Players revisiting the medieval Bohemia of Kingdom Come: Deliverance on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S will uncover a significantly enhanced experience, according to a detailed technical analysis from Digital Foundry. Released in mid-February, the next-gen versions of the role-playing game – available as a free upgrade for owners of the original PS4 and Xbox One editions – have largely earned a “promoted” grade, bringing the console experience remarkably close to the visual fidelity of the PC version running on Ultra settings.
The upgrade isn’t merely a resolution bump. Warhorse Studios has undertaken a substantial overhaul of the game’s underlying technology, leveraging a heavily modified version of the CryEngine. This includes improvements to CPU multithreading, more stable asset streaming, and an updated graphics backend compatible with modern APIs. The result is a substantial leap in visual quality and performance for those playing on Sony and Microsoft’s current-generation hardware.
A Visual Leap Forward
Digital Foundry’s assessment highlights that the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions utilize a dynamic resolution scaling up to 1440p, with a floor of 1080p. The more powerful PS5 Pro benefits from its enhanced GPU, maintaining the higher resolution more consistently. While the upgrade isn’t without its drawbacks – notably the continued reliance on FidelityFX Super Resolution 1 (FSR1) as an upscaler, paired with Contrast Adaptive Sharpening (CAS) – the overall visual improvements are considerable.
FSR1, while functional, is an older upscaling technology that can sometimes introduce visual artifacts, specifically flickering in vegetation during expansive scenes. However, the inclusion of a high-definition texture pack dramatically improves the appearance of materials like wood, stone, mud, and fabrics, narrowing the gap between the console versions and the PC experience. Improvements extend to shadows, ambient occlusion, and the SVOGI global illumination system, contributing to more believable interiors and outdoor environments. Volumetric effects, lighting, and the level of detail for vegetation, objects, and non-playable characters (NPCs) have also been enhanced, with pop-in reduced, though not entirely eliminated.
You can see a detailed breakdown of the improvements in Digital Foundry’s analysis:
Performance and Frame Rates
Kingdom Come: Deliverance now targets a frame rate of 60 frames per second (fps) across all current-generation consoles. However, achieving a consistently stable 60fps proves challenging. The PS5 Pro comes closest to maintaining this target, while the base PS5 delivers solid performance in interiors and during exploration, but dips can occur in densely populated areas, sometimes falling as low as 40fps. The Xbox Series X exhibits slightly poorer performance, while the Xbox Series S surprisingly holds its own, often exceeding the performance of its more powerful siblings thanks to lighter graphical presets.
Enabling Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) significantly improves the experience on all platforms, mitigating the impact of frame rate fluctuations. However, on PS5, drops below 48fps fall outside the VRR compensation window, potentially leading to noticeable stuttering.
A Missed Opportunity on Series S?
One notable omission is the lack of the high-definition texture pack on the Xbox Series S. Despite having more RAM than the previous generation of consoles, the Series S version does not receive this visual upgrade. This decision is particularly curious given the console’s ability to maintain surprisingly strong performance with its lighter graphical settings.
The free upgrade path for existing owners is a significant benefit, making the enhanced experience accessible to a wide audience. Warhorse Studios’ commitment to improving the game on current-generation hardware demonstrates a continued dedication to the Kingdom Come: Deliverance community.
Looking ahead, Warhorse Studios has not announced any further planned updates for the next-gen versions of Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Players can stay informed about future developments and potential patches by following the studio’s official channels and community forums. The game remains a compelling and immersive RPG experience, and these enhancements further solidify its position as a standout title in the genre.
What are your thoughts on the Kingdom Come: Deliverance upgrade? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
