Saints Row Preview: First Impressions From a Journalists’ Event
Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry team was granted access to a Saints Row preview shown at a dedicated journalist event. There, attendees could explore the game across multiple modes, gaining hands-on impressions of how it feels to play in different scenarios and environments.
The footage and gameplay were captured on a PC equipped with an Intel Core i7-7700K processor, 32 GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card. Even with this high-end hardware, observers noted that not every setting could be pushed to the absolute maximum without compromise. The takeaway was clear: the preview hardware is capable, but it doesn’t guarantee peak visuals or flawless performance in every situation once the game ships.
In practice, the game managed to render in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second in closed, controlled spaces, even when spectacular events like explosions were happening nearby. When players moved into more open or expansive areas, however, frame rates tended to dip below the 60 FPS target, signaling the kind of trade-offs players can expect in less constrained environments.
During the test, stability improved noticeably when the team reduced the output resolution while leaving other settings unchanged. This approach helped maintain smoother gameplay without altering texture quality or lighting, illustrating how frame-rate stabilization can come from resolution scaling rather than broader graphic downgrades. The tests also revealed that the game can consume roughly 10 GB of video memory at maximum display quality, a factor that becomes important for players with mid-range GPUs or limited VRAM headroom.
Overall, the preview build ran with a solid level of stability, with occasional crashes that are typical of early, non-final software. It is important to remember that this version was not a release build; when the final game launches, improvements in performance and stability are anticipated as developers continue to optimize assets and code paths. This perspective aligns with standard industry expectations for a day-one experience based on early access previews.
The minimum system requirements for Saints Row were listed as follows: Windows 10 (64-bit) as the operating system, an Intel Core i3-3240 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 processor, 8 GB of RAM, 50 GB of free disk space, and a video card such as Radeon RX 480 or GeForce GTX 970. While these specs establish a baseline for basic play, players aiming for smoother 4K experiences or higher frame rates will naturally gravitate toward more capable hardware, as reflected by the tested configuration used during the preview.
Saints Row officially released on August 23, 2022, making its way to PC and current-generation consoles including Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4. The event and subsequent coverage highlighted the game’s ambition to blend fast-paced, over-the-top action with a vivid, open-world playground where players can experiment with a wide range of tactics. The coverage summarized here comes from a report by VG Times, which documented the hands-on experience and initial impressions from the journalist briefing. In practice, players can expect to explore varied playgrounds that reward creativity, timing, and a willingness to push the game’s systems to their limits as new content and updates roll out post-launch.