The Outer Worlds 2 PC settings and performance review

The Outer Worlds 2 is Obsidian Entertainment's second triple-A release for 2025. Var Avowed was the studio's foray into the world of high fantasy action, Outer worlds 2 is a follow-up to the reasonably popular sci-fi action RPG. It was a chance for Obisidian to refine the formula it established in 2019. and by most accounts, the studio seems to have achieved that goal. Furthermore, on a performance level, The Outer Worlds 2 is a stunning screen, capable of high frame rates and with an art style that instantly fascinates.

You can read our The Outer Worlds 2 review for deeper thoughts on how successful Obisidian Entertainment is in building on the platform of the first game. Many RPGs play with the idea of impactful choices, but this game gives players some real headscratchers. Their decisions have meaningful consequences and can shape the world/planets around them. Some elements may not be as notable as others, but The Outer Worlds 2 absolutely nails the idea of RPG in a world.

From a performance level, the the sequel makes the leap to Unreal Engine 5just like Avowed. In fact, there are many visual and stylistic similarities between the two, as well as some familiar gameplay tricks.

outer worlds 2 high graphics setting screenshot

With our iBUYPOWER RDY Y70 TI B03 build, which boasts an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card and an Intel Core i9-14900KF processor, we put The Outer Worlds 2 through its paces, and see how Obsidian's latest takes advantage of new technology to deliver the smoothest experience possible.

Game Rant iBUYPOWER Test PC Specs

Motherboard: MSI PRO Z790-A MAX WiFi

CPU: Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU

CPU cooler: iBUYPOWER 360mm addressable RGB liquid cooling system

GPU: GeForce RTX 5090 Asus Tough Gaming

Memory: 64GB DDR5 (6000MHz)

Storage: 4TB (2x2TB) M.2 NVMe Gen4 SSD

PSU: 1000 Watt – PCIe GEN 5 PSU with high power

CASE: iBUYPOWER HYTE Y70 Touch Infinite – Black

From a stylistic point of view, The Outer Worlds 2 has a similar aesthetic to Avowed. Facial animations, menus, and even sound effects are reminiscent of Obsidian's second release from 2025. Apparently, The Outer Worlds 1 came before Avowed, but there is a clear formula that Obsidian is working with here. They don't try to push the envelope with realistic graphics, but instead find a look that fits your style.

One could argue that the game's performance is so smooth because the game doesn't push things too far visually, but I still think The outer worlds 2 is impressive with its semi-open world planetary zones, which are packed with interesting flora and fauna.

The Outer Worlds 2 has a fairly extensive selection of graphics settingswith Low, Medium, High and Very High options across the board. I always appreciate when a menu highlights exactly what each setting affects, and The Outer Worlds 2 clearly describes what a vague setting like screen effects will change. Sure, that one seems a bit of a catch-all (ie no option to turn off Chromatic Aberration), but it's useful if you're just starting out on PC.

The Outer Worlds 2 graphics options

Screen Effects: Low, Medium, High, Very High
Show distance: Low, Medium, High, Very High
Shades: Low, Medium, High, Very High
Anti-aliasing: Low, Medium, High, Very High
Textures: Low, Medium, High, Very High
Visual Effects: Low, Medium, High, Very High
Foliage: Low, Medium, High, Very high
Global Lighting: Low, Medium, High, Very High
Reflections: Low, Medium, High, Very High
Audience Density: Low, Medium, High, Very High

Every time you mention a game on Unreal Engine 5, there are concerns about stuttering or stuttering. Playing The Outer Worlds 2 pre-launch, I can say there was quite a hook, but updates/patches improved performance dramatically. I also had what appeared to be a bad memory leak in the game's prologue that required a refresh, but I didn't experience anything like that afterwards.

There was a concern once The Outer Worlds 2 jumped into its open world areas, with a bunch of NPCs running around, that the frame rate would drop, but the experience is solid across the board. Even with some really cool effects in the background, the game runs really well on our rig at the highest settings.

Currently, the only sequences that have any significant connections are when the ship in the game, the Icognito, lands on a new planet. That cutscene has a big stutter, but everything smooths out from there.

The director of Outer Worlds 2 weighs in on the controversial $80 price tag

Outside of that, however, The Outer Worlds 2 runs extremely well on its highest settings. You can mix in DLSS, FSR, XeSS for that extra visual boost, and if you're on Nvidia, use Frame Generation to push things even higher, and the game supports 4x Frame Generation right out of the gate. There is no need to use Nvidia's app to override. On my 4K 120Hz TV I was able to max out the settings and rarely did the game drop below that performance level, while on my 240Hz monitor performance was closer to the high 100s/low 200s depending on settings and image generation.

The Outer Worlds 2 supports Hardware Raytracing. It gives the graphics a little extra power, but if it affects performance, it's not a significant loss.

Even testing with 2x Frame Generation, offered by the 40 series GPUs, or even just DLSS, the performance boost in The Outer Worlds 2 is large enough and the loss in visual clarity is not noticeable. For those who choose to play the game as a more traditional shooter, the increased frame rate is a huge boon. Being able to glide around the arenas and take quick shots that are accurate makes a difference.

Perhaps after a few more titles, the argument could be made that Obsidian has become too familiar, but right now, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The performance is excellent in The Outer Worlds 2just like Avowed before that, and the RPG experience seems to resonate with fans who have had early access to the game.

While players are waiting for the other two major RPG series in the next Elder scrolls and the next Fall-outObsidian has folded and delivered their own “versions” of these games. They may not be as big in scale, scope, or budget, but they're still well-made and fun.

Game Rant tested Mafia: The Old Country on iBUYPOWER RDY Y70 TI B03. iBUYPOWER offers a variety of customizable PCs that can meet any gamer's needs. Check out Game Rants' iBUYPOWER build here or head over to iBUYPOWER for more PC gaming deals.