Returnal PC release date set for February, and with better ray tracing and a lower price than on PS5

Returnal officially hits PC on February 15, and a new trailer breaks down some of the improvements the PC port will offer over the original PS5 version.

You'll be able to pick up Returnal via Steam or the Epic Games Store on February 15 for $59.99, a nice little discount over the game's $70 price tag on PS5. That new-generation tax proved pretty controversial at Returnal's launch, owing to a perception that the game was smaller in scale than other next-gen titles. But hey, Returnal's now beloved and readily available at a discounted price on console, so maybe that's not a big advantage.

PC makes a bigger leap over PS5 with improved ray tracing features. On PS5, Returnal supported ray traced shadows, but on PC, you'll be able to enjoy ray traced reflections, as well - you know, the feature you're probably actually thinking of when you hear the term 'ray tracing'. Upscaling features like AMD FSR and Nvidia DLSS and NIS will help you keep performance smooth, too.

Beyond that, Returnal supports the PC features you'd hope for, including ultrawide and super ultrawide monitors and FOV adjustments. Native DualSense support means you won't lose out on the original game's haptic feedback, and 3D audio will carry over as well.

If you want to take the plunge on pre-ordering the PC port, you'll get early unlocks for items like the Electropylon Driver and Hollowseeker weapons, plus a reflex stimulant, a pulsating mass, and an adrenaline booster, for those of you who like to break a game's progression before even playing it. Linking your Steam and PlayStation accounts will also net you access to a couple of additional outfits.

You can check out the full PC specs on the PlayStation Blog, and yes, the top-end experience still recommends a whopping 32GB of RAM.

If you're looking for brand-new stuff, check out our guide to new games for 2023.