Summary
Developers from Obsidian Entertainment have hinted in a recent interview thatAvowedmay launch on Xbox Series X/S consoles without a 60fps performance mode. As the next big game from the renowned RPG developer behindPillars of EternityandTheOuter Worlds,Avowedis targeting a high bar for visual and gameplay complexity, but it may come at the cost of a smooth 60fps framerate.
First revealed in 2020,Avowedis an upcoming fantasy action RPG set in the same universe as Obsidian’sPillars of Eternityseries. Xbox’s January 2024 Developer_Direct confirmed a late 2024 release for the game, but due to the holiday season being stacked with big releases likeCall of Duty Black Ops 6andAssassin’s Creed Shadows,Avowed’s launch was pushed to early 2025. This will not only giveAvowedsome breathing room when it releases, but will also grant Obsidian a few extra months to polish the game as much as possible.
Although additional time for refinement is never a bad thing, it seemsAvowedcould still launch without a major feature on Xbox consoles. In a recent interview with Iron Lords Podcast,Avowedart director Matt Hansen and production director Ryan Warden were asked about the game’s console framerate targets around the 29-minute mark. Hansen responded by stating that performance is “one of the last things” that the developers will focus on, but they are currently targeting a “bare minimum” of 30fps forAvowed, since that’s the “expectation.” This update is somewhat disappointing, especially afterSTALKER 2’s recent confirmation of a 60fps mode on Xbox Series X.
Current-Gen Xbox First-Party Games That Launched Without 60FPS Modes
Hansen also added that “players don’t necessarily need” 60fps gameplay for a first-person single-player game likeAvowed, and that designing the RPG around a 30fps target has allowed Obsidian to crank up the VFX, lighting, and visual density, which is a trade-off the studio is “happy” with. It’s worth noting thatAvowedis built on Unreal Engine 5, which is famously taxing on current-generation consoles.Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2’s 30fps capwas a direct consequence of its Unreal Engine 5 utilization as well, although the Ninja Theory game placed a far greater emphasis on visuals thanAvoweddoes.
Regardless,Avowedcould be the fifth major Xbox first-party game this generation to launch without a 60fps mode. Considering how much Microsoft touted the capabilities of the Xbox Series X/S hardware back in 2020, it’s not a great look. All hope isn’t lost yet, though, asAvowedcould get a 60fps performance mode via a patch down the line likeStarfielddid in update 1.11.36, given enough players voice demand for it.
