Dragon's Dogma 2 is confirmed to run at an uncapped frame rate targeting 30 fps - and some fans aren't happy
Ah yes, 30 fps on consoles, we definitely haven’t had this discourse before.
Ok, so, Dragon's Dogma 2. It’s currently slated to run at something like 30 fps uncapped on consoles and, well, naturally there’s already debate going on online as to whether that’s a thing that’ll really have a properly tangible impact on people’s ability to enjoy the game or not.
Before we really get into this, it’s important to note that Capcom’s latest blockbuster certainly isn’t the only title in recent memory to see its console frame rate be the subject of some intense discussion. Starfield’s the big one that immediately springs to mind, and to be fair, I could see the arguments on both sides of the equation for that one.
Now, following the arrival of previews for it yesterday - you can and should give ours a read - DD2’s attracted similar chat. The thing that’s properly kicked it all off is the confirmation - via Game Informer - from director Hideaki Itsuno that it’ll run at something close to 30 fps on consoles.
Yes, while it will have an uncapped frame rate, “around or higher than 30 FPS” is what Itsuno cites his team as aiming for, emphasising that this’ll definitely be the case on console. Given that the developer also confirmed that the game will only have a single graphical mode on offer, meaning you won’t be able to whack it on a setting that prioritises performance over all else if you’re craving a boost and don’t mind sacrificing some visual fidelity to get it.
Naturally, those who were hoping to play it at something in the region of 60 fps on their console of choice aren’t too happy, with a ResetEra thread on the subject featuring a number of folks just saying “yikes” and/or declaring that they’ll be making sure to grab the game on PC. Twitter’s seen a similar debate, with the big question - aside fromwhether an optional 30 fps cap should've been included - being ">whether you think 30 fps on consoles is an acceptable place for a big game to land nowadays, or a tad disappointing, as it was with Starfield.
To be clear, as some fans in that thread have pointed out, the frame rate may well not have any major effect on your ability to actually enjoy playing Dragon's Dogma 2 on console. The bits of it we played as part of our preview ran at a pretty solid 30 fps and generally felt good, despite a few drops when the action really picked up.
Finally, it’s important to remember that there’s a chance the game’s performance situation could well look at least a little bit more favourable by the time its full release arrives on March 22, assuming there are some tweaks Capcom can make to help make things run a little more smoothly.
Also, if you're interested in soaking in as much stuff related the game as you can before it drops, it's probably worth tuning into March 7's Capcom Highlights broadcast.