The Xbox Series S is under further scrutiny as another developer speaks out, likening the entry-level console to an "albatross around the neck of production." Microsoft's Xbox Series S released at the same time as the Xbox Series X but cost $200 less, acting as a more affordable option for the new generation.
Last week it was announced that upcoming title Gotham Knights would only run at 30 frames per second on consoles, despite being PS5 and Xbox Series X/S exclusive, officially citing the difficulties of maintaining a higher frame rate when providing a supposedly seamless cooperative experience and "highly detailed open-world." Disappointment surrounding this then circled online, where Lee Denovald from Rocksteady (who was not involved in Gotham Knights' development) blamed the Xbox Series S GPU and claimed this generation of gaming to be "hamstrung by that potato." Denovald noted that Microsoft "won't let you launch on one without the other," which forces developers to optimize for the Xbox Series S, an assertion that has been recently backed up by indie developer Ian Maclure.
In a reply on Twitter that is no longer able to be seen, Ian Maclure countered veteran journalist Jeff Gerstmann's opinion that given the variety of PC hardware that needs to be accounted for, the argument that Xbox Series S is handicapping this generation holds no water. Maclure, a VFX artist at Bossa who has worked on titles that came to Xbox Series X/S and PC, claimed "MANY developers have been sitting in meetings for the past years desperately trying to get Series S launch requirements dropped." Maclure continued, saying that having experienced "one development cycle where Series S turned out to be an albatross around the neck of production," studios are not keen to "repeat the process," especially with more games now being developed exclusively for the current generation of consoles.
Gamers are unlikely to receive unfettered clarity regarding how the Xbox Series S is affecting this current generation, especially as many of the developers who offered their opinions have since deleted their comments or provided clarifications that ostensibly backtrack on their initial statements. There are no winners in this situation, with Microsoft in a potentially impossible position; maintain Xbox Series S and X launch requirements, potentially holding back a generation, or allow developers to ditch the entry level console, breaking promises made to consumers in the process. PlayStation could be considered victors, however, given that PS5 exclusives have no restraints other than the console itself. Sony likely also appreciates that the spotlight is no longer on it and the recent drama surrounding Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The gaming community was rather discontent with Gotham Knights announcing the lack of a performance mode, given the title dropped prior generations consoles and was revealed to be $70 at release. However, some have been poking fun at the situation, with The Callisto Protocol confirming on Twitter that the spiritual successor to Dead Space would indeed be releasing on December 2, boasting "a 60FPS performance mode."
Source: VGC