Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Boasts Impressive Performance on Consoles

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (KCD2) promises strong performance across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms, showcasing impressive adaptability across various settings. This article details KCD2's performance capabilities on different systems and configuration options.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: Cross-Platform Performance Analysis

Photorealistic Visuals Powered by CryEngine

Multiple sources report positive performance results for KCD2. PlayStation and Xbox consoles deliver smooth gameplay at both 30fps and 60fps, with the PS5 Pro leveraging its advanced capabilities for enhanced graphical fidelity. KCD2's photorealistic visuals are a standout feature, a testament to the unique capabilities of CryTek's CryEngine, which prioritizes performance alongside visual detail.

Warhorse Studios' continued use of CryEngine, following its success in KCD1, allows for familiarity and optimized feature development. PC Gamer highlights CryEngine's "old-school" rendering approach—simpler shaders and lighting—as key to its performance-focused design.

Despite this approach, KCD2 achieves photorealism through physically-based materials. Eurogamer notes the effectiveness of CryEngine's sparse voxel octree global illumination (SVOGI) in realistically rendering indirect lighting, enhancing visual details like torchlight and metallic reflections.

PlayStation and Xbox Console Options: Fidelity vs. Performance

PS5 and Xbox Series X offer two modes: a 30fps fidelity mode at 1440p and a 60fps performance mode at 1080p. The Xbox Series S exclusively features the fidelity mode. Conversely, the PS5 Pro runs at a native 60fps at 1296p, upscaled to 4K using PSSR.

The fidelity mode on PS5 and Xbox Series X enhances visuals with increased foliage density and improved shadow casting, resulting in more immersive outdoor environments and better ambient occlusion. The PS5 Pro further refines these features, delivering sharper visuals, enhanced ambient occlusion, superior object detail, and overall improved image quality.

PC Upscaling: Player Choice Reigns Supreme

True to PC gaming tradition, KCD2 offers optional upscaling. PC Gamer indicates that options are limited to FSR and DLSS for lower-resolution rendering, excluding XeSS, sharpening tools, and frame generation.

Despite CryEngine's performance focus, KCD2 demands significant GPU resources, especially at 4K maximum settings. However, its highly scalable graphics offer five quality presets (low, medium, high, ultra, experimental) to optimize performance for diverse PC configurations.

An in-depth system readiness guide is available, providing detailed specifications and requirements for CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage, ensuring a smooth gameplay experience.

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.