Bethesda Softworks and Arkane Studios have surprised gamers by announcing that Redfall, the companies’ first major release for Xbox Series following Microsoft’s acquisition, will be released on May 2 with a single quality mode that runs the game at 30 fps. Those who want to play at 60 fps will have to wait for an update without a set date that will add a performance mode.
On Xbox Series X, Redfall’s quality mode will display the game at 4K and 30 fps, while on Xbox Series S, the frame rate will remain the same but the resolution will drop to 1440p. Bethesda Softworks transmitted this information via Twitter using the official Redfall account and did not offer any further details or reasoning. Many players will be disappointed that they cannot play a shooter at 60 fps. With the hardware of the Xbox Series X and the promise of games at 4K and 60 fps, it is strange that a game like Redfall, which has been in development for several years, cannot handle it from day one.
It is currently unknown at what resolution Redfall will display on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S when it receives the update that adds the performance mode to play at 60 fps. Bethesda Softworks has also not indicated when this update will be available. Players who do not want to settle for 30 fps can wait for the update or opt for the PC version, which will allow playing as many frames per second as the hardware can handle. For now, we do not have the recommended requirements, and the minimums available on Steam (Intel Core i5-8400 or Ryzen 5 1600 with RX 580 or GTX 1070) do not indicate expected performance.
The 30 fps handicap will not be the only one that Redfall will face on the day of its release. It is also important to note that the game requires a permanent internet connection, a measure that Arkane Studios wants to eliminate. Additionally, if we look at the calendar, Redfall is a new intellectual property that will be released just a few days after Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, a highly anticipated sequel, and two weeks before The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, one of the games of the year.
We will see how Xbox Series players react to the difficulties that Redfall will face at launch. On the positive side, we have Game Pass, a service that will allow players to try the game on launch day or later, without incurring additional costs beyond the subscription itself.
