Fortnite has a frame rate of up to 60fps on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, just like on the current consoles. The next-gen versions will get a visual upgrade. Epic Games seems to be open to an option for higher frame rates in the future.
If the Xbox Series X and S and the PlayStation 5 are available, there will also be an update for Fortnite that makes improvements, Epic Games writes. The Xbox Series X version runs in 4k resolution at 60fps and gets improved graphics and physics. The Series S has to do with 60fps in a 1080p resolution and ‘most of the graphics improvements’.
For the PlayStation 5 the same improvements apply as for the Xbox Series X. Sony’s console also runs the game in 4k at 60fps. The game also receives support for the haptic feedback of the DualSense controller.
The graphics enhancements include “a more dynamic interactive world with grass and trees reacting to explosions.” Furthermore, Epic Games promises a better rendering of the simulation of smoke and liquid and new storm and cloud effects.
Fortnite also runs at 60fps on current consoles, although that happens at lower resolutions. The Xbox One X does that with a dynamic resolution that usually hovers around 1440p and the PS4 Pro is aiming for 1080p resolution, Digital Foundry discovered when the 60fps patch for Fortnite came out in 2018.
While Epic Games promises graphics improvements with the next-gen version of Fortnite, the lack of a higher frame rate is striking. The game is graphically relatively simple, which should make it possible to achieve a high framerate on the new consoles. It is also a competitive game, where a high frame rate may be desirable for gamers.
There may be a mode for a higher frame rate in the future. Epic Games says in the announcement it looks forward to ‘discovering new ways’ in the future to maximize the potential of both consoles. With the PC version, Epic Games added ray tracing support earlier this year. For the time being that is also lacking in the console version, while the next-gen consoles do support that technology.