Despite Alan Wake 2’s emphasis on graphics, a performance mode will be available

After years of waiting, Alan Wake is finally back this year in a survival horror sequel with spooky images and grindhouse film-inspired art direction. While the game was built from the ground up with this cinematic frame rate in mind, a Performance Mode will be available for PS5 and Xbox Series

“I’m pleased to say that Alan Wake 2 will have a Performance Mode on PS5 and Xbox Series X.” Puha posted on Twitter. “The game was designed from the start as a 30fps experience with an emphasis on graphics and atmosphere, but somehow we managed to include a solid performance mode. However, our Northlight engine scales well in this case, but the game still looks fantastic at a lower resolution. One of the big challenges from a performance perspective on the Saga side is that in the Pacific Northwest there is a lot of foliage, trees (transparent objects), expensive lighting (which looks amazing), and many other features that really slow down the frame rate make demanding. “

Typically, the quality and performance modes on consoles offer different visual performances with certain compromises. Quality modes typically allow you to play a game at 4K and 30 frames per second – sometimes with ray tracing enabled – while performance modes juggle 60 frames per second output with a resolution that dynamically adapts to what’s happening on the screen. There are some exceptions to this rule, with the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 being a prime example.

Developer Insomniac Games recently announced that the Spider-Man sequel will feature a performance mode that runs at 1440p and 60fps by default, with ray tracing enabled by default. “Our performance mode for this title has ray tracing enabled by default. We’ve significantly expanded ray tracing reflections across the game. “They can be seen on the water and in the oceans and really provide a more realistic picture anywhere,” Mike Fitzgerald, Director of Core Technology, explained to IGN.

In contrast, some games were only playable in 4K at 30 frames per second, such as May’s Redfall. Although developer Arkane has promised a performance mode for its cooperative vampire hunting game, this has not yet been made available.

Alan Wake 2 releases on October 27th – a slight 10 day delay – for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. For a deep dive into the world of the sequel through GameSpot’s extensive collection of original features and interviews, check out our Alan Wake 2 hub.