The current-gen console conversation about frame rate seems endless as more and more games are locked at 30 FPS without any room for 60 FPS. Remedy Entertainment has confirmed that will not be the case for Alan Wake 2, as it will have a Performance mode for Xbox Series X and PS5. It has not been confirmed or denied for Series S.
A pivot in direction always happens to some degree for games. What makes the Performance mode for Alan Wake 2 interesting is that its direction was to be locked at 30 FPS. The studio aimed to make the best-looking game imaginable, which would normally mean lower FPS, especially on console. After tinkering around, the developers found a way to deliver 60 FPS for current-gen console owners.
Alan Wake 2 Goes 60 FPS in Performance Mode for PS5 and Xbox Series X
Thomas Puha, communications director at Remedy Entertainment, confirmed the news on Twitter, now branded as X. He wrote about how the game was “built from the beginning as a 30fps experience focusing on visuals and ambiance.” Over time, the team “managed to include a solid Performance mode.” More details are to come, as we have a few questions, particularly regarding options for Series S.
Performance mode for games with the option, like Alan Wake 2, can mean one of two things. It can be an unlocked frame rate with 60 as the target or a consistent 60 FPS. When one user asked which would be the case, Puha replied, “Still tweaking that.”
Going for 30 FPS sets a bar to unleash the most expensive tech to create a mesmerizing horror experience. Pushing it up to 60 FPS for Performance mode was a challenge, but the hardest part in the development of Alan Wake 2 was the parts that follow Saga, the other protagonist. Puha remarked in another post that the “foliage, trees, (transparent objects), expensive lighting (that looks amazing) amongst many other features” made it difficult to reach this goal.
Alan Wake 2 will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
