How Avowed Runs on PlayStation 5 (Review)

When it released in February 2025, Avowed became one of the last major Xbox console exclusives to date. Obsidian Entertainment’s RPG has been available on PC and Xbox for the last year. But in celebration of its one-year anniversary, Avowed is finally available on the PS5. The game arrives in the PlayStation store alongside a major Anniversary Update, and I got a chance to check it out early for review.

While my husband does have a refurbished Xbox Series S in the basement, I am primarily a PS5 and Nintendo Switch console gamer. So, as a huge RPG fan, I’ve been waiting to get my hands on Avowed for quite some time. Though initial reviews have been mixed overall, I was hoping to see for myself whether the game lives up to its Skyrim successor praise. I’m pleased to report that the PS5 port of Avowed runs well and looks great, making it an overall solid addition to the console’s RPG library. As for the game itself? Well, I see why those early Xbox and PC reviewers had such mixed impressions now.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Pros	Cons
Fun, challenging action combat	Characters & story sometimes lack emotional depth
Interesting mix of character build options	Occasional awkward jumps & stutters during dialogue cutscenes
A stunning world that looks great on PS5
Packed with engaging side quests alongside the main story

Avowed’s Stunning World Looks Top-Notch on PS5 (And Runs Pretty Well, Too)

First things first, let’s talk PS5 performance. Part of the issue with Avowed at launch was that it had some optimization challenges on PC. But as for this latest console port, I didn’t notice any serious issues. The world of the Living Lands is lush, colorful, and full of interesting plant and animal life. Graphics-wise, Avowed looks solid on PS5, with sharp details and little to no noticeable lag while exploring.

That said, I did notice some awkward jumps and stutters during dialogue cutscenes. When a character is done talking, there’s just a little awkward jump before the scene moves on. I’m not sure if this is exclusively a PS5 issue or just a minor snag that hasn’t been smoothed over in the port. It wasn’t a major issue, but it was definitely something I noticed. Similarly, my character managed to get herself stuck while exploring a few times, which led to some awkward animations before I unstuck myself. Compared to something like Oblivion Remastered, though, Avowed runs perfectly well without any bugs or glitches that break the game.

Overall, Avowed feels right at home on PS5. The new PS5 version also comes alongside some enhancements from the anniversary update, including expanded customization during character creation and beyond. So while I was checking out the game’s overall PS5 performance, I tried to also take note of these new QoL features where I could. The character creator definitely felt pretty solid, with a ton of playable race options and presets to choose from. As for the photo mode update, I’m afraid this leaves something to be desired. In my experience, you can’t meaningfully pose your character or get them to look at the camera, so it feels pretty limited compared to what similar games have on offer.

Despite Ticking All the RPG Boxes, Avowed Remains Good But Not Great

If you’re a PS5 gamer like I am, you might be wondering whether Avowed is worth grabbing now that it’s finally an option. At $50 on PS5, it’s relatively affordable compared to many bigger games coming out today. And Avowed does offer a pretty decent RPG experience overall, with a hefty amount of playtime. Between side quests, bounties, and a relatively robust main story, Avowed will give you plenty to do. But despite ticking all of the boxes in theory, there’s still something about Avowed that doesn’t quite hit the spot like I wanted.

To be clear, mechanically, Avowed delivers a perfectly decent RPG experience. It feels very much like a blend of Skyrim and Baldur’s Gate 3, but with a setting and characters all its own. Combat is real-time, with plenty of weapons to help you niche down into a preferred playstyle. I like how easy it is to swap between 2 weapon presets, but I do wish the game was a bit more rewarding of stealth. After you get one good shot off, you’re pretty much forced into melee, whether you stay hidden or not. And it’s quite easy to run across foes that are far too strong for you, which your companions will helpfully let you know.

Weapon and armor upgrades and enchanments are a nice added layer, helping you keep your favorite items up to snuff as you take on more challenging foes. Along with this, the game’s skill point system lets you select skills from across multiple classes, rather than forcing you into one specific build. This will be fun for mid-maxers or general chaos gamers like me. Your companions also get some skill points to spend, though I do wish we met more of these characters a bit sooner in the game’s main story.

There’s much to enjoy in the general gameplay of Avowed. It’s got all the major pieces, and they all work well enough. There’s even a hint of the kind of chaos I love in an RPG. One wrong move can have pretty big consequences, as when I selected a dialogue option that forced me to kill a pretty major character. Apparently, you can get a whole segment of the city furious at you, with amusing results.

But despite these glimmers, there’s something about the characters and story that just feel a bit devoid of a truly compelling emotional hook. Whether it’s because we meet some of our companions too late in the game or because the story itself has some echoes of what’s come before, Avowed‘s story just doesn’t quite hook you in like some other big RPGs have done. Despite missing out on a bit of that masterpiece-level storytelling, I still think Avowed will be worth your while if you enjoy sinking into a good RPG. It didn’t quite scratch that Skyrim itch for me, but it came closer than a lot of other games have done.

Avowed releases for PS5 on February 17th, 2026, alongside the Anniversary Update on all platforms. The Standard Edition costs $49.99, and the premium edition is $59.99. ComicBook received a PS5 code for Avowed for the purpose of this review.

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