are also thrown in for good measure.
The last point worth mentioning is that those playing Doom Eternal on the Switch do not have access to this new content despite Update 6 being live on other platforms.
“Update 6 is now available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Microsoft Store/Win 10, Bethesda.net and Steam. NOTICE TO NINTENDO SWITCH PLAYERS: The new playable content made available in Update 6 will be coming to Nintendo Switch at a later date – stay tuned for updates!” reads an addendum to the news.
