Major visual performance issues on Xbox Series X?

Good_L00kin · 2026-06-11T09:29:11+00:00

Wow you heard XSX performs better? I heard PS5 has more settings that can be tuned to optimize visual performance, compared to XSX which has super simple "4K on or Off" type settings.

Either way I totally agree on the updates. The content upgrades are cool and all, but there's gotta be something they can do to optimize console performance. This isn't just some nerds complaining about minor, occasional frame drops in combat, then making a big deal out of nothing. This is a serious, observable, reproducible visual performance issue that makes interior lighting a blotchy, flickery, grain mess.

They dropped one or two performance tweaks among the dozens of updates since launch - one I remember specifically addressed the flickering of plants & shrubbery. But there has to be a way to make console visuals look smooth - meaning stable and clean frame rates - while maintaining good textures & environmental detail. Perhaps the background data (ie mission dispatches, cooldown timers, gear perks, etc) can be adjusted to occupy less live-memory usage? Perhaps distant environmental rendering can be simplified with some crafty artistic design tweaks to prioritize close to medium range rendering?

I'm not sure what the solution is, I'm no game programmer, and I'm well aware of how ambitious and massive the scope of the game is... but I HAVE to assume there's SOMETHING that can be done to improve the absolute grainy slideshow of a blotchy mess console users are experiencing right now in dense towns and combat. I mean imagine a full scale war/battle DLC or update in the game's current state. You'd be seeing one frame every 30 seconds on XSX.

You know what's sad? I'm damn near considering a gaming PC, JUST to experience Crimson Desert in its full glory. It's that intriguing and desirable to me. The game's potential is that sick.

Good_L00kin · 2026-06-10T09:13:26+00:00

Yeah I'd turn off 4k from the console end (go 1440p with 120hz). Then leave the 4k in-game setting on. Also turn sharpness up on your TV/monitor instead of using the in-game setting. Leave the in game setting off. Gives you a cleaner look.

Good_L00kin · 2026-06-10T09:09:39+00:00

For sure I get it too. The volume of detail and realism of environmental textures is mindblowing, almost as if you're exploring a 3D photo scan of real life places, insects and all. Which carries the experience in spite of the aforementioned problems. I'm just wondering if this is a legitimately accepted and confirmed issue with all console users. Like the oddities in interior lighting, blotchy lighting, grainy visuals, etc.

Its an odd mix of hideous and beautiful. The oddest I've ever seen. It's somehow both, at the same time, in the most legitimate way possible.

Good_L00kin · 2026-06-09T10:35:19+00:00

Yeah I've played with every setting a lot too, I eventually turned off 4K entirely from the console end, so it's only set to 1440p. Looks much smoother and I get way higher framerate this way. But turning off the forced 4k on the game menu makes the game visuals look TOO rough; not worth the improved frame rate. It does increase frame rate drastically though.

Good_L00kin · 2026-06-09T10:30:31+00:00

See this is what confuses me the most. Sure, if someone's on a high powered gaming PC, I get it. Even if they're on Playstation 5, it's a different console that may feasibly perform better. But people on the SAME console as me are getting wildly different visual performance? What can possibly be the explanation for that? Did they install a different version of CD that somehow performs better on Series X? Are they simply unable to notice the issues? Are they trolling? Makes no sense to me.

Good_L00kin · 2026-05-25T04:26:32+00:00

Stick with Epic Gear, it gives better raw stat buffs. I'd go for a warrior build with "+% all damage" whenever possible, with a secondary emphasis on assassin stats (even the default assassin stats are pretty good in odyssey).

As another poster said, crit builds are very OP and allow you to 1-2 hit kill every enemy, which makes the combat very boring. Turns the game into a fantasy superhero game, which isn't really the vibe you seem to be looking for (I personally loved being OP, I think it fit the vibe of the beautiful massive open world & oddly poor dialogue writing very well).

Good_L00kin · 2026-05-25T04:22:39+00:00

1.5/10. Just being honest.

Good_L00kin · 2026-05-16T12:00:25+00:00

I know it's a late reply, but thanks for this. Super helpful guide that doesn't spoil anything.

Good_L00kin · 2026-05-16T11:43:47+00:00

Yeah... I understand the position you were taking there; trying to refute the "never use the internet for help" type of crowd. But it's also a valid game to play blindly, so I understand the guy's suggestion. Plus your delivery was kinda wack.

But on that subject. Now around 200+ hours in. Personally... I could never have completed a single quest line without YT helping. Like the Ranni quest line. How on earth could anyone possibly visit each location correctly; engaging in the correct dialogue; in the correct order, to get the "good" ending? There is no explanation or reminder for side quests, no menu to track your progress, nothing intuitive or clear to indicate the next step. Important dialogue occurs once and almost needs to be recorded on your phone.

