Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Boasts Impressive Performance on Consoles

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2) promises strong performance across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms, showcasing adaptability across various settings. This article delves into KCD2's performance capabilities on different systems and customizable options.

KCD2's Cross-Platform Performance: A CryEngine Triumph

Testing and reports indicate impressive performance for KCD2. PlayStation and Xbox consoles deliver smooth gameplay at both 30fps and 60fps, with the PS5 Pro leveraging its power for enhanced visuals. The game's photorealistic rendering, a standout feature achieved using CryTek's CryEngine, sets it apart.

Warhorse Studios' continued use of CryEngine, also employed in KCD1, leverages their existing expertise, allowing for focused feature enhancements in the sequel. PC Gamer highlights CryEngine's unique approach: old-school rendering prioritizing performance over extensive shaders and complex lighting.

Despite this, KCD2 achieves photorealism through physically based materials. Eurogamer notes the effective use of CryEngine's sparse voxel octree global illumination (SVOGI), creating realistic indirect lighting effects, convincingly rendering light interactions with objects.

Console Performance Modes: Fidelity vs. Performance

PS5 and Xbox Series X offer two modes: a 30fps fidelity mode at 1440p and a 60fps performance mode at 1080p. Xbox Series S exclusively supports the fidelity mode. The PS5 Pro runs at 60fps at 1296p, upscaling to 4K via PSSR.

Fidelity mode enhances visuals on PS5 and Xbox Series X with increased foliage detail and improved shadow casting, particularly enhancing outdoor scenes and ambient occlusion. The PS5 Pro further elevates visuals, adding sharper imagery, superior ambient occlusion, improved object quality, and overall enhanced image fidelity.

PC Upscaling: Player Choice Reigns Supreme

True to PC tradition, KCD2 offers optional upscaling, allowing players to tailor settings to their hardware. PC Gamer notes limited upscaling options: FSR and DLSS for lower-resolution rendering. XeSS, sharpening, and frame generation are absent.

While CryEngine's performance focus is evident, KCD2 remains demanding, especially at 4K maximum settings. However, its highly scalable graphics, offering low, medium, high, ultra, and experimental presets, ensures broad compatibility and optimal performance across various PC configurations.

KCD2 provides a comprehensive system readiness guide, detailing specifications, CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage requirements, assisting players in preparing their systems for optimal gameplay.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 launches February 4, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Visit our Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 page for more details.