It’s well established at this point that id Software’s later iterations of its id Tech engine are some of the most optimised around. Both Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal manage to run at locked 60fps while pushing impressive visuals. On PC, things can be cranked up even higher, and id Software is ready for them to be pushed to the extreme. How extreme? Well, according to lead engine programmer Billy Kahn, Doom Eternal can run at 1,000fps, if there’s even a PC powerful enough to do that. “On id Tech 6, we maxed out to 250fps. This game - if you have the hardware - it could hit a 1,000fps,” Kahn told IGN.
Broadly, Kahn talked a little bit about some of the upgrades the current version of id Tech has over Doom 2016’s. Eternal manages to push more particles on screen while maintaining a smooth framerate. Kahn said that id Tech 7’s CPU utilisation is much better now, which allows the engine to utilise all CPU cores more efficiently. This extends to mid-gen upgrades like PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, but also helps bring support for PS5 and Xbox Series X, though Kahn wasn’t able to share specifics on that front just yet. Doom Eternal - whose Battle Pass is free - launches March 20 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Looking for more? Be sure to check out our Doom Eternal preview where we explore how id Software managed to shake up the Doom’s gameplay for Eternal.
