Performance quirks, both good and bad, make Avowed a real trickster on PC hardware

by

Instead of merely suggesting an association with The Outer Worlds, Avowed appears to carry a significant portion of its genetic code, which could potentially raise concerns from a technical standpoint. To put it mildly, the technical launch of The Outer Worlds’ Spacer’s Choice Edition in 2023 was one of the most troubled releases we’ve seen.

With delight, Avowed launches in a more polished state, and it boasts enchanting fantasy visuals that could make ray tracing worthwhile. However, the PC version appears to have some unsecured components, which may require attention even though adjusting settings might help alleviate some issues.

Avowed system requirements and PC performance

Avowed’s suggested specifications don’t clarify what settings or monitor resolution they intend, leaving me uncertain if I should express frustration over them requesting an RTX 3080. Regrettably, there’s nothing here that’s particularly novel (and thus costly), and a storage capacity of 75GB for a large, glossy RPG isn’t as poor as I’ve grown accustomed to expecting. Also noteworthy is the absence of an SSD requirement in their specifications.

Avowed minimum PC specs

  • OS: Windows 10/11 with updates
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 / Intel Core i5-8400
  • RAM: 16GB
  • GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700 / Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / Intel Arc A580
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Storage: 75GB available space

Avowed recommended PC specs

  • OS: Windows 10/11 with updates
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X / Intel Core i7-10700K
  • RAM: 16GB
  • GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT / Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Storage: 75GB available space

It appears these requirements are generally on point, neither exaggerating Avowed’s hardware demands nor offering unrealistic expectations for budget setups. In my tests run at liberty, the GTX 1070 managed around 37 frames per second (fps) with Low settings at native 1080p resolution and approximately 50 fps when using Quality-level FSR 3. Essentially, this is what you’d expect from a minimum requirement GPU. There may be some flexibility in the suggested tier, based on your tolerance for upscaling: the RTX 3070, two steps below the listed RTX 3080, achieved 48 fps at 1080p with the Epic preset active. With DLSS on Quality mode, this rose to a swift 67 fps.

While technologies such as DLSS, FSR, and Unreal Engine 5’s TSR aren’t absolutely necessary for Avowed to run smoothly, they can certainly speed things up significantly. However, I have noticed that DLSS seems to be acting a bit oddly on my RTX 4060: if I start the game with DLSS disabled, it will automatically re-enable itself without any notification in the settings. This has led to some confusing benchmarking sessions where disabling and enabling DLSS in graphics settings didn’t seem to have an effect.

Scaled down performance limits the RTX 4060 to deliver an average of 39 frames per second on Epic settings and 61 frames per second on High, both running natively at 1080p. This isn’t exceptional for this specific GPU, but it could be worse, especially if you’re using an Intel graphics card. The Arc B580, which typically surpasses the RTX 4060 in other games, achieved only 46 frames per second on High settings, and struggled more with stuttering compared to the GeForce cards I tested.

Indeed, the issue of stuttering traversal is a common challenge faced by many games in UE5, regardless of one’s system specifications. However, it can be more manageable when running at higher frame rates. For instance, one might choose to tolerate DLSS’s subtle enhancements, as seen with the RTX 4060 which boosted from 39fps on Epic to 59fps with Quality upscaling. Alternatively, simply having a powerful PC can make a significant difference. For example, the RTX 4070 Ti could run Quality DLSS alongside maxed-out visuals for a smooth 73fps at 1440p, and this included ray tracing. Incredibly, it could even take these settings to 54fps at 4K, but by dialing back DLSS to Balanced mode simultaneously. The new RTX 5080, as expected, performed admirably at this resolution, averaging 62fps with Epic visuals, ray tracing enabled, and DLSS on Quality.

Ray tracing stands out more in Avowed than in most games due to its relatively low performance cost compared to the advanced lighting and reflection effects it replaces. Although not a drastic visual transformation, the addition of ray tracing enhances daytime scenes with a more vivid, high-contrast look, which complements the game’s use of fantasy flora on characters’ faces. While a powerful GPU helps reduce stuttering, it’s not necessary to have a brand new high-end GPU for ray tracing effects. For instance, even a four-year-old RTX 3070 can handle ray tracing at 1440p without significant loss in frame rate (dropping from 52fps to 47fps when ray tracing is added to its Epic/DLSS Quality settings).

1 of 2


Caption


Attribution

For budget PCs, it’s advisable to avoid this game, if possible. My MSI GF63 Thin laptop, featuring 8GB of RAM and an RTX 4050 graphics card, just manages to exceed the 30fps threshold, achieving 32fps at native 1080p with the Low setting. However, DLSS didn’t seem as effective in this case, with Quality mode boosting Avowed to only 35fps. The Steam Deck requires significant compromises too, barely maintaining playability with the Low preset and FSR on Performance mode.

These systems experience the most severe stuttering among the group, which is disappointing because they don’t benefit as much from upscaling. Despite not being as glitchy as Starfield or as challenging as S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Avowed exhibits an unusual blend of precision and quirks that seems to suggest a fine-tuning strategy for its numerous settings might be beneficial. In other words, let’s adjust the settings accordingly.

Read More

2025-02-13 21:25