Outer Worlds 2 PC Performance Benchmarks with Unreal Engine 5
The gaming landscape continues to evolve with the arrival of new technologies and innovations. One of the most anticipated titles in recent times is The Outer Worlds 2, developed by Obsidian Entertainment. This sequel promises to elevate the experience of the original game, introducing enhanced graphics, improved gameplay mechanics, and state-of-the-art features powered by Unreal Engine 5. In this article, we delve into the performance benchmarks for PC, exploring its impressive specifications and what players can expect when they step into this vibrant universe.
The Outer Worlds 2: Ray Tracing and Next-Gen Graphics Features
The Outer Worlds 2 marks a significant advancement from its predecessor, which was released in 2019. Obsidian Entertainment, known for iconic titles like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity, has harnessed the power of Unreal Engine 5 to deliver a visually stunning experience. This game features enhanced visual fidelity, including higher resolution textures and meticulous lighting effects made possible through ray tracing technology.
Ray tracing, a rendering technique that simulates real-world lighting, reflections, and shadows, is now a standard feature in modern gaming. The Outer Worlds 2 capitalizes on this technology, offering players a more immersive environment. Additionally, the game supports various upscaling techniques, including NVIDIA's DLSS, AMD's FSR, and Intel's XeSS, enabling players to enjoy enhanced performance without sacrificing visual quality.
Exploring the In-Game Settings for Optimal Performance
The game boasts a plethora of graphical settings, allowing players to tailor their experience based on the capabilities of their hardware. Among the key features are:
- Ray Tracing Options: Players can choose between software and hardware ray tracing, with the latter providing superior visual effects such as ray-traced shadows and lighting.
- Display Configuration: Options include window mode, screen resolution, FPS limit, and vertical sync settings.
- Upscaling Techniques: Players can select from a variety of upscaling methods, which significantly enhance performance without compromising graphics.
The game also allows for fine-tuning of graphics quality settings, including:
- Graphics Quality (Low, Medium, High, Very High, Auto)
- Screen Effects
- View Distance
- Shadows
- Anti-Aliasing
- Textures
- Visual Effects
- Foliage
- Global Illumination
- Reflections
- Crow Density
Additionally, players have the option to adjust the Field of View (FOV), with a default setting of 90 degrees, expandable to 121 degrees. This flexibility enhances the overall gaming experience, making it accessible to a broader range of PC specifications.
Performance Benchmarks: A Closer Look
Performance benchmarks are critical for understanding how well a game runs on various hardware setups. The Outer Worlds 2 undergoes rigorous testing across different quality presets to gauge performance. Notably, the Very High setting is the most demanding, while switching to High can provide substantial improvements in frame rates:
- Switching to High yields a 28% boost with software ray tracing and a 34% boost with hardware ray tracing.
- The Medium preset offers an additional 10-15% uplift over High.
- Low preset provides a significant performance increase, approximately 65% faster than Very High.
At 4K resolution, only high-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 can consistently deliver above 60 FPS. At 1440p, mid-range GPUs such as the RX 9060 XT and RTX 4070 can achieve smoother gameplay, especially when employing upscaling methods. For 1080p resolution, most graphics cards above the RTX 5060 can maintain frame rates above 60 FPS with adjusted visual settings.
Utilizing upscaling and frame generation techniques can lead to remarkable performance improvements:
- DLSS/XeSS/FSR frame generation can deliver an 80% performance uplift.
- With MFG 4x modes enabled, the RTX 4090 can achieve over 200 FPS, making it ideal for gamers with high-refresh-rate monitors.
- For budget PCs, a combination of visual settings can yield frame rates between 60-100 FPS.
Visual Quality and Optimization Considerations
While the game delivers impressive visuals, some players may wonder about its overall image quality. The Outer Worlds 2 presents a diverse array of planets and biomes, from lush forests to industrial settings. Each environment is populated with detailed objects and NPCs, enhancing immersion. However, achieving high visual quality may come at the cost of performance, particularly on older hardware.
The VRAM utilization for The Outer Worlds 2 is relatively moderate. Depending on the resolution:
| Resolution | Average VRAM Usage |
|---|---|
| 1080p | 7-8 GB |
| 1440p | 8 GB |
| 4K | 10 GB |
While the game does not seem to suffer from VRAM-related stuttering, players may experience issues during the shader compilation process upon the first launch. However, subsequent game runs usually resolve these issues.
Addressing Performance Issues and Future Updates
Despite its impressive features, players have reported certain performance concerns, particularly with the hardware ray tracing implementation. Instances of noisy shadows and reflections have been noted, leading to a recommendation to disable hardware ray tracing until further patches are released. The software Lumen option appears to perform better in specific scenarios.
Overall, while The Outer Worlds 2 excels in many areas, it shares the common challenges faced by many new titles, particularly those utilizing cutting-edge technology. Players can expect ongoing updates aimed at enhancing stability and performance. As developers continue to fine-tune the game, utilizing upscaling and frame generation will allow many players to enjoy a satisfactory gaming experience.
For those interested in a visual demonstration of the game's performance capabilities, you can check out this performance test video:
As the gaming community looks forward to the evolution of The Outer Worlds 2, it remains clear that Obsidian Entertainment has crafted another engaging experience that balances storytelling with advanced technological capabilities. With time, optimizations will further refine the experience for PC users, making it a title worth exploring for both veterans and newcomers alike.
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