Avowed game director confirms 60 fps mode for Xbox Series X

Obsidian Entertainment’s upcoming Avowed borrows the best elements from action and open-world RPGs. Set in the same world as Pillars of Eternity, the game relies on Unreal Engine 5, which has had its share of performance issues. Naturally, PC and Xbox users have concerns about how smoothly the detailed environments in Avowed will render. In a MinnMax interview, the game’s director shared some positive news for console gamers. Ahead of the February 18th Avowed release date, game director Carrie Patel confirmed a 60 fps mode for the Xbox Series X version.

The MinnMax segment with Patel is worth watching, with a staggering 175 questions asked and answered. Since much of the information about Avowed was already known, Reddit posters quickly focused on the performance question. The interview backs up a previous rumor from an individual who played the game on Microsoft’s consoles. While the Xbox Series S was limited to 30 or 40 fps, Series X players could choose from 30, 40, or 60 fps modes. Presumably, some graphical fidelity may be sacrificed to run the game at higher frame rates.

The confirmation of a 60 fps performance mode is surprising, considering the Obsidian studio said the opposite in August 2024. The team explained that they were prioritizing lighting and detail over faster-moving Avowed gameplay. However, they seemed to be open to tweaking performance before the game’s release.

Avowed was delayed in August, but Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer blamed a jam-packed Game Pass schedule. Nevertheless, that extra development time may have resulted in more efficient performance for the Obsidian RPG title.

The Avowed PC system requirements aren’t unreasonable. For a satisfying experience, players should have at least a Radeon RX 5700 or GeForce GTX 1070. An RX 6800 XT or RTX 3080 is necessary for the recommended configuration. That said, some testers have already reported that the RPG is taxing their rigs.