During an interview with Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Avowed director Carrie Patel shared that Obsidian Entertainment is happy with the game’s sales thus far. This likely means that Microsoft is also pleased with its current sales progress, especially given how it has been available on Xbox and PC Game Pass since its launch.

Elsewhere in the interview, Patel mentioned that, four years ago, Obsidian Entertainment had made the decision to reboot the development of Avowed. At that point, the game had been in the works for over two years. Patel took over as the project director and ultimately led the it to completion. As such, the total development period spanned a total of 6 years.

Patel said that she learned many things over the past four years that she wished she had known at the start of Avowed’s reboot process. According to her, her role as the project’s director has been a job where the highs were really high and the lows were really low. She likened it to building tracks while the train is moving forward. A lot of lessons were learned by the development team of 80 people while building Avowed, which ideally would’ve been learned on a small scale with a proper pre-production.

The Avowed director also hinted at the possibility of a sequel at some point in the future. Now that the studio has built the game’s world as well as the team strength and muscle memory around the content and gameplay in said world, Patel would like to see the development team do more with it.

Avowed was released in early access on February 15, 2025, for the Xbox Series X|S and PC. Playing the game early required players to purchase the special edition on the Xbox Store and Steam, or pay a $20 upgrade fee on top of a Game Pass subscription.

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The game’s early access launched on February 15, 2025, requiring players to purchase a special edition on Steam or pay a $20 upgrade fee for Game Pass subscribers. In comparison, Obsidian’s survival game Grounded attracted 32,000 peak concurrent players at launch, while The Outer Worlds saw 20,000. Even niche titles like South Park: The Stick of Truth (34,000) and Pillars of Eternity (42,000) outperformed Avowed’s initial numbers.

Looking at broader RPG comparisons highlights the disparity further:

• Starfield: ~300,000
• Dragon Age: Veilguard: ~90,000
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: ~257,000

Although Avowed utilizes a similar early access model to Starfield, it remains a niche game with a new IP, despite being developed by the esteemed studio Obsidian. The steep price for early access may also contribute to the game’s muted launch. It’s worth noting that Game Pass subscribers, who only had to pay $20 for early access, are not included in these figures.

The lukewarm debut could raise concerns for Xbox, which fully funded the title as part of its first-party portfolio. Obsidian’s reputation for creating deep RPGs, such as Fallout: New Vegas (51,000 peak concurrent users), has established high expectations. However, Avowed’s action-oriented approach and fragmented early access rollout may have diluted the initial hype.

On a more optimistic note, the studio’s history offers a lesson in caution: Pentiment, a narrative-focused game, peaked at just 1,200 players but received critical acclaim. With Avowed’s full launch scheduled for February 18, 2025, Xbox hopes that a broader player base—including Game Pass subscribers—will lead to improved numbers following the official release.

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Avowed offers 3 graphics modes on Xbox Series X i.e. Quality, Balanced and Performance. Quality and Balanced modes run at similar graphical setting, while Performance mode eliminates ray traced reflections and makes visible cutbacks to lighting, texturing and a draw distance. On the other hand, Xbox Series S offers 2 graphics modes i.e. Quality and Balanced. Balanced mode disables ray traced reflections and makes cutbacks to lighting and draw distance. The draw distance here is at a setting above that of the Xbox Series X version in its Performance mode. Meanwhile, on a capable PC, it is possible to run Avowed at graphical settings above those seen in the Xbox Series console versions.

In terms image quality, the Xbox Series X version of Avowed operates at a dynamic resolution that maxes out at 4K (2160p) in both Quality and Balanced modes, but commonly runs in the range of 1440p and 1584p. In Performance mode, the console runs the game at a native resolution of 1080p. On the other hand, the Xbox Series S version runs at a dynamic resolution that maxes out at 1080p in both Quality and Balanced modes. Meanwhile, the PC has the option to deliver native 4K on capable hardware. In addition, options for image reconstruction are also available on the platform.

With regards to performance, both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions of Avowed target a frame rate of 30 fps in Quality mode and 40 fps in Balanced mode, though the latter is only available on 120 Hz displays. Performance mode on the Xbox Series X targets and a frame rate of 60 fps, but exhibits some drops in taxing instances. It’s also possible to run this mode at 120 Hz on supported displays, allowing the frame rate to go above 60 fps when possible. Meanwhile, the PC version offers the option to play at higher frame rates on capable hardware.

All in all, Avowed runs well on all platforms, but PC delivers the best possible experience.

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Before we delve into the best settings for Avowed on PC, make sure you’ve updated your GPU drivers and Windows to their latest respective versions. Additionally, disable or close any unnecessary background applications in order to reduce the CPU overhead as much as possible. The settings detailed ahead should provide a more optimized balance between graphics and frame rate compared to the presets available in-game.

Avowed Best Settings

The settings below are there to serve as a broad starting point for further optimization based on your specific hardware specs. As a result, you may need to further tweak some settings until you find a sweet spot based on your display’s refresh rate and the overall performance you seek.

