While Series S gets an intelligently compromised experience.
Alan Wake 2is one of the best-looking video games ever made.
Does Xbox Series S have the power to deliver a decent Alan Wake 2 experience?
Most obviously, the density of environmental objects is decreased quite a lot in the performance mode.
Plants that are present in the quality mode are often entirely absent when we switch to the performance mode.
Grass also tends to see a reduction in density, with a more sparse, patchy appearance.
Scattered leaves and rocks are similarly thinned out.
This is most obvious up close, where the ground clearly features less geometry than the quality mode.
Volumetric lighting also encounters some obvious cutbacks and resolution is cut back somewhat to hit the harsher frame-time target.
Fog quality is dialed down as well.
Next up is shadow quality.
The performance mode’s shadows are less comprehensive, so distant objects don’t have shadows.
There are a couple of other configs that have been changed as well.
In performance mode, we’re looking at a 847p resolution, with an output of 1440p.
This makes it a match for the PlayStation 5 version, which extends to visual quality generally.
Frame-rates are where the two systems diverge.
Series X, for its part, delivers a very smooth rendition of Alan Wake.
In performance mode, it offers close to a locked 60fps, with uncommon exceptions.
Again, Alan Wake 2 is delivering great results, despite the highly advanced visual presentation.
PS5 doesn’t fare quite as well.
The same is true in the quality mode.
Object density is about the same, while shadow quality is identical.
Volumetric lights also appear to have the same rather limited resolution on Series S and Series X performance mode.
Textures do throw up some differences, however.
Internally, the Series S is operating at or around 720p.
That’s down from the 847p resolution in the Series X performance mode.
When moving through the gameworld, it’s easier to spot aliasing on the Series S version.
Neither console is really covering itself in glory here, but I’d prefer the Series X image overall.
The premier Alan Wake experience is undoubtedly on the PC platform.
All consoles do exhibit certain issues though, to a greater or lesser degree.
Shadows suffer from considerable aliasing and are low-resolution except at very close range.
In summary though, I’d say that Alan Wake 2 is a great experience on all console systems.
