One game that has become a staple in the gaming community is Gran Turismo 4, which was introduced in 2005, and the reason that it has become so popular is because of its photo mode. Gamers had played this game for hours on end trying to get the perfect photo of their character, vehicles, or in-game environment and landscapes. Now gamers have also turned into photographers and are excited to share some of their favourite shots on their social media with other fans.
This article will break down some of the most popular games that people use for virtual photography, including everything from the Wild West to the depths of outer space. All of these technical and graphical advancements have definitely made games more beautiful but it has also made them a lot harder to run, this means that some of the most stunning games for photography also end up being some of the most demanding PC games to run.
6. God of War
| Publisher | Santa Monica Studios |
| Platforms | PS4, PC |
| Recommended RAM | 16GB |
| Recommended GPU | Nvidia RTX 3080 / AMD RX 6800 XT |
| Recommended CPU | Intel i9-9900K / AMD Ryzen 9 3950x |
God of War is a fan favourite amongst the gaming community and has won multiple awards during its time, including visual achievements. This is just proof that God of War showcases some of the best graphics that many have seen on the PS4 version, and the PC version of this game gets improvements in regards to its visual fidelity even further. Not only does this game have a beautiful open world but it has been filled with many stunning locations that are just begging to be photographed. In this game you’ll be able to take gorgeous pictures in relaxing landscapes or during the most epic battles.
5. Spider-Man: Miles Morales
| Publisher | Insomniac Games |
| Platforms | PS4, PS5 |
This game is one for all the Marvel and superhero lovers out there because in it you’ll be able to suit up as one of Marvel most famous superheroes in a very realistic virtual New York City. This is a PS5 launch title that really does a great job at showing off the amazing graphical improvements of the next-gen consoles. These graphical advancements include very detailed textures and ray tracing technology, which make all of your pictures of Miles Morales swinging from building to building just that much more realistic.
4. Horizon Forbidden West
| Publisher | Guerilla Games |
| Platforms | PS4. PS5 |
Horizon Forbidden West is relatively new and is the latest instalment of the Horizon series that has seen much love, and the players of this game are using its photographic potential to the max. Since this game has been released to the next generation of consoles, such as the PS5, it means that the graphics have drastically improved from the original game, which was already quite stunning. This game has been set in a huge post-apocalyptic open world and has been filled with some unimaginable landscapes as well as creatures that have made it a sci-fi heaven for gaming photographers out there.
3. No Man’s Sky
| Publisher | Hello Games |
| Platforms | PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch, PC |
| Recommended RAM | 16 GB |
| Recommended GPU | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 |
| Recommended CPU | Intel Core i7-4790K |
No Man’s Sky is a brilliant game for those hungry for photography because the infinite universe that it has provides those with an infinite number of photograph opportunities. This game gets all of your creative juices flowing with all of its planets, environments, flora and fauna, and gets players to create their own ideas of the perfect picture on the perfect planet. These perfect planets can range from being rocky and mountainous to being a lush underwater cave but what all of these planets have in common is that they all have dreamy landscapes that are perfect for the in-game photography that the game offers.
2. Ghost of Tsushima
| Publisher | Sucker Punch Productions |
| Platforms | PS4, PS5 |
Ghost of Tsushima is an awesome game that is known for its amazing open world, lighting as well as its attention to detail, this game really makes being a samurai look as great as it sounds. This game does a great job at showing off their amazing graphics by having one of the most in-depth photo modes out there, this photo mode actually allows you to adjust focal length, aperture and focal distance just as you would be able to do in real life with a real camera.
The adjustments don’t stop there though as you are even further able to adjust elements such as colour grading, time of day, clouds, particles and even the wind direction. When you are playing this game you need to be careful because it is very easy to get lost for hours on end in the photo mode, whilst you’re trying to get the most perfect shot.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2
| Publisher | Rockstar Games |
| Platforms | PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia |
| Recommended RAM | 12GB |
| Recommended GPU | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB |
| Recommended CPU | Intel Core i7-4770K / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X |
Red Dead Redemption 2 is easily one of the most realistic video games that is out right now and is also, as a result, one of the most popular games for photography. This video game is so realistic it has you guessing whether or not some of the photos were even taken from a virtual reality or not. This lifelike feeling is so strong because of the realistic character,weapons models and environment that this game has, especially when you have the graphics maxed-out on your PC.
Final Words
So there you have some of the most beautiful games on the market right now, that you can capture the most stunning pictures on. With the amazing graphics that all of these games have it is a good idea to make sure that your computer will even be able to handle these games at their full potential, so if you have a PC make sure that you check the recommended specs level of each game before buying it.
