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The Outer Worlds 2 fully leans into the Unreal Engine 5 feature set, even if the stylised art style isn't typical of the engine. The results are impressive on Xbox with three different but very solid visual modes. However, the experience on PlayStation 5 consoles definitely needs improvement in a number of areas.


00:00 Overview
00:31 Visual features
03:07 Xbox Series X modes
06:03 Extra configuration options
07:41 Xbox Series S
09:02 PS5
10:27 PS5 Pro
11:56 Analysis and conclusion

 

[kevboard]

before watching, I already expect the worst.

UE5, Lumen...

edit: well, I am pleasantly surprised by the SX version at least. seems ok enough for a UE5 game. very low resolution of course, but at least not sub 1080p.
but it's a sad state of affairs when you're happy a game is running above 1080p in 2025...

 

[Mr Moose]

WTF those copy/pasted clover/grass textures.
Edit: This game looks bad.

 

[LectureMaster]

"However, the experience on PlayStation 5 consoles definitely needs improvement in a number of areas."

 

[Punished Miku]

"Experience on PS5 needs work." Bernkastel post if you're okay ...

 

[M1chl]

Seems like the game looks uglier than the first? Especially shadows seems omitted and whole color palette seems more dull?

 

[The_hunter]

Not even 5 seconds in the video before an ugly character appears.

 

[adamsapple]

- Based on UE5
- Hallmarks of UE5 present: Lumen GI, software on Consoles tho, Nanite allows the game to be free of draw distance instability, though some surfaces look flat. Virtual Shadow Maps also present.
- Dynamic time of day plays nicely with VSM and leads to little to no shadow aliasing
- Though the world isn't that dynamic, grenades etc don't cause much/any destruction

- Character creator and its variances praised
- Facial rendering praised

Series X:
- Quality vs Performance mode
- Both feature Lumen GI and reflections with foliage density being the big differentiator
- Grass animation also lowered in Performance mode, it's pushed higher in Quality
- Lumen and VSM coverage also takes a hit in Performance mode
- Performance seems to be DRS 1080p and Quality seems to be DRS higher than 1440p
- Despite the above, the final image looks 'surprisingly similar' on both modes

- Performance mode is generally locked to 60fps with some single digit drops noted
- Quality mode seems to be locked to 30fps at all times

- A 40fps Balanced mode also present for 120hz displays
- Mix of the two other modes, some visual settings closer to Performance and IQ similar to Quality with a 4K like resolve
- Performance is solid at 40 across DF's game play, though pixel count was hard to nail down

- Additional config options like FoV sliders noted, 50 to 120* but default 90 seems to be well
- The pre-release game code DF saw had a fixed 1080p mode for more consistent frame rates which has been removed
- Motion blur toggle present but it always seems to return to 20, likely a bug


Series S:
- Quality mode has similar settings to SX Performance modes with farther grass animation
- Lumen and VSM are present though IQ takes a hit
- 1080p pixel counts noted with a locked 30fps without noted drops
- 120hz / 40fps mode present with a drop from 1080p to 864p though performance is solid
- No 60fps mode on Series S


Base PS5:
- Looks quite similar to SX with a slightly lower resolution and more breakup in Performance mode
- Performance is also worse than SX with more drops and tearing not seen in SX
- Quality mode is a closer match visually
- But frame rate is almost always dropping with screen tearing
- Balanced mode also shows some visual downgrades compared to SX
- Performance is a little 'wobbly' compared to SX here
- Motion blur bug from SX is also present though PS5 omits one 'jagged outlines' on grass bug noted in SX

PS5 Pro:
- Visual settings and resolutions seem close to SX
- PS5 Pro uses PSSR
- Interacts 'very unfavorably' with Lumen lighting, appears 'remarkably unstable'
- Not the worst case of UE5 + PSSR but DF doesn't think it's the right combination
- Performance mode is similar to base PS5 and runs worse than Series X

Verdict:
- Solid performance on Xbox with full features on Series S
- PS5 consoles are a bit sharkier
- DF thinks it could be either because it started late in dev or is tailored to SX more specifically
- DF thinks more players will prefer the visuals on base PS5 compared to Pro
- Controls can feel a bit laggy but sensitivity adjustment can remedy this
- DF thinks it's a 'strong technical experience' for RPG fans
- If one has a choice of consoles, DF recommends picking the Series X version

 

[Imtjnotu]

PssR and ue5 continue to suck together

 

[Mr Moose]

Wait is this bald dude blind? There's weird shimmer/flickering on all of them yet he says it's PSSR?

 

[Katatonic]

Ah, the obvious maneuver we all saw coming, MS putting out inferior PS versions.

