Players who expected Avowed to sprint across Xbox Series X at 60 frames per second received a sobering update from Obsidian Entertainment. According to IGN, the studio confirmed that its upcoming action RPG would run at a baseline of 30fps on both the Xbox Series X and the weaker Xbox Series S. The explanation was simple enough: Obsidian wanted to build a more visually impressive game, complete with richer lighting and what art director Matt Hansen called 'juicier' VFX. Since Avowed is a single-player RPG, the team argued that players 'don’t necessarily need that 60 frames.'
That reasoning is a bit like a chef choosing to slow-roast a dish instead of flash-frying it: the result may be richer, but diners who wanted speed may tap their forks. For many Xbox fans, the announcement landed less as a creative choice and more as a familiar headache. Four years into the Xbox Series X lifecycle, first-party exclusives still struggle to make 60fps a standard, and Avowed became another data point in an ongoing debate about console performance, visual ambition, and the shadow cast by the Series S.
Why the Series S Shadow Looms
Obsidian clarified that it opted for a lower baseline frame rate to facilitate a massive, detailed world. The studio did not blame the Series S directly. Yet fans raised their eyebrows anyway. The smaller Xbox is a fine machine for less demanding games, but it cannot match the benchmarks set by its bigger sibling. When a game must run on both consoles, the weaker hardware can become the anchor that determines how high the entire ship can float.
Catering to both systems is like tailoring one suit for two bodies of wildly different sizes. The final cut must accommodate the smaller frame, even if the larger one could carry more fabric. That does not mean the Series S is solely responsible for every 30fps target, but it makes the absence of a performance mode more frustrating. Players have grown used to choosing between Visuals and Performance, especially on PlayStation first-party titles. Launching without that toggle feels odd in 2026, when flexibility has become an expectation rather than a bonus.
What Obsidian Says
Obsidian's position is not unreasonable. A single-player RPG does not need the twitch precision of a competitive shooter. The studio wants players to soak in the world, not count frames during dialogue. Hansen reassured audiences that the game runs 'pretty smooth for how visually dense it is.' That phrase matters. Visual density is expensive. Every glowing rune, volumetric fog bank, and dynamic shadow competes for the same hardware resources.
| Platform | Baseline Target | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series X | 30 FPS | Denser VFX and lighting |
| Xbox Series S | 30 FPS | Same baseline, weaker hardware |
Still, the missing performance mode remains a sore point. Having the ability to choose is not a new idea. Starfield eventually added Visual and Performance settings for the Series S after launch. That precedent suggests Avowed could do the same. But at launch, players were left with a single lens. For them, the absence of a toggle is like being handed a telescope with the focus glued in place: the view may be beautiful, but the choice of magnification is gone.
The 2026 Perspective
Avowed launched on February 18, 2025, for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. By 2026, the game is no longer a pre-release promise or a rumor. It is part of the Xbox catalog, and the 30fps debate has become a case study in how console parity, visual ambition, and player expectations collide. The conversation has shifted from whether 30fps is acceptable to whether players should always have a choice.
Despite not hitting a baseline 60fps, Avowed still arrived as an incredible RPG in the making. Obsidian has a reputation for smart, well-written adventures in complicated universes. The studio's talent for world-building and choice-driven storytelling was on full display. The game belongs to the Pillars of Eternity franchise, and it carries that legacy into a first-person action RPG format. For fans of deep lore, moral ambiguity, and richly painted environments, the trade-off may be worth it.
Yet the debate will not disappear. Xbox's first-party output continues to face scrutiny over performance targets. The Series S remains a wonderful entry point for budget-conscious players, but it also forces developers into difficult compromises. The ideal solution is not to abandon the weaker console. It is to offer options. Let players choose resolution, frame rate, or a balanced mode. Let them decide whether they want the sharpest image or the smoothest motion.
The Takeaway
Obsidian made a deliberate artistic bet. It chose atmosphere over frame rate, and it bet that most players would rather inhabit a dense, beautiful world than admire a 60fps counter. That bet may pay off for many. But the frustration is understandable. In 2026, players expect flexibility, especially from a platform as powerful as the Xbox Series X.
Like a cartographer choosing to draw a continent at dusk rather than at noon, Obsidian picked mood over maximum clarity. The result can be stunning. It can also leave some travelers squinting. The real lesson is not that 30fps is unplayable. It is that choice matters. When a studio removes the option entirely, even a beautiful world can feel a little smaller.
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🎮 30fps baseline on both Xbox Series X and Series S
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🎨 Visual density prioritized over frame rate
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⚙️ No performance mode at launch
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🕹️ Series S parity debate continues
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📖 Single-player RPG justification from Obsidian
Avowed remains a fascinating RPG with a strong pedigree. Whether its visual bet ages like fine wine or like a painting left in the rain depends on how players value smoothness versus spectacle. In 2026, that question is more relevant than ever.