GRAPHICS

• Resolution: as per the max resolution of your display or preference
• Window Mode​: Windowed Fullscreen
• Frame Limit: as per the display refresh rate or performance target
• V-Sync: Off on a VRR or G-Sync supported display, otherwise On
• Ray Tracing: On/Off depending on performance target and headroom
• Upscaling: NVIDIA DLSS 3 if supported by GPU, else TSR
• Upscaling Quality: Quality
• View Distance: High
• Shadow Quality: Medium
• Texture Quality: High (or Epic if a high amount of VRAM is available)
• Shading Quality: Epic
• Effects Quality: High
• Foliage Quality: High
• Post Processing Quality: Medium
• Reflection Quality: Low
• Global Illumination Quality: High

Steam Deck Optimized Settings

The settings below are for getting the best possible performance on the Steam Deck.

GRAPHICS

• Resolution: 1280 x 800
• Window Mode​: Windowed Fullscreen
• Frame Limit: unlimited
• V-Sync: Off
• Ray Tracing: Off
• Upscaling: AMD FidelityFX 3
• Upscaling Quality: Balanced
• View Distance: Low
• Shadow Quality: Low
• Texture Quality: Low
• Shading Quality: Low
• Effects Quality: Low
• Foliage Quality: Low
• Post Processing Quality: Low
• Reflection Quality: Low
• Global Illumination Quality: Low

As seen in the video above, even at the lowest settings, Avowed runs at a variable frame rate on Steam Deck that usually hovers in the 30 to 40 fps range during gameplay. In order to run the game with a relatively consistent frame time delivery, set the frame limit to 30 fps on both the LCD and the OLED versions via the Steam Deck overlay.

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During an interview on the latest episode of the Defining Duke podcast on YouTube, co-host Lord Cognito asked Avowed game director Carrie Patel whether extra development time was needed in order to implement multiple graphics modes for the Xbox Series X version of the game, or if 60 fps was always the vision. In response, she said that the development team always wanted to provide the best performance experience possible. She added that this is something that happens pretty late in development, once everything is in place and can be optimized.

According to Patel, optimization and perform tuning has been a more recent effort for the development team. She went into detail about the 3 graphics modes available in Avowed on Xbox Series X, namely Quality, Balanced, and Performance. As the name suggests, Balanced mode will deliver an experience between Quality and Performance modes for those who will play the game on a 120 Hz display.

Patel’s details on Avowed’s various graphics modes confirm the information recently shared by an individual with early access to the game. They had mentioned that the action role-playing game will offer 30, 40, and 60 fps performance modes on Xbox Series X, and 30 and 40 FPS on Xbox Series S. As is usually the case, the 30 fps Quality mode will deliver the best possible graphics at the highest possible resolution on both consoles. On the other hand, the 40 fps Balanced mode will offer a balance between visuals and performance on both Xbox Series X|S. Meanwhile, the 60 fps Performance mode will only be available on Xbox Series X, targeting a higher frame rate while making compromises on graphics settings and resolution.

Avowed is set for release for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass on February 18, 2025.

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During an interview with MinnMax on YouTube, Avowed game director Carrie Patel was asked a series of questions regarding Obsidian’s new action role-playing game. Host Ben Hanson jokingly asked Patel to breathe during the interview as a secret nod if Avowed is coming to PS5, to which she smiled and agreed, declining to say any further.

Furthermore, Patel was asked about Avowed’s frame rate on Xbox Series X. In response, she confirmed that the title will run at up to 60 fps. The game director also reaffirmed that the action role-playing game will not feature an world, and will instead contain open zones for players to explore. In terms of size and scale,  she said that Avowed has essentially the same scope as The Outer Worlds.

Patel confirmed that Avowed will not offer an kind of microtransactions, but it may receive DLCs in the future. According to her, the largest cities in the game will have around 100 NPCs.She also said that pushing the launch of Avowed to 2025 has allowed the development team at Obsidian Entertainment to spend more time on improving the game. When asked about the possibility of a potential Avowed sequel that retains player choices from the game, the game director said that it could “hypothetically” happen.

A Reddit user who has early access to Avowed recently revealed that the game will offer 30, 40, and 60 fps performance modes on Xbox Series X, and 30 and 40 FPS on Xbox Series S at launch. This is in line with what Patel said about the console offering a frame rate of up to 60 fps on the Series X. As is usually the case, the 30 fps Quality mode will deliver the best possible graphics at the highest possible resolution on both consoles. On the other hand, the 40 fps Balanced mode will offer a balance between visuals and performance on both Xbox Series X|S. Meanwhile, the 60 fps Performance mode is only available on the more powerful Xbox Series X, targeting a higher frame rate while making compromises on graphics settings and resolution.

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According to a Reddit user who has early access to Avowed (via), the game will offer 30, 40, and 60 fps performance modes on Xbox Series X, and 30 and 40 FPS on Xbox Series S at launch.

As is usually the case, the 30 fps Quality mode will deliver the best possible graphics at the highest possible resolution on both consoles. On the other hand, the 40 fps Balanced mode will offer a balance between visuals and performance on both Xbox Series X|S. Meanwhile, the 60 fps Performance mode is only available on the more powerful Xbox Series X, targeting a higher frame rate while making compromises on graphics settings and resolution.

