Avowed Appears to Fall Victim to a Disheartening Xbox Trend

Anticipated to launch in February 2025 for PC and Xbox Series consoles, Avowed is generating positive buzz despite lingering questions about its gameplay, narrative, and technical polish. However, recent news about the game's performance on Xbox consoles has dampened some of that excitement.

In a recent discussion on the Iron Lords podcast, Matt Hansen, the art director for Avowed, revealed that the game will be capped at 30FPS on Xbox consoles. Hansen explained that while 60FPS was considered, it wasn’t deemed essential for a single-player RPG. Instead, the decision to stick with 30FPS allows the team to focus on advanced visual effects, denser environments, and enhanced lighting. Despite these assurances, many players are understandably disappointed.

Avowed Joins the Ranks of Xbox Exclusives Without 60FPS

Avowed is not alone in lacking a 60FPS mode among Xbox exclusives:

- Hellblade 2: Senua's Sacrifice - limited to 30FPS

- Starfield - restricted to 30FPS at launch

- Redfall - restricted to 30FPS at launch

- Microsoft Flight Simulator - limited to 30FPS without a VRR display

While 30FPS was acceptable for last-generation games, the current console generation heavily promotes 60FPS as a key feature. It's disheartening for many players to see yet another AAA title unable to meet this expectation, particularly when the Xbox Series X was marketed as “the world’s most powerful console.” This discrepancy is especially glaring given that PlayStation consoles have delivered similar or even superior visuals with 60FPS.

The Xbox Series S and Its Impact on Game Performance

The Xbox Series S, a more affordable alternative to the Series X, might be contributing to these performance issues. Microsoft initially promised feature and game parity between the Series S and Series X, ensuring that all games would perform equally well on both consoles. However, the reality might be that some Xbox games are being downgraded to accommodate the Series S’s lower specs.

The recent controversy over Baldur’s Gate 3’s split-screen capabilities has already highlighted this issue. If the Series S is indeed influencing the performance of Series X titles, it’s a significant concern. While there’s hope that Avowed might receive a 60FPS update in the future, the current 30FPS cap could dampen enthusiasm among potential players.