PS5 Pro Offers the Best Console Version of The Blood of Dawnwalker but Still Tops Out at 40 FPS
Rebel Wolves has finally shown how The Blood of Dawnwalker performs across current generation consoles, confirming that PlayStation 5 Pro will deliver the strongest console presentation of its ambitious dark fantasy RPG. However, even Sony's upgraded hardware will not reach 60 FPS at launch. New console gameplay footage confirms that PS5 Pro, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will all offer Quality and Balanced graphics modes, with frame rate targets of 30 FPS and 40 FPS respectively.
Quality Mode targets dynamic 4K at 30 FPS, while Balanced Mode also targets dynamic 4K but increases performance to 40 FPS. PS5 Pro uses the same resolution and frame rate targets, but Rebel Wolves describes both modes as offering "enhanced visual quality" on Sony's more powerful console. This means the Pro advantage is being invested primarily into image quality rather than pushing the game toward 60 FPS, giving players a cleaner presentation while maintaining the same performance ceiling as the standard PS5 and Xbox Series X.
The 40 FPS Balanced Mode could become the preferred option for PS5 Pro owners using compatible 120 Hz displays. While it does not provide the responsiveness of 60 FPS, 40 FPS offers a meaningful improvement over 30 FPS while allowing Rebel Wolves to preserve more of the visual quality expected from its Unreal Engine 5 open world. This tradeoff is particularly relevant for The Blood of Dawnwalker because the game combines dense environments, dynamic lighting, large outdoor areas and a day and night system that substantially changes both its atmosphere and gameplay.
There is currently no announced 60 FPS mode for PS5 Pro, PS5 or Xbox Series X at launch. Xbox Series S was also absent from the newly released console comparison footage, although the game remains officially scheduled for the platform. Players prioritizing higher frame rates will therefore need to look toward PC, where The Blood of Dawnwalker specifications include targets extending through 60 FPS depending on hardware, resolution and graphics settings. Rebel Wolves has since adjusted its final PC requirements and confirmed the use of technologies including DLSS, FSR and XeSS, making upscaling an important part of the game's performance strategy.
The absence of a 60 FPS console mode is particularly noticeable because PS5 Pro was designed to reduce the traditional choice between visual quality and performance. Recent improvements to PSSR 2 have delivered stronger image quality across multiple PS5 Pro games, particularly in demanding Unreal Engine 5 titles. However, reconstruction technology cannot eliminate every CPU, GPU and engine limitation, and Rebel Wolves appears to have prioritized visual density and consistency rather than aggressively reducing settings to reach 60 FPS.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is the first project from Rebel Wolves, a studio formed by developers with experience on titles including The Witcher 3. Set in 14th century Europe, the game follows Coen, who exists as a human during the day and a vampire at night. Players have limited time to save his family, while quests, alliances and decisions can alter how the story develops. The studio has designed the RPG around player agency, with a narrative structure capable of supporting radically different playthroughs rather than separating content into traditional main and secondary quest categories. The game officially launches on September 3, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
PS5 Pro still appears to be the best console option for The Blood of Dawnwalker, but the lack of 60 FPS shows that more powerful hardware does not automatically eliminate the compromises behind ambitious Unreal Engine 5 games. Using the additional GPU resources for better image quality instead of doubling the frame rate is a legitimate development choice, especially for a visually dense RPG, but 40 FPS will inevitably disappoint players who now consider 60 FPS the baseline for responsive console gaming. The Balanced Mode could ultimately be the smartest compromise, particularly on a 120 Hz display, but the final judgment will depend on how stable that 40 FPS target is and how much visual quality PS5 Pro preserves compared with the base consoles.
Would you choose the 40 FPS Balanced Mode for better responsiveness, or stay with 30 FPS Quality Mode for the strongest visual presentation?
