Are multiplayer game graphics getting worse? Yes, and here’s why

Video games have advanced significantly since the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X, but graphics haven’t improved much since the previous console generation. Though visuals have improved, the need for competitive games to have higher frame rates and run on older consoles often holds multiplayer games back from reaching their full potential.

This guide will discuss how graphics have improved over the last decade, why they feel stagnant, and how developers can spruce things up without compromising performance.

Graphics in multiplayer games aren’t as innovative or impressive anymore, as developers used to wow gamers nearly every year with updated visuals. Although video game visuals aren’t necessarily “worse” than they used to look, the rate of advancement is significantly slower compared to the 2000s and 2010s.

Some 2025 titles like Death Stranding 2 pushed the boundaries of graphical power, but recent multiplayer games like Rainbow Six Siege X and Black Ops 7 simply haven’t impressed gamers as much as previous instalments did. 

Here’s why it feels like graphics aren’t improving in a meaningful way.

The reason graphical enhancements have stagnated year to year is due to developers and publishers trying to appeal to a broader audience of gamers. Many new games still launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One despite these two consoles first releasing in 2013, and trying to make fresh titles run on dated hardware requires less impressive visuals.

Additionally, graphics become more expensive to develop as they approach photorealism, making the trade-off less worthwhile as better visuals are achieved. Developers may choose to spend that extra budget on never-before-seen gameplay features or optimisation instead of making a slight improvement to the graphics.

Overall, mitigated returns and an aim to appeal to more players are why graphics aren’t improving, although this might start to change as the PS5 and Xbox Series reach their sixth anniversaries in 2026.

Upping the resolution or creating photorealistic graphics aren’t the only ways to improve visuals in video games. Developers can take steps to improve the visual appearance of games by creating unique art styles, using vibrant colours, or adding extra background objects and foliage that enhance the landscape.

Graphics don’t have to look life-like to be good. The lack of innovation in multiplayer game visuals has been clear in recent years, but with a few new strategies, multiplayer games can focus on unique art styles and vibrant worlds without making their game into a Call of Duty lookalike.

Fortnite, Marvel Rivals, and Overwatch are all perfect examples of multiplayer PvP games that created a unique and focused art style for their in-game universes. The art direction in each title is strong, and though cartoonish, many fans appreciate their less-than-realistic visual styles. Plus, games with less realistic art often perform better, as Fortnite is one of the only modern multiplayer games that can reach 60 FPS on PS4 Pro.

Yes, modern video games look good compared to the past. However, the improvement between 2015 and 2025 is much less impressive compared to the jump from 2005 to 2015. Partially due to diminishing returns on photorealistic visuals and an aim to release on as many platforms as possible, video game graphics are no longer advancing at a rapid rate.

Gamers may see a notable improvement once the next PlayStation and Xbox consoles are released, but visuals will continue to remain stagnant as long as developers target dated hardware like the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, with even the Switch 2 seeming unimpressive compared to the likes of the PS5 Pro.

Dreaming up new art styles and focusing on newer hardware will be key to creating the next game that stuns a generation with its beauty. However, in the end, performance will always be more important than graphics for competitive multiplayer games.