Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - Console Performance Impresses

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: Console and PC Performance Deep Dive

Early performance tests reveal promising results for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2) across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. This article details the performance across various settings and hardware.

CryEngine's Photorealistic Prowess

KCD2 leverages CryEngine, known for its performance-oriented, albeit older-school, rendering techniques. While employing fewer shaders and simpler lighting than some competitors like Unreal Engine, CryEngine's focus on performance allows KCD2 to achieve impressive photorealism. This is partly due to the game's utilization of physically based materials and CryEngine's SVOGI (sparse voxel octree global illumination), which realistically simulates indirect lighting effects.

Console Performance Modes

PS5 and Xbox Series X offer two modes: a 30fps fidelity mode at 1440p, and a 60fps performance mode at 1080p. Xbox Series S is limited to the fidelity mode. The PS5 Pro provides a single 60fps mode at 1296p, upscaled to 4K using PSSR. Fidelity modes enhance visuals with increased foliage detail and improved shadows, while the PS5 Pro further refines these aspects, adding sharper visuals and superior ambient occlusion.

PC Performance and Scalability

PC players have complete control over upscaling, with options for FSR and DLSS. XeSS, sharpening, and frame generation are not included. Despite CryEngine's performance focus, running KCD2 at 4K with maximum settings will demand significant GPU power. However, the game's highly scalable graphics, offering five quality presets (low, medium, high, ultra, and experimental), ensure optimal performance across a wide range of hardware. Warhorse Studios has released a detailed system requirements guide to help players prepare.

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 information.