Unlike the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 versions of the game, Alan Wake 2 will be locked to 30fps on Xbox Series S, according to developer Remedy Entertainment.
The studio revealed last week that, while 30fps mode was the way Alan Wake 2 should be played, it would feature a performance mode enabling 60fps. Remedy didn’t mention the Xbox Series S at the time, but Game Informer pressed the company on the matter. Remedy then confirmed that the Xbox Series S will not have the performance mode.
This move again highlights the challenges of developing for Microsoft’s two-tiered console. Larian Studios, developer of Baldur’s Gate 3, famously faced difficulties with the Xbox version of the game. However, with a 50/50 split between S and X ownership, developers don’t have a lot of options.
Does that mean that Xbox Series S owners are getting a raw deal? Not exactly. According to Remedy’s communication director Thomas Puha, it has been “built from the beginning as a 30fps experience focusing on visuals and ambiance.” You can expect the Xbox Series S version of Alan Wake 2 to be slightly less striking than the Series X version, but it should still look a treat.
Alan Wake 2 is set to be more of a survival horror game than the original, focusing more on small, intimate encounters than big, machine-straining combat. You probably won’t have to fend off shadow people while a possessed tractor tries to murder you, so the Series S should still cope admirably. Whatever platform you’re on, you won’t have long to wait, unlike poor Alan who’s been the Dark Place for 13 years. Alan Wake 2 arrives this October 27th on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
