Developing games for the Xbox Series S was always known to be troublesome due to the console's technical limitations and Microsoft requiring feature parity with the Xbox Series X, but it seems like the less powerful console is more of a problem than most thought, judging from some recent comments.
Speaking on Twitter, Remedy Entertainment Communications Director Thomas Puha commented on developing for the console, saying that he feels Larian Studios' pain, as the developer is still working on the Xbox Series X|S version of Baldur's Gate 3 to make split-screen co-op work on the weaker console smoothly. According to Puha, releasing a title that runs well isn't just a matter of optimization, as development has to take into account the technical limitations of the system right from the beginning, which is something no developer wants to do at the start of the process. While developing for the two current-gen consoles by Microsoft may not sound that different than optimizing for different PC hardware configurations, it isn't just as easy, according to Thomas Puha, as things just scale differently on PC
I feel Larian's pain on Series S. Its not about "just optimize at the end" LOL. Naaah. You have to take into account the technical limitations from the beginning of development. Nobody really wants to think of that when you start making your game, when everything is possible
— Thomas Puha (@RiotRMD) August 2, 2023
Take my word for it. PC build just scales differently. It just isnt that easy on X and S for a multitude of reasons. I'm reallly oversimplifying though.
— Thomas Puha (@RiotRMD) August 2, 2023
The Xbox Series S has always been under fire due to its technical limitations, but as games become more complex, so do these limitations become much of a problem. As mentioned above, Larian Studios still cannot provide a release window for Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S as getting split-screen co-op to run on the weaker console is proving to be a challenge, although the studio promised to provide an update by the end of the year. With more titles struggling to run properly on the console, it will be interesting to see if Microsoft will finally drop mandatory feature parity, something select studios seemingly asked the company a while back.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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