Gaming Graphics Comparison: Compare Game Settings, Ray Tracing, and DLSS Quality

Published January 13, 2026 · 14 min read

Every PC gamer faces the eternal tradeoff: visual quality vs. performance. Should you enable ray tracing? Is DLSS Quality better than Native? How much does Ultra actually differ from High? These questions can only be answered through direct comparison.

Game graphics comparison isn't just for tech reviewers—it's essential for any gamer who wants to optimize their experience. This guide shows you how to compare game settings effectively, understand what you're trading off, and find your personal sweet spot.

Why Game Graphics Comparison Matters

Modern games offer dozens of graphics options, each affecting both visuals and performance. Blind adjustment wastes GPU power on invisible improvements while skipping settings that matter.

What to Compare in Game Graphics

1. Resolution and Upscaling Comparison

Resolution and upscaling technology dramatically impact both quality and performance:

• Native 4K vs. DLSS 4K – Is AI upscaling visually equivalent?
• DLSS Quality vs. Balanced vs. Performance – Where's the quality cliff?
• FSR 3 vs. DLSS 3 – Which upscaler looks better?
• XeSS vs. FSR – Intel vs. AMD upscaling
• Frame Generation – Real frames vs. interpolated frames

DualView's slider comparison lets you drag between native and upscaled images to see exactly where quality degrades.

2. Ray Tracing Comparison

Ray tracing delivers the biggest visual improvements—and performance hits. Compare:

• RT On vs. Off – Is the visual improvement worth the FPS cost?
• RT Quality levels – Low, Medium, High, Ultra differences
• Different RT effects – Reflections vs. GI vs. Shadows
• Path tracing – Full ray tracing implementations

3. Texture Quality Comparison

Texture quality settings often have minimal FPS impact but significant visual differences:

• Ultra vs. High textures – Visible difference up close?
• Texture filtering – Anisotropic filtering levels
• Texture streaming – Pop-in behavior comparison
• VRAM usage – Memory limits for higher settings

Use DualView's synchronized zoom to examine texture quality at high magnification. The difference between Medium and Ultra is often only visible when zoomed in.

4. Shadow Quality Comparison

Shadow settings significantly impact scene realism:

• Shadow resolution – Pixelated vs. smooth shadow edges
• Shadow distance – How far shadows render
• Contact shadows – Fine detail shadowing
• Cascaded shadow maps – Quality at different distances

5. Anti-Aliasing Comparison

Anti-aliasing methods vary in quality and performance cost:

• TAA vs. FXAA – Temporal vs. post-process
• MSAA levels – 2x, 4x, 8x sampling
• DLAA – NVIDIA's AI anti-aliasing
• No AA vs. AA – Jaggies vs. potential blur

6. Effects Quality Comparison

Various visual effects scale with quality settings:

• Ambient occlusion – SSAO, HBAO, RTAO differences
• Volumetric effects – God rays, fog, smoke quality
• Particle density – Explosion and effect detail
• Motion blur quality – Per-object vs. camera
• Depth of field – Bokeh quality and accuracy

Game Graphics Comparison Workflow

Step 1: Establish a Comparison Scene

Find or create a scene that reveals setting differences:

• Reflective surfaces (for RT reflections)
• Complex lighting (for GI, shadows)
• Detailed textures (for texture quality)
• Edge-heavy geometry (for anti-aliasing)
• Distant vistas (for draw distance, LOD)

Step 2: Capture Identical Screenshots

Critical for fair comparison:

• Same exact camera position (use photo mode if available)
• Same time of day/lighting conditions
• Same game state (NPCs, particles)
• Uncompressed or lossless format (PNG, BMP)
• Same output resolution

Step 3: Systematic Comparison in DualView

Step 4: Performance Testing

After identifying visual differences, measure performance impact:

• FPS at each setting combination
• 1% lows (stuttering indicator)
• VRAM usage
• CPU vs. GPU bottleneck

Common Graphics Comparison Scenarios

Scenario 1: DLSS Quality Mode Evaluation

Compare DLSS Quality vs. Native rendering:

• Look for ghosting artifacts on moving objects
• Check fine detail like hair, foliage, fences
• Examine text and UI sharpness
• Evaluate reflection accuracy

Scenario 2: Ultra vs. High Settings

Many games have minimal visible difference between Ultra and High:

• Compare in typical gameplay scenarios (not just worst cases)
• Check if difference is visible at normal playing distance
• Note FPS cost of Ultra over High
• Determine if Ultra is worth the performance hit

Scenario 3: Finding the Performance Preset

For competitive games, compare low/medium vs. high:

• Identify which settings affect visibility (not just beauty)
• Keep essential clarity settings high
• Reduce settings that don't impact gameplay
• Maximize frame rate for competitive advantage

Scenario 4: Cross-Platform Comparison

Compare PC settings to console quality targets:

• Match console's 30fps quality mode settings
• Match console's 60fps performance mode settings
• Identify what consoles sacrifice for performance
• Set PC to exceed console quality

AI Upscaling Comparison Deep Dive

AI upscaling is the most impactful modern graphics technology. Compare carefully:

DLSS 3.5 (NVIDIA)

Compare across modes:

• DLAA – Native resolution with AI anti-aliasing
• Quality – Best balance of quality and performance
• Balanced – More aggressive upscaling
• Performance – Maximum FPS boost
• Ultra Performance – Extreme cases only
• Frame Generation – Interpolated frames for higher FPS

FSR 3 (AMD)

Works on any GPU. Compare:

• Native vs. FSR Quality
• FSR Quality vs. DLSS Quality
• FSR Frame Generation quality
• Sharpening settings impact

XeSS (Intel)

Best on Intel Arc, works on others:

• DP4a mode (on compatible hardware)
• Quality comparison vs. DLSS/FSR
• Performance scaling

Tips for Effective Game Graphics Comparison

1. Use Photo Mode When Available

Photo modes ensure identical camera positions between captures. This removes a major variable from your comparisons.

2. Capture Uncompressed

JPEG compression can hide or create artifacts. Always capture in PNG or BMP format for accurate comparison.

3. Compare in Motion Too

Some issues (TAA ghosting, frame generation artifacts) only appear in motion. Use DualView's video comparison for these cases.

4. Check Multiple Scenes

A setting that looks fine in one scene might have problems in another. Test various environments before deciding.

5. Consider Your Monitor

4K vs. 1440p comparisons matter more on larger, higher-resolution displays. Compare based on your actual viewing setup.

Conclusion: Optimize Through Comparison

Game graphics optimization isn't about maxing everything or following generic guides—it's about finding what matters for your specific games, hardware, and preferences. Only direct comparison reveals what's worth the performance cost.

DualView makes game graphics comparison easy and precise. Capture screenshots at different settings, compare them side by side, zoom into details, and make informed decisions about your graphics configuration.

Stop wasting GPU power on settings you can't see. Start comparing.