Avowed May Lack a Major Feature on Xbox Consoles

Summary

Avowed may launch on Xbox Series X/S consoles without a 60fps mode.
Developer Obsidian Entertainment is currently targeting 30fps for Avowed, but this could change at the tail end of the game's production.
Obsidian says focusing on 30fps has allowed for better VFX and visual density in Avowed.

Developers from Obsidian Entertainment have hinted in a recent interview that Avowed may launch on Xbox Series X/S consoles without a 60fps performance mode. As the next big game from the renowned RPG developer behind Pillars of Eternity and The Outer Worlds, Avowed is 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, Avowed is an upcoming fantasy action RPG set in the same universe as Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity series. 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 like Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Assassin's Creed Shadows, Avowed's launch was pushed to early 2025. This will not only give Avowed some 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 seems Avowed could still launch without a major feature on Xbox consoles. In a recent interview with Iron Lords Podcast, Avowed art 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 for Avowed, since that's the "expectation." This update is somewhat disappointing, especially after STALKER 2's recent confirmation of a 60fps mode on Xbox Series X.

Current-Gen Xbox First-Party Games That Launched Without 60FPS Modes

Microsoft Flight Simulator (2021): Framerate can be unlocked only for VRR displays
Redfall (2023): 60fps performance mode added in a later update
Starfield (2023): 60fps performance mode added in a later update
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (2024)

Hansen also added that "players don't necessarily need" 60fps gameplay for a first-person single-player game like Avowed, 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 that Avowed is built on Unreal Engine 5, which is famously taxing on current-generation consoles. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2's 30fps cap was a direct consequence of its Unreal Engine 5 utilization as well, although the Ninja Theory game placed a far greater emphasis on visuals than Avowed does.

Regardless, Avowed could 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, as Avowed could get a 60fps performance mode via a patch down the line like Starfield did in update 1.11.36, given enough players voice demand for it.

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