Ubisoft rebuild adds ray tracing, improved ocean tech, and modern performance options
Summary
– Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches July 9 for PS5 and PS5 Pro
– The game was rebuilt on the latest Anvil engine instead of receiving a basic remaster
– PS5 Pro features include expanded ray tracing, strand-based hair, and updated PSSR support
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is aiming for more than a simple visual upgrade.
The new version of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag has been rebuilt from the ground up using the latest version of Ubisoft’s Anvil engine. The goal is to preserve Edward Kenway’s original adventure while modernizing the technology behind nearly every part of the experience.
The update will include 60 FPS options, HDR support, Dolby Atmos, DualSense haptic feedback, and several graphics modes for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro. The game is set to launch on July 9.
One of the biggest upgrades is the lighting system. Black Flag Resynced uses hardware-accelerated ray tracing to make the Caribbean react more naturally to time of day, weather, and changing environments.
Ray-traced diffuse lighting allows light to bounce more realistically across surfaces, while ray-traced specular reflections improve the look of wet wood, metal, ocean spray, and other reflective materials. Ray-Traced Global Illumination is enabled across every graphics mode on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
PS5 Pro players get even more ray tracing support. Ray-Traced Specular Reflections are available across all graphics modes on PS5 Pro, while base PS5 players get them in Balanced and Fidelity modes.
The remake also uses a micropolygon geometry pipeline to reduce visual popping. Instead of switching between fixed levels of detail, the game continuously refines geometry based on distance, visibility, and the camera’s position.
That system uses the PS5’s ultra-high-speed SSD to stream and render tiny geometric clusters quickly. The result should be smoother transitions between close-up detail and distant scenery.
PS5 Pro also adds improved strand-based hair. Edward benefits from strand-based hair in every mode, while nearby crowd characters use the feature in Fidelity mode during gameplay. Cinematics use strand-based hair for all characters regardless of mode.
Black Flag Resynced also supports the latest version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. PSSR is designed to improve image reconstruction and help narrow the visual gap between performance-focused and fidelity-focused modes.
Weather has also been rebuilt through Anvil’s Atmos system. Instead of using simple weather effects, Atmos simulates temperature, humidity, wind, and vapor density in real time.
Those systems affect more than just the sky. Wind can impact clouds, storms, vegetation, cloth, particles, sails, and character hair, making the world feel more connected.
The ocean also received major attention. Black Flag Resynced introduces a modern water system with physically based rendering, new tessellation, volumetric foam, and dynamic bubbles.
That should make sailing and naval combat feel more reactive, with the sea responding to wind, weather, and ship movement more believably.
Ubisoft’s goal is to make the Caribbean feel more alive while preserving the spirit of the original game. For returning players, this version offers a modernized way to revisit Edward Kenway’s story. For newcomers, it could be the strongest way to experience Black Flag for the first time.
