Dead Island 2 PC - DF Tech Review - Optimised Settings + Performance Tests

The state of PC ports in 2023 is hardly impressive - and we’re particularly edgy when a new PC game based on Unreal Engine 4 arrives for testing. But the truth is that in common with its console siblings, Dead Island 2 on PC delivers a solid experience. Here’s newcomer Don Allen taking on the port, with optimised settings for mid-range ’console-like’ hardware and higher end kit. Join the DF Supporter Program for pristine video downloads, behind the scenes content, early access to DF Retro, early access to DF Direct Weekly and much, much more: Subscribe for more Digital Foundry: Want some DF-branded tee-shirts, mugs, hoodies or pullovers? Check out our store: 00:00 Don’s intro to Dead Island 2 on PC 01:05 Setting expectations - Epic Games, shader compilation, options, ultrawide 02:45 Loading times, graphical techniques and image quality (TAA vs FSR 2) 04:09 VRS impressions, menu wishlist and mirror/reflection weirdness 05:20 Performance on mid-range (RTX 2080) and higher-end configs (RTX 3080 Ti) 06:19 PS5-equivalent / optimised settings - shadows and effects 07:01 Performance using optimised settings at 4K FSR quality, weird frame-rate drop 07:53 Impressions at 1440p native VRR / frame-rate cap, optimised settings 08:25 Traversal stutter report 08:41 Overall tech report, strengths and weaknesses 09:13 Outro and ring the bell