Ever since Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga was revealed alongside the Xbox Series X in 2022, many were excited. The title aims to push the hardware on all fronts. With the title set for release soon as of the time of this writing, previews have come out. And like many recent games this generation, the target frame rate is 30FPS.
Just Like the Movies – Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga Console Frame-Rate Revealed
During Eurogamer and GamePro’s coverage of the title, it was confirmed that Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga would be running at 3oFPS on Xbox consoles.
Full statement from GamePro is as follows:
But the beauty also has its prize: Hellblade 2 runs on both Xbox Series S and Series X with only 30 fps and dynamic resolution. There are no graphic modes, only on the PC can be screwed up the frame rate. The VFX Director explains this in an interview with GamePro with the fact that the experience should feel “more cinematic” – similar to cinema films that run at 24 frames per second.
To accomplish the game’s impressive visuals, a trade-off was made. Unlike some Xbox titles this generation, there is no option for a performance mode either. However, if played on PC, the frame rate could be adjusted to one’s liking.
Is 60 FPS A Big Deal?
As someone who adjusted back to 30FPS again with titles like Final Fantasy XVI and Spider-Man 2, a lower frame rate isn’t the problem. Usually, the problem stems from a game running below a target, or if it runs at an uncapped frame rate, it is not a stable one.
One recent example of this is Capcom’s Dragons Dogma 2, which launched with no options on console. It was one default mode that ran at an uncapped frame rate. And the end result? It was not a stable experience. This was addressed a few weeks after launch, but it was still released in an unpolished state for console players.
With Hellblade 2, the problem stems from Xbox’s competition offering Performance Modes. Every single PlayStation-published title, exclusive or second-party release runs with a 60 FPS option. The most recent examples of this are the trifecta of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Rise of the Ronin, and Stellar Blade. Not all of them hit their targets without sacrifices, but offering people options is ideal more often than not.
There could always be a post-launch option for 60 FPS for Xbox players. One example of this was 2022’s A Plague Tale: Requiem. It was released with no performance mode, but it was added a few months after launch.
Closing Thoughts
Will this affect the game overall? Previews imply that won’t be the case, citing a polished experience that maintains its target frame rate. So hopefully the title will avoid the performance woes that major AAA releases this generation suffered from at their launches.
But what are your thoughts on this situation? Will you be playing Hellblade 2 on console? Or on your gaming rig? Let us know in the comments below!