During a recent preview with Parris on YouTube, Avowed director Carrie Patel had clarified that 30 fps is not the game’s baseline frame rate target, implying that it would feature additional performance modes. She said that Obsidian Entertainment will be hitting this target at the very least. At the time, the studio was doing a lot of bug fixing and performance optimization. She said that this is where it was making gains on performance to get the frame rate as high as it can be.

According to Patel, iObsidian Entertainment wants to deliver an experience that fully captures the visual beauty and impact of the world. The studio doesn’t want to diminish any of the visual effects, environmental art, or character movement fans have seen in the game’s pre-release footage. At the same time, the development team is committed to giving players the best frame rate possible, and that’s a big part of what it was working on right at the time. We now know that the studio has delivered on this front.

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Avowed will take up a decent amount of storage space on both Xbox Series X|S and PC. That said, those with limited available space on the internal storage drive are advised to clear up some space in advance. It goes without saying that storage expansion options are available for those who need them.

Avowed Download Size

The download size for Avowed  can be seen below.

• 75 GB

Pre-load Details

Avowed is expected to be available for pre-load on Xbox Series X|S during the first week of February, 2025.

The pre-load for Avowed on Xbox Series X|S will come with the latest update pre-installed for anyone who pre-ordered a digital copy of the game, though a day one update may be rolled out closer to release on February 18, 2025. Meanwhile, those who purchased the game on disc will need to download the update. Those who pre-ordered the digital Premium Edition will be able to begin playing on February 13, 2024. On the other hand, those who purchased the digital Standard Edition will have to wait another week.

Review Embargo Date

The review embargo for Avowed is expected to be lifted around the time early access for Premium Editon is released. It will be lifted on February 13th at 9 am ET / 3 pm BST.

Avowed is set in the world of Eora, the same universe as Pillars of Eternity. It is scheduled for release for Windows and Xbox Series X|S. The game can be played from both first-person and third-person perspectives, offering a diverse combat system that includes magic, melee weapons, and firearms. Players can cast spells to freeze enemies in ice, ensnare them with an Entangle spell, or combine magic with weapons for powerful attack combinations, such as shattering frozen foes with a sword.

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During a preview with Parris on YouTube, Avowed director Carrie Patel clarified that 30 fps is not the game’s baseline frame rate target, implying that it may feature a Performance mode. She said that Obsidian Entertainment will be hitting this target at the very least. Right now, she said that the studio is doing a lot of bug fixing and performance optimization. That’s where it is making gains on performance to get the frame rate as high as it can.

According to Patel, it’s still a little early to say what the final frame rate number will be. She said that Obsidian Entertainment wants to deliver an experience that fully captures the visual beauty and impact of the world. The studio doesn’t want to diminish any of the visual effects, environmental art, or character movement fans have seen in the game’s pre-release footage. At the same time, the development team is committed to giving players the best frame rate possible, and that’s a big part of what it is working on right at the moment.

Previously, during the recent Xbox Games Showcase deep dive for Avowed, Patel had revealed that the game will feature a third person camera mode for players who prefer it over the standard first person mode. Furthermore, she discussed how the combat in Avowed has been heavily improved over previous builds. She specifically highlighted the improved hit reactions to player and enemy attacks. The game will offer players the opportunity to mix and match various abilities, and they’ll also be able to respec their character from scratch to try out a different build. Additionally, there will be multiple paths to approach enemy encounters. Players will come across a wide range of gear to equip, with varying levels of quality, including Common, Fine, Exceptional, Legendary.

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In the latest Xbox Games Showcase deep dive for Avowed, director Carrie Patel revealed that the game will feature a third person camera mode for players who prefer it over the standard first person mode.

Furthermore, Patel discussed how the combat in Avowed has been heavily improved over previous builds. She specifically highlighted the improved hit reactions to player and enemy attacks. The game will offer players the opportunity to mix and match various abilities, and they’ll also be able to respec their character from scratch to try out a different build. Additionally, there will be multiple paths to approach enemy encounters. Players will come across a wide range of gear to equip, with varying levels of quality, including Common, Fine, Exceptional, Legendary. Once acquired, gear can also be upgraded.

Patel also shared that Avowed will feature skill trees, dialogue choice, companions, and other game systems fans have come to expect from an Obsidian role-playing game.

Previously, during a documentary on the occasion of Obsidian’s 20th anniversary, studio head/founder Feargus Urquhart had talked about how he made certain decisions that he felt really good about, but there were also decisions that felt not good about. One of the things that he really pushed was that Avowed was going to be a co-op focused game, and he went with it for a long time. In the end, he felt that it was the wrong decision to push. He mentioned that Obsidian was an independent studio at the time (prior to getting acquired by Microsoft), and he had made the decision to push for a co-op focused RPG in order to make it more compelling to publishers.

Avowed is set for release on Xbox Series X|S and PC sometime later this year in 2024.

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