Assassin's Creed Valhalla has a new update for all platforms, including PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The update promised improved performance on next-gen consoles. While the update improved performance, technical analysis on the Xbox Series X found something else.
At launch, Assassin's Creed Valhalla performed smoothly on PlayStation 5. But Xbox Series X players reported that the game suffers from major frame drops and screen tearing issues. The update 1.04 addressed these issues, yet Ubisoft sacrificed quality to achieve stable 60 FPS.
Digital Foundry performed a technical analysis of that patch. They confirmed that the patch really improved the game's performance on Xbox Series X. The patch also nearly removed screen tearing. In the video, some of the most demanding sequences were shown. These sequences in the game would often lead to dramatic FPS loss. When the patch was installed, the game managed to maintain a steady 60 FPS in the same sequences.
If you didn't know, Assassin's Creed Valhalla on the Xbox Series X uses a dynamic resolution scaler. This technology enables the game to adjust the resolution automatically to maintain 60 FPS. The technology sports a maximum of 4K and a minimum of 1440p resolution threshold. Still, the analysis found that even at 1440p, the console struggled to maintain 60 FPS. To combat this issue, Ubisoft lowered the resolution threshold in Assassin's Creed Valhalla for the Xbox Series X.
According to Digital Foundry, the game can now go as low as 1188p to keep a consistent 60 FPS. But if you don't that preset, the new update offers two new options. These are the Quality and Performance modes for both Xbox Series X and PS5. The Quality mode renders the game at native 4K resolution capped at 30 FPS. The Performance mode, meanwhile, ensures a smooth 60 FPS with some quality loss.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia.
