Hellblade 2 will run at 30 FPS, and players are acting completely reasonably about it
As one of 2024's big releases, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II looks to be a game that Xbox can proudly wear. For some time now, Xbox has been criticised for its lack of exciting exclusives, all while PlayStation is leading the charge on narrative-led masterpieces.
The Blue Team's big competitor has trailing with the meh-laden Starfield and critically maligned Redfall. Xbox has its own strengths over PlayStation, but exclusive and emotive experiences stereotypically aren't one of them.
Fans are looking to Senua's Saga to make the push to prove that Xbox has some corkers to unleash - but a new detail has led to the most by-the-numbers players losing their minds.
Hellblade 2 will be capped at 30 FPS on Xbox
Click to enlargeDespite being a game that is expected to raise the bar once again for the visual talents of the Xbox, it has been confirmed that Senua's Saga: Hellblade II will be capped at 30 FPS. There is also no option to sub in a lower visual fidelity in a Performance Mode on the console. Still, it will be possible to reach higher framerates on PC.
VFX Director Mark Slater-Tunstill has told GamePro that the console version of the game will run at 30 FPS with dynamic resolution. The PC version won’t be restricted by this, with its hardware allowing for far-enhanced framerates.
Though framerate is never the be-all and end-all of a game's visual prowess, players are furious. This is especially evident among those who invested their money and faith in the power of the Xbox Series X, which is frankly usurped by the PC in this case.
Even if FPS doesn't mean all that much in a wider sense, the gaming world has latched on - and now, Xbox and PS5 fans alike are locked into mocking and fury.
Gamers react with rage to Hellblade 2’s FPS
A quick glance at the Hellblade trend on Twitter has revealed that players are at each other's necks after the reveal. Sony Ponies are boasting about the Xbox's supposed lack of power, while Xbots are lashing out in response. To be honest, it's a bloodbath worth of Senua.
One PlayStation supporter wrote, "Hellblade 2 will be a below average walking simulator with TRASH combat and boring story. There’s a reason M$ ain’t wasting its money on marketing that 5 hours game. This is a FACT, and deep down xbots know it."
Another said, "Hellblade 2 being 30 fps on Xbox isn't surprising at all after Redfall and Starfield. The reality is most console gamers want pretty graphics If you want pretty graphics and high fps you gotta be on PC," while a third added, "Are we still crying about 30 fps. The NES had 60fps games and the N64 had 11fps games. Power doesn't determine FPS."
Trying to be neutral, someone concluded, "To all the people bitching about 30 fps gaming on consoles(happened with dragons dogma 2, now with hellblade). 1. If you care this much about fps and resolution, you wouldn't be gaming on consoles to begin with. 2. I hope to see the same bitching when GTA 6 releases with 30fps."
It's brutal, and for what? It seems that the console wars are still raging on, over something as simple as a perfectly normal framerate. We'll never be free of angry keyboard warriors, will we?
