Avowed “targeting a baseline of 30 frames per second” for Xbox Series X|S

Avowed is one of the most anticipated Xbox titles to come out within the next year. It’s no secret we want to find out as much as possible about Obsidian’s new RPG — and we have achieved exactly that. Obsidian confirms that Avowed is “targeting a baseline of 30fps” on the Xbox Series X and S with the aim of focusing on visuals and delivering all the graphical bells and whistles of the Unreal Engine 5.

In a recent interview on the Iron Lords podcast, Obsidian art director Matt Hansen revealed:

“Performance is one of the last things we figure out. Our core target is 30 frames per second bare minimum, that’s the expectation. It’s a first person single player game, you don’t necessarily need that 60 frames, and that allows us to get a lot juicier with the effects, lighting and all this other stuff.

It’s a trade-off we opted to make relatively early and we’re really happy with that. I mean the game’s running pretty smooth for how visually dense it is, and that was always our goal. As far as a greater understanding of performance specs, we’re still figuring all of that out. It’s one of the last things you do.”

While 30fps seems to be the baseline for Avowed, Obsidian is not ruling out a potential performance mode making its way in time for launch or even post-release. Starfield also launched with only a 30fps graphical mode on the Xbox Series X|S. Nonetheless, Bethesda added other graphical options post-release, including a 60fps performance mode, uncapped fps, and a balanced mode for 120hz displays. Most recently, Hellblade 2 released with a 30fps graphical mode to show off its Unreal Engine 5 visuals and technology. Fans are hoping that Hellblade developer Ninja Theory will also include a post-launch performance mode for Senua’s newest adventure.

However, Obsidian still has time to figure out the performance mode. Avowed has been delayed to February 18, 2025 to “give players’ backlogs some breathing room.” Early previews show promise and knowing Obsidian, we have confidence that Avowed will release at a good quality standard.

Adrian Cozmuta Managing Editor

Adrian grew up with PlayStation and Nintendo, although he's recently on a journey to experience the very best of Xbox. His first ever game was Metal Gear Solid and his favorites are Mass Effect, Halo, Knights of the Old Republic, and Final Fantasy. He has traveled the world and lived in Japan, the UK, and the EU working in the industry with Square Enix, Sony, and Nintendo on titles like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest, and more. He is the Managing Editor of Smash Jump.