 

[Bernkastel]

"Experience on PS5 needs work." Bernkastel post if you're okay ...

Imagine caring about an Obsidian game after Avowed. Obsidian can't make good RPGs anymore.

Unlike Tango, I don't mind what happens to nu-Obsidian. The people that made Fallout New Vegas have already left.

Obsidian is beyond saving at this point.

I already said I don't care about Obsidian before this game released. Although I hope InXile becomes independent of Microsoft.

 

[RoboFu]

Wait is this bald dude blind? There's weird shimmer/flickering on all of them yet he says it's PSSR?

thats just shitty shadowing on everything.

 

[Mr Moose]

thats just shitty shadowing on everything.

So what's baldy talking about?

 

[thatJohann]

The curse of PSSR strikes again. Devs really need to avoid using PSSR if they can't figure out how to make it look better than without it.

 

[phant0m]

So what's baldy talking about?

Just his usual PS5 Pro/PSSR hate

 

[Gaiff]

- PS5 Pro uses PSSR
- Interacts 'very unfavorably' with Lumen lighting, appears 'remarkably unstable'
- Not the worst case of UE5 + PSSR but DF doesn't think it's the right combination

 

[omegasc]

I find that grass animation popping way more distracting than anything else

 

[RoboFu]

So what's baldy talking about?

it's the lighting system causing the shitty shadowing flicker.. he is saying that PSSR makes it even worse because it can't resolve all the flickering . other upscalers have the same issue with lumen.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Ps5 pro! The gift that keeps on giving. To think Sony backed UE5 and this is how it looks on their "Pro" device

Series X showing its wider more forward thinking approach paid off for next gen engines. It's only 5 years too late.

 

[corgiix3]

At this point just provide PSSR to first party devs only. Looks amazing in yotei for example but the multiplatform boys cant cook with it

 

[Mr Moose]

it's the lighting system causing the shitty shadowing flicker.. he is saying that PSSR makes it even worse because it can't resolve all the flickering . other upscales have the same issue with lumen.

But in the shot with PS5 on the left, it doesn't show that. It's just as bad, if not worse, than Pro.

 

[Portugeezer]

Jim Ryan redeemed.

He knew MS would make worse ports for PS5.

 

[Darsxx82]

Graphically, technically, and in terms of performance, it's a generation ahead of Outer World 1... and that's already a credit to the Studio. Especially since it's a UE5 game and maintains a very good IQ ("4K sh" say DF)

Then, the art is a matter of taste. I've seen other areas that are more to my liking. The vegetation areas in UE5, with that art style, always remind me of Fortnite (and Fortnite reminds me of me )

 

[Markio128]

Well, I've gone from probably not buying, to definitely not buying. Good effort Obsidian.

 

[adamsapple]

it's the lighting system causing the shitty shadowing flicker.. he is saying that PSSR makes it even worse because it can't resolve all the flickering . other upscalers have the same issue with lumen.

PS5 also shows it but almost negligible levels compared to Pro.

There's a near constant strobing effect on the Pro

FSR4 can't come soon enough.

 

[Baemono]

Well here goes my hopes for a Switch 2 port. Now I just wait for a sale on PS5, or.a Switch 2 update of the first one

 

[RoboFu]

But in the shot with PS5 on the left, it doesn't show that. It's just as bad, if not worse, than Pro.

its really a very slight difference. there is the lumen flickering (which is worse on PS5 appearing and disappearing ) but the PS5 pro just has an extra level of flickering on top of that. you can really see it if you focus on the big cylinder. but really its like something on fire being put more on fire. lol

 

[Bernkastel]

Jim Ryan redeemed.

He knew MS would make worse ports for PS5.

They don't really have a good game to care about.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Well here goes my hopes for a Switch 2 port. Now I just wait for a sale on PS5, or.a Switch 2 update of the first one

It works pretty well on steam deck from what I saw.

This PS port is likely done in a hurry.

 

[RoboFu]

Well here goes my hopes for a Switch 2 port. Now I just wait for a sale on PS5, or.a Switch 2 update of the first one

doesn't he switch 1 have the first game? why wouldn't the switch 2 get a port lol ... in fact switch2 will have the best port.

 

[Baemono]

Tom Warren redeemed

 

[Baemono]

doesn't he switch 1 have the first game? why wouldn't the switch 2 get a port lol ... in fact switch2 will have the best port.

The Switch 1 have the first game, but desperately needs a current-gen (or even last gen) patch.

And to why the Switch 2 wouldn't get a port: cause even the PS5 version runs like shit

 

[ungalo]

To me the game looks good, art design is on point, it's the first but refined.

