Avowed PC Technical Analysis: Impressive Performance by Obsidian – 4K at 200FPS with DLAA and Maximum Settings

Avowed: A Technical Review Ahead of Its Official Launch

While the anticipated release date for Avowed is set for February 18, owners of the Premium Edition have the privilege of playing it early. This sets the stage for a detailed technical report based on extensive gameplay experience prior to the game’s official launch.

Performance Insights for a Promising Title

My time with Avowed has highlighted its impressive performance metrics, particularly notable among games utilizing Unreal Engine 5. In my experience, Avowed stands out as one of the most fluid and well-optimized titles released under this engine.

Although it isn’t a fully open-world game, its sizable zones contribute to an engaging experience without the graphically demanding features typical of open worlds. Unlike Black Myth: Wukong, Avowed does not employ path tracing, but the implementation of ray-traced reflections on water and enhanced lighting effects elevate its visual appeal. Importantly, I encountered minimal stuttering, particularly after applying a frame rate cap, which is often a concern with Unreal Engine titles.

Shader Generation and Optimization

Obsidian has wisely integrated efficient shader generation practices when launching the game. Though initial loading times can be lengthy—especially on high-end NVMe SSDs like the WD Black SN850X—the subsequent loads are significantly quicker after the first run, post-driver updates. This stands in stark contrast to the common annoyance of stuttering during gameplay.

DLSS Support and Enhancements

During my review, I faced limitations as the game did not support NVIDIA’s DLSS 4 or Multi Frame Generation initially. However, I utilized the DLSS Swapper tool to address subtitle ghosting resulting from using an outdated version (3.5.10.0) of DLSS. Fortunately, with the release of the GeForce Game Ready driver, I was able to access the latest DLSS 4, including the improved AI-based model for Frame Generation and added support for DLAA.

Custom Benchmarking and Performance Metrics

As there is no built-in benchmarking tool in Avowed, I created a custom performance assessment by capturing gameplay using NVIDIA FrameView while exploring Paradis, the game’s largest city bustling with NPCs. Below are the settings used for the test, all set to the maximum (Epic) levels:

View Distance
Shadow Quality
Texture Quality
Shading Quality
Effects Quality
Foliage Quality
Post-Processing Quality
Reflection Quality
Global Illumination Quality

The rig used for testing included:

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI
32GB DDR5 6000 MHz G. SKILL Trident Z5
2TB NVMe SSD Western Digital Black SN850X
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founder’s Edition

Frame Rate Performance Analysis

With Multi Frame Generation set to 4x using DLSS 4, I achieved a commendable average of 200 frames per second, and switching to DLSS Quality resulted in a 30% increase, averaging 260 FPS when upscaling from 1440p to 4K. Interestingly, while stuttering rose from 7.30% to 13.29% due to frame rate variance, the 0.1% Low values for DLAA and DLSS Quality were remarkably close, at 118 and 123 FPS respectively. Although latency was slightly lower using DLSS Quality, the difference was marginal, at just over 8 ms.

Importantly, capping the frame rate is crucial for optimal gameplay experience. During my review, I set the in-game cap to 120 FPS, which provided smooth performance even in the absence of Multi Frame Generation.

Visual Fidelity and HDR Limitations

Despite earlier criticisms regarding Avowed’s graphics, the final product reveals a visually stunning experience, characterized by vibrant biomes and intricately designed characters and armors. While facial animations may not always meet the highest standards, the ray-traced reflections and Lumen’s lighting effects showcase the game’s graphical capabilities effectively.

One notable drawback is Obsidian’s omission of native High Dynamic Range (HDR) support, especially given 2025 tech standards. Fortunately, the Xbox version supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, highlighting a gap in the PC release. I managed to use a workaround for Unreal Engine 5 to enable HDR, although it lacks the optimization of a native solution.

The workaround involves editing the GameUserSettings.ini file with the following parameters:

 [SystemSettings] r. AllowHDR=1 r. HDR. EnableHDROutput=1 r. HDR. Display. OutputDevice=5 r. HDR. Display. ColorGamut=2

This workaround is not as effective as true native support, prompting hopes for future patches to rectify this limitation.

Controller Support and Audio Quality

Despite the absence of a PlayStation 5 version, Avowed supports the DualSense Edge controller, enabling regular rumble functionality, albeit without the correct controller icons or advanced features like Adaptive Triggers and Haptic Feedback. Additionally, I had a positive experience with surround sound through my Dolby Atmos setup, utilizing the Dolby Access app for optimal audio output.

Conclusion and Broader Implications

As the credits rolled, I noted the extensive collaboration involving numerous supporting studios, including the Xbox Games Technology Group, established in 2023 by The Coalition. Their expertise with Unreal Engine presumably contributed significantly to refining Avowed’s development process, underscoring how support from Xbox can enhance experiences compared to previous titles like The Outer Worlds.

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