Assassin’s Creed Valhalla may only be 30 FPS on Xbox Series X, and that’s not enough

“Finally, Assassin's Creed Valhalla will benefit from the improved graphics made possible by the Xbox Series X, and we can't wait to see the beautiful world we create with breathtaking 4K resolution.”

We contacted Ubisoft UK, who also confirmed that the game would run at “a minimum of 30 FPS”, and put more emphasis on “exploiting not only the graphics enhancements offered by the next generation of consoles, but also faster load times and new architectures. ”

Graphics at the expense of performance

Despite adding a few fanciful graphic bells and whistles, the experience will be largely the same on Xbox Series X – in terms of performance – as on Xbox One X. Let's not forget, Assassin's Creed Odyssey operated at 4K / 30fps on Xbox One X and Assassin's Creed Valhalla is also coming to the current console from Microsoft. Will there be enough distinction between each version to separate the two?

Of course, it is not clear whether Ubisoft will make a performance mode available in the game, which generally reduces the resolution significantly in favor of a higher, often unlocked, refresh rate. Ubisoft may also be able to further optimize the game before launch.

However, it's hard not to be disappointed that one of the biggest third-party titles for the Xbox Series X only produces 30fps at 4K resolution, a target we really shouldn't be dealing with when you take into account the huge leap in processing power thanks to the new console from Microsoft.

Dirty thirties

Consoles have always been blocked by weak processors which are often designed for laptops and reused accordingly. This is why gaming at 60 fps has been possible (and largely the norm) on PC hardware for more than a decade, while console gaming can often suffer from notoriously unstable performance. Nowadays, most PC gamers far exceed 60 fps in favor of higher refresh rates, such as 144 fps, so it's hard to play console games that are so muddy and fuzzy in comparison.

And yet, even if the Xbox Series X and the PS5 will include an AMD Zen 2 processor, it seems that the constraints of 30 FPS will not disappear anytime soon. We have slowly seen more and more developers moving away from the arbitrary frame cap, especially in competitive games such as first-person shooters and combat games.

But solo titles seem more reluctant to take the next step, often favoring graphic effects over smoother and more responsive gameplay. Surely this is the time when console gamers can experience the benefits of both?

Power outage

Microsoft says with optimism that the Xbox Series X is the most powerful console ever, which is hard to deny on paper. However, achieving 4K / 60fps could prove to be an ambitious goal, even with Nvidia's high-end graphics card, the GeForce RTX 2080Ti, which is struggling to keep 60fps locked at 4K in Assassin's Creed Odyssey at maximum settings. That being said, I would at least like to see the choice between resolution or performance, because often the differences between 1440p (a common resolution for PC monitors) and 4K can be negligible, while the jump between 30 and 60fps is instantly apparent.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla will invade the Xbox Series X (and possibly PS5) when it releases this holiday season. We'll probably be learning more about the game at Ubisoft's E3-style digital event, Ubisoft Forward, which takes place on July 12, and we'll also get a better sense of developer priorities as new games come. new generation will be announced. .