The Xbox Series S as a concept is great for buyers, allowing them to jump to the next generation of consoles for less than a PS5 or Xbox Series X. While it is a dream for consumers, More and more we see that it is a headache for video game developers when it comes to bringing their titles to the Microsoft platform.
Recently the creators of Black Myth: Wukong blamed it for not coming to Xbox, but they are not the first and they certainly will not be the last. So maybe it’s time to accept that this less powerful console is a problem in the current generation.
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The points why the Xbox Series S is a problem
Even before its arrival, the Xbox Series S already raised doubts
Even since the Xbox Series S was revealed, several developers discussed their doubts with this console and the challenges that developing for it would entail. Especially for its 10 GB of RAM. Among these developers we had Remedy Entertainment and ID Software who were among the first to question this move by Microsoft.
In particular, Thomas Puha of Remedy indicated that it is not possible to get the best of both worlds. Although they made an effort with their game in Series S, the GPU is an issue that obviously prevents the same quality and requires more work.
Fuente: Remedy Entertainment.
As time went by and the arrival of several more video games, other studios joined the sentiment and even mentioned Xbox Series S as the reason for delaying or outright skipping Xbox platforms. One of the most popular and recent examples was the GOTY of 2023, Baldur’s Gate 3. It came first to PC, then to PS5 and a long time later to Xbox.
All because Series S didn’t let them implement split screen and Microsoft demands feature parity between Series consoles, although without split screen in Series S.
If you are looking for even more recent examples, we already have Black Myth: Wukong and Dune Awakening. Both mentioned optimizing Xbox Series S as a challenge.
Series S defenses do not take into account a key point
One of the most common defenses we see on social media when a programmer comes out to mention problems with Xbox Series S is that fans of the brand call them lazy. They then begin to mention several video games that manage to come out on the console without many problems. Among the most recent examples of this are Hellblade II and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
What they forget in these kinds of comparisons is that not all studios have the same workforce to bring their game to the Microsoft platform. Also in the case of games from Xbox studios, they have all the enormous financial power of Microsoft and of course all the support of those who developed the console. Even so, they arrive stopped at 30 fps and without releasing all their potential of the next generation.
Source: Larian Studios.
In fact, with Baldur’s Gate 3 they had help from Xbox to be able to bring the game to the console as soon as possible, all because they did not want to be left without GOTY. It really is unfair to demand the same from everyone. If even large triple-A studios encounter problems with optimization for Xbox Series S, what can we expect from some smaller studios.
The status of Black Myth: Wukong on Xbox Series S really doesn’t sound that hard to believe
Taking into account that different teams will have different results with Xbox Series S, we now want to focus on the specific case of Black Myth: Wukong. From the beginning, its developers said that it was not coming to Xbox due to problems with Series S. However, a report claimed that it was due to a secret agreement with PlayStation and many believed it. Until now the director once again blamed Series S.
Now consider that Black Myth: Wukong is currently available on PC and PS5. However, on neither of these two platforms does it run perfectly. In fact, Game Science has already released several patches to improve it.
Fuente: Game Science
If you don’t believe us, just look at the reviews that came out close to its launch to see that it really had several optimization problems that lowered its rating with critics. Now, if it doesn’t run well on the platforms where it is already available. Is it really that incredible to think that I would have trouble running on Xbox Series S?
And we return to the point that studios with high purchasing power, hundreds of employees and a lot of experience are not the same, because Wukong really is Game Science’s first triple A game and it shows.
The Xbox Series S problems are becoming more constant and could increase as the generation advances
While it is clear that not all developers have problems with Xbox Series S, we cannot ignore that the console does indeed have its brakes. Not for nothing is it cheaper than its sister console and it does not achieve the same characteristics in all games as has been demonstrated with several titles. In addition to all the developer comments we already mentioned.
From its introduction until 5 years later, complaints have persisted and we believe they could increase over the years. Especially as the generation progresses and more demanding titles arrive that simply force Xbox to forget parity again or the developers continue to forget the platform completely.
Source: Microsoft.
Although it hurts, it is a reality that Xbox Series S represents an increasingly constant problem despite being a good idea for consumers. But will Microsoft really be able to continue with this parity until the end of the generation?
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