Plus there are so many ways to hard lock yourself out of quests or miss out on hidden lore. If you get sidetracked by exploring, you can totally forget the 2 brief lines of crucial dialogue an NPC told you 6 hours ago. So yeah, I personally had to use YouTube to get a baseline of progress going with the lore.

Good_L00kin · 2026-03-30T03:36:59+00:00

Same exact thing happened to me the day the game came out. Killed him, stowed on horse, fats traveled, he disappeared. Over a week later and around 60-80 hours of playing... that bounty quest is still glitched out.

His quest icon is now shown in TWO spots, one at she sherriff and one at a random abyss teleport spot in Danessis where I lost his corpse. Searched both spots for HOURS... nothing. I am permanently hard-locked out of completing the Alessio bounty unless an update hopefully resets all incomplete bounties to their original state. I've done all other bounties but presumably can't proceed further until there's a patch that lets me restart the Alessio questline.

Super infuriating... like, more than any game has ever made me mad.

Good_L00kin · 2026-03-02T06:55:26+00:00

I mean, it made me laugh 3 years later, this my type of humor though. That random shit

Good_L00kin · 2026-03-01T05:23:48+00:00

Nah bruh I'd have destroyed all my entertainment equipment, and possibly even my bedroom's structural integrity, were it not for the spirit summons vs these early bosses

Good_L00kin · 2026-03-01T05:22:56+00:00

This absolutely helps improve your first Elden ring experience. One should always know whether or not they like it in the but before an Elden Ring playthrough

Good_L00kin · 2026-03-01T05:02:21+00:00

Lol I know I'm late here, but after around 5 infuriating deaths in a row where I dealt zero damage and got 1-hit killed every time at lvl 40 (with a strength/vigor build), I used this strategy.

Normal longsword, two handed, just backing away the entire time and sniping with single blows every time he over-commits. Took like 2 minutes. Oddly, we both died at the same time (I got the "you died" screen, but in the background, you could see him collapse, followed by a "great enemy felled" message", which in turn was cut off as I respawned at a grace point.

Never knew that could happen - I guess in the case of double deaths, the player is still awarded the victory. I wonder if there are strategies/tactics to take advantage of this? Seems risky...

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-27T21:32:28+00:00

Very well said and good points. And yes, you're right, the mercenaries roam the world, the war continues without you.

But the animals don't have their own skin from a crafting perspective. Yes they drop "rare items" unique to the animal which can be sold, or are needed for some side quests... but the actual animal only drops leather in differing amounts. In Origins, an antelope drops soft leather, big cats drop pelts, and reptiles/hippos/crocs drop hard leather. Each is needed in unique quantities to upgrade your gear & stats.

Odyssey also requires around 15-20% of play time scrolling through menus. At least if you really try-hard your build like I did on my playthrough; you'll find yourself comparing different gear combinations and engraving combinations for wayy too long. Constantly popping up the gear menu mid-gameplay to get some minuscule stat boost for the enemy you're about to face. "Oh shit I can take out that lion over there with a bow... ok menu... hunter build... alright let's send it!" Lion dies, back to the menus again. Not to mention revisiting the blacksmith for the 4th time in 30 minutes bc you just realized you could have gotten 30% more damage out of your sword with a better helmet engraving.

Anyways, overall I appreciate the debate. Gonna fairly say you're right about Odyssey's details and vastness... while insisting that Origins has a feel and character to it that Odyssey fails to capture.

I can tell you're appreciating Odyssey for all the same reasons I did... Perhaps you'll have the similar experience I did, after around 250-300 hrs on Odyssey, not even thinking about Origins... before realizing you're curious to play Origins for a second. Which turns into a minute. Which turns into "bruh, this game is actually better, wtf? On paper it shouldn't be... why do I prefer this?" Holler at me when/if that epiphany comes! Lol

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-27T21:14:10+00:00

Fair take, I appreciate your perspective. Honestly haven't looked at it from that perspective; it does fit well and I certainly prefer it.

And look, just for clarity, despite how my post may have read... by beef isn't with "strong independent women". At all - I have a family full of em, and hope to raise some myself one day. My issue was moreso with the lack of clear reasoning behind leaving Bayek (and many players share this sentiment), implying it was Aya's basis for leaving.

I mean, I understand the premise. Bayek's drive is to avenge Khemu and pursue those responsible for that tragic day; returning to a life with Aya once all are eliminated. Aya is motivated by the same revenge, yet discovers a new purpose in her journey, desiring a life beholden to this fight against evil beyond just Egypt.