 

[RoboFu]

The Switch 1 have the first game, but desperately needs a current-gen (or even last gen) patch.

And to why the Switch 2 wouldn't get a port: cause even the PS5 version runs like shit

They don't have the far superior DLSS though.

 

[Baemono]

It works pretty well on steam deck from what I saw.

This PS port is likely done in a hurry.

Too bad I don't have my Steam Deck anymore. Maybe I should try PC Game Pass through GeForce Now

 

[nemiroff]

Interesting… it looks better than GAF led me to expect.

 

[sncvsrtoip]

pssr delivers yet again

I'd caution pro owners in particular, as I suspect many players will prefer the visuals on base ps5

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Too bad I don't have my Steam Deck anymore. Maybe I should try PC Game Pass through GeForce Now

PS 5 port should be much better in under a month I imagine. And should be better than Steam Deck.

Switch 2 port would have been much longer wait than that.

 

[adamsapple]

Interesting… it looks better than GAF led me to expect.

Relying on GAF's expectations?

 

[Darsxx82]

Interesting… it looks much better than GAF led me to expect.

If it's the same situation as Avowed...much more than you think.

Avowed is a game that looks great at many points, it's a shame it wasn't my type of game. TOW2 seems to show many similarities. It's logical given that it has the same engine, studio, and graphic artists.

 

[SKYF@ll]

The flickering on the base PS5 (XSX) is also noticeable in many places and is a concern.
I think this is because game engines like UE5 and Northlight have extremely low post-effect resolution on consoles.
In native 1080p games, the shadow (AO) and lighting resolution may be 540p.
The PS5 Pro has less flickering from the upscaling itself, but the flickering of the low-resolution AO is emphasized in PSSR.

 

[Mister Wolf]

PSSR doesn't like Lumen.

 

[Fbh]

It's a UE5 game that seems to run at 1080p and 60fps (ish on PS5) on base consoles, so I guess that should be praised.

But it looks ugly as fuck IMO. "Last gen" graphics with cleaner IQ would look way better than this.

And they should at least have a toggle to disable grass animation in performance mode, because the way it only animates like 2 feet in front of the player looks horrible.

 

[adamsapple]

The flickering on the base PS5 (XSX) is also noticeable in many places and is a concern.
I think this is because game engines like UE5 and Northlight have extremely low post-effect resolution on consoles.
In native 1080p games, the shadow (AO) and lighting resolution may be 540p.
The PS5 Pro has less flickering from the upscaling itself, but the flickering of the low-resolution AO is emphasized in PSSR.

Base has it to a lesser extent but on Pro it seems much more egregious.

Look at the street lamp on this, as an example:

I still find it puzzling that they didn't catch this kind of stuff developing PSSR for the most ubiquitous game engine in the market. The same engine they used to promote PS5 hardware at launch.

 

[Shmunter]

PS5, likely the biggest market for this game, gimped with Xbox incompetence.

 

[SKYF@ll]

Base has it to a lesser extent but on Pro it seems much more egregious.

Look at the street lamp on this, as an example:

I still find it puzzling that they didn't catch this kind of stuff developing PSSR for the most ubiquitous game engine in the market. The same engine they used to promote PS5 hardware at launch.

It's true that there is flickering that is unique to PSSR.
Like Oliver and you, if you only focus on that part, the PS5 Pro will look like the worst version.
Comparing the side-by-side videos, the base PS5 and XSX also have issues.
The resolution and frame rate analysis in this video is unreliable, so compare them by looking at the IQ of the captured video.
To me, it looks like PC has the best IQ, with PS5 Pro having the second-best IQ.

 

[Buggy Loop]

PSSR doesn't like Lumen.

PSSR is quite bad at the temporal part. It's why peoples were saying it was sharper in motion than DLSS CNN, I mean yea, that's the result of skipping on quantity of frames buffered for your temporal stability. Lumen heavily relies on TAA and the likes.

 

[Diego Brasil]

Base has it to a lesser extent but on Pro it seems much more egregious.

Look at the street lamp on this, as an example:

I still find it puzzling that they didn't catch this kind of stuff developing PSSR for the most ubiquitous game engine in the market. The same engine they used to promote PS5 hardware at launch.

could you make a gif like the one above (ps5 vs pro) but only of that part... with zoom in on that area

 

[adamsapple]

could you make a gif like the one above (ps5 vs pro) but only of that part... with zoom in on that area

this is the best i can do with shitty free software.

It's true that there is flickering that is unique to PSSR.
Like Oliver and you, if you only focus on that part, the PS5 Pro will look like the worst version.

It is bad enough that Oliver states that he thinks people will prefer the base PS5 visuals. That's a damning statement.