Kingdom Come 2: Console Performance Impresses

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2) is poised to deliver a strong performance across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms, showcasing impressive optimization across various settings. Read on to discover how KCD2 performs on different systems and the customization options available to players.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: Performance Across Platforms

Photorealistic Visuals Powered by CryEngine

Early tests and reports paint a positive picture of KCD2's performance. PlayStation and Xbox consoles smoothly handle both 30fps and 60fps options, with the PS5 Pro showing particular promise in leveraging its capabilities for enhanced visuals. KCD2's photorealistic rendering is a standout feature, a testament to the power of CryTek's CryEngine, a less common choice in modern game development.

Warhorse Studios' continued use of CryEngine, following its success with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1 (KCD1), speaks volumes. Familiarity with the engine allows the developers to build upon its strengths and refine its capabilities for the sequel. PC Gamer highlights CryEngine's unique approach to rendering, favoring a more performance-oriented, albeit "old-school," method focusing on efficient shaders and lighting. Despite this, KCD2 achieves stunning photorealism through the effective use of physically based materials. Eurogamer notes the impact of CryEngine's Sparse Voxel Octree Global Illumination (SVOGI) in creating realistic indirect lighting, enhancing the visual fidelity of elements like torchlight and metallic reflections.

PlayStation and Xbox Console Options: 30 FPS and 60 FPS Modes

PS5 and Xbox Series X offer two modes: a Fidelity mode (30fps at 1440p) prioritizing visual quality and a Performance mode (60fps at 1080p) prioritizing frame rate. Xbox Series S players will only have access to Fidelity mode. Conversely, the PS5 Pro provides a single, high-performance mode running at 60fps at 1296p with PSSR upscaling to 4K.

Fidelity mode on PS5 and Xbox Series X enhances visuals with improved foliage, shadow casting, and ambient occlusion. The PS5 Pro further refines these features, adding sharper imagery, enhanced ambient occlusion, improved object detail, and an overall boost to image quality.

PC Upscaling: Player Choice Reigns Supreme

True to PC gaming tradition, KCD2 offers extensive customization options, with upscaling remaining entirely optional. PC Gamer reports that upscaling choices are limited to FSR and DLSS, lacking XeSS support for Intel cards, sharpening options, and frame generation.

Despite CryEngine's performance focus, running KCD2 at 4K with maximum settings will still demand significant GPU power. However, the game's scalability is a strong point, providing five quality presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra, and Experimental) to ensure a tailored experience for a wide range of PC configurations.

KCD2 also provides a detailed system readiness guide, assisting players in checking their specifications, understanding CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage requirements, and 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.