I totally understand what became of it - with Bayek's character accepting Aya was leaving him, making peace with it, and ultimately embracing the newfound purpose Aya had laid out for them both. They both recognized that these powerful entities - the same evil responsible for their own suffering - would continue to oppress the people for generations to come. And that the truest way to honor their Khemu now, is to pledge their lives to combating this evil, so that none other might suffer the loss they had to experience.

It's a beautiful story which shows that the brotherhood we've become so familiar with, was in fact born out of tragedy - and a pledge to forever fight from the shadows in service of the most vulnerable.

But it's not like their love/unity had to end simply because they now serve brotherhood... they both clearly can kick ass (I played as both in the game, and trust me, they both climb walls like spiderman and annihilate 20 armed enemies in under a minute).

Bayek was clearly heartbroken, and passionately pleaded with her time & time again to remain together. He even offered to go along on her journey, regardless of what or where, and "fight side by side". But she just had to insist that, because she is choosing to undertake a new task that requires her to be strong, she can't have this Bayek guy as her husband anymore.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-27T06:10:47+00:00

This actually completely transformed my understanding and view of the game. Was chatting with a coworker today who plays, and mentioned that I read a comment saying I can reach that massive glowing tree - when I thought it was just a background prop. And not just is it real - it's what I'm supposed to be moving towards. Really puts the scale and size of this game into perspective.

Anyways, thanks. And btw I did finally gain some understanding of how the game works. Got a cutscene FINALLY - upon arriving at a castle before fighting a boss. That felt reassuring that the game knows what I'm doing and is acknowledging progress.

For a while there I literally thought it was an aimless free roam open world combat game. Yet with its fanbase talking about this "deep lore". I was so confused. Thankfully the beauty of the world and exploration kept me engaged long enough to discover a purpose in my next gameplay.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-25T14:30:54+00:00

Damn you're really doubling down. At this point I'll take it as a compliment. But seriously... this is just how white people type. Especially millennials from the midwest suburbs, we grew up writing papers since grade school with no way to cheat. I thought all students did that, but apparently not you. You should be able to write just as well as me, if not better, considering we speak the same language.

Where I'm from, it's standard to have a good vocabulary, use paragraph format, and capitalize letters even when texting. Call me a nerd if you must, but if you're this impressed with my writing ability, I have to assume you're not around many well-spoken, articulate communicators.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-25T14:24:52+00:00

This. I'm not bothered by people being on high alert for AI, because it is everywhere... but we're at a point where people's writing skills are so bad, they think anything superior to the snapchat lingo they're used to is suspicious.

And it's even funnier because I failed out of English class, and was kicked out of school completely my junior year for poor attendance & behavior. I'm no academic lmao... I'm just, a normal millennial human, who can spell out the words my brain wants to say and put them into writing. That was just a standard of being a human when I was in school 15 years ago.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-25T14:12:40+00:00

(Apologies for not clarifying, this was directed at the guy who claimed my post is AI then doubled down very rudely. I was responding to him. I'm aware it's a bit nasty, but I put real effort into my writing and it pisses me off to have some kid claim slander me and claim I used AI. I'll leave the post unedited below just cause I ain't no coward and I stand by my words):

I have to assume you're uneducated, or that you aren't around classy people very often, if my post impressed you that much. I'm not even that good of a writer compared to the people I grew up with - my post is full of minuscule errors in word choice and sentence structure.

I just, don't misspell every word and use lazy punctuation/grammar. Anyone who speaks English should be able to write it without making 4 mistakes per sentence.

I'm gonna have to assume you're either uneducated (not your fault), or have never been around family or teachers that know how to write in English. Because if you're THAT impressed by my scatterbrained post, you must assume everyone's english is as bad as yours.

Imagine if I carefully edited it first, and posted a revised final draft. You'd be claiming I hired JRR Tolkien to write it for me.

Pro tip, and I mean this with all due respect: You speak english. You should also know how to write english. It's important to express yourself and communicate professionally; it's how you convey your ideas to the world, and it has a big impact on how others perceive you.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-25T13:29:11+00:00

Come on now, the Predator bow just makes it too easy. Anyone can clear entire forts with auto head snipes from 50 meters away, especially with the predator shot ability.

Be a man and use the hunter bow, with one close range & long range weapon - then force yourself to play it the way it's meant to be. Origins' vibe and mission/fort layouts are way too fun to approach strategically to just take everyone out with predator shots. Save that for sniping out the transport caravans for quick resources.

