Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is poised to deliver a strong performance across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms, showcasing impressive adaptability across various settings. Read on to discover how KCD2 performs on each platform and the customizable 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 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's (KCD2) 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 graphical fidelity. KCD2's photorealistic rendering sets it apart, a testament to the unique strengths of CryTek's CryEngine.
KCD2's continued use of CryEngine, following its predecessor, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1 (KCD1), is a strategic choice. Warhorse Studios' familiarity with the engine allows for focused feature enhancement and exploration in the sequel.
PC Gamer highlights CryEngine's distinctive approach, emphasizing performance through a more classic rendering style—featuring limited shaders and basic lighting—rather than relying on the latest shader techniques.
Despite this "old-school" rendering, KCD2 achieves photorealism through its use of physically based materials. Eurogamer notes that CryEngine's Sparse Voxel Octree Global Illumination (SVOGI) convincingly simulates indirect light bounces, resulting in realistic lighting interactions, such as 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 detail, and a Performance mode (60fps at 1080p) emphasizing smoother gameplay. Xbox Series S players will find only the Fidelity mode available. Conversely, the PS5 Pro boasts a single, high-performance option: 60fps at 1296p with PSSR upscaling to 4K.
Fidelity mode enhances the PS5 and Xbox Series X experience with increased foliage density and improved shadow casting, particularly enhancing outdoor scenes and ambient occlusion. The PS5 Pro further elevates these visuals, adding sharper imagery, superior ambient occlusion, higher-quality objects, and a noticeable improvement in overall image quality.
PC Upscaling: Fully Customizable
True to PC gaming tradition, KCD2 offers complete control over upscaling. PC Gamer notes the limited upscaling options: FSR and DLSS for rendering from lower resolutions. XeSS (for Intel cards), sharpening options, and frame generation are not included.
While CryEngine's performance focus is evident, running KCD2 at 4K with maximum settings will still demand significant GPU power. Fortunately, the game's graphics are highly scalable, providing five quality presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra, and Experimental) to optimize performance for any PC configuration.
An in-depth guide is available to help players prepare their systems. This guide covers system requirements, detailed CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage specifications, and other essential pre-game considerations.
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.