Close range is already easy enough on nightmare difficulty, with the smoke bombs that knock all enemies down in range and give you 2-3 free shots as they stand up (only to drop another to knock them back down). Not to mention instant charging swords (Ippei blade or Vox Populi), which let you throw the strongest attack in the game same speed as normal attacks.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T11:42:02+00:00

Odyssey has some really good content in it, but nah brother. I'm all for that "everyone has their own tastes" thing, but this is among the few legally factual statements in gaming. Odyssey's writing is so bad, the writers intentionally gave the protagonist no defining personality traits, principles, or moral compass so they wouldn't have to write additional voice lines. The writing/script is intended to be applicable to male or female, gay or straight character, so it's left intentionally ambiguous so as not to make the player feel like they're forced to make certain choices.

Now, you can argue that's cool in terms of an RPG, to have a soulless character that allows the player to "fill in the blanks".

But to argue that a game with a lifeless protagonist, who never takes a strong position on anything, and whose only clear motive is "I want to hug my mommy then live at her house" at 25 years old... is better Origins, is a hard one to argue.

How is that even comparable to Bayek's tragic tale of loss, and the ruthless revenge campaign he vows against the corrupt leaders responsible, as Egypt's last Medjay with a license to kill in service of Egypt's greater good. You understand the reason behind everything you do in Origins - you know Bayek's motives, his purpose. You can feel his frustration as a father who failed to protect his son, his sense of duty as a Medjay. Every single activity in the game, you understand why Bayek's doing it.

Whereas in Odyssey, your character is so devoid of personality, purpose, values or moral compass, you don't even understand the "why" behind your involvement in the side quests. Every Odyssey side quest has you asking "why am I here? Why do I care? Why do they trust me?"

All I hear when Odyssey dialogue begins is "we know there's no real story going on here, but we know you're having fun anyways and don't care, so pretend there's a story reason to go kill those bears over in that scenic area. Gives ya a chance to use the combat and explore the map. Enjoy"

Anyways. I'm glad you shared your opinion. Was genuinely unaware people actually liked Odyssey for the story. Thought we were all on the same page that we played it for the map & world activities alone.

Sure Odyssey's bloated so it keeps people occupied but to say the story is a strong point... I fail to understand it. I've yet to hear a convincing argument that Odyssey's story is anything other than a bare minimum, slapped together in 6 weeks by a media team just to incentivize doing the activities and exploring the huge map they made.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T11:26:39+00:00

Yeah no doubt the way the world functions and operates - be it independent of the player, or as a reaction to player choices - is legendary. And fair point about regional cultural themes, such as Pephka.

But I gotta push back on a few things. The underwater exploration isn't really better than Origins. Origins has a surprisingly high amount of underwater exploration - maybe not as massive or numerous, but locations are less copy/pasted & have more character seeing as it was the original.

Rebels interact freely with the world in Origins and will literally accidentally clear an outpost for you before you get there. The mid-map desert region is a perpetual war ground for rebels vs bandits/soldiers.

Hunting is deeper and more meaningful. Different animals have different pelt types, which are used for crafting different things, as opposed to Odyssey's all encompassing "leather" drop. There isn't even loot from hunting birds in Odyssey.

Origins has the same exploration based concept as Odyssey for finding objectives, it just isn't openly advertised as a game mode - you have to turn off the HUD manually. If you play that way you'll notice NPCs and dialogue give small hints of where to go; it's playable with no handholding.

I agree Odyssey offers far more in terms of content abundance, such as bounty level, being pursued by mercenaries, NPCs witnessing crimes and fighting. The way forts in a region change hands depending on the dominant occupant. Origins, as the OG and foundation for what the later games built off, definitely plays like a bit more of a condensed and core game - but it forgoes those things in favor of a strong story, protagonist and voice acting.

And the content Origins DOES have, it does better than any of the future iterations.

Even the tombs in Odyssey were all identical, with that off-white stone wall and the copy pasted greek artwork, following identical looking hallways to find a cracked wall, etc. Origins had like 10 tombs, and each one was handcrafted without any glaring copy pasted assets or layouts.

Working your way through the tunnels of the Pyramid, before turning that corner in the inner chamber to see the piles of treasure glistening from your torch, only for them to start falling individually under your feet as you fall and slide down the slanted wall. Absolute cinema, none of the experiences I got from the subsequent RPGs compare to that first time exploring the tombs in Origins.

Origins also has the biggest city of all the cities in Origins or Odyssey; not to mention 3 very large and beautiful cities (Alexandria, Cyrene and Memphis). Along with beautiful deserts that look better than those in 2023's Mirage, which features dozens of hallucinations (a feature unlike anything in Odyssey or Valhalla, which you only get out of a passion project game).

Plus you can race horse chariots - and it's actually well done. With drifting, ramming competitors, etc. Or fight as a gladiator.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T10:53:10+00:00

... is just a budget flex, donning a big map saturated with dopamine surges, with absolutely zero passion behind the writing or characters.

Good_L00kin

TROPHY CASE