PlatformsXboxXbox Series XBlack Myth: WukongXbox woes abound as the Black Myth Wukong situation gets weirder, indies get frustrated over lack of communication, and Series S continues offering a “challenge” to devsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
PlatformsXboxXbox Series XBlack Myth: WukongXbox woes abound as the Black Myth Wukong situation gets weirder, indies get frustrated over lack of communication, and Series S continues offering a “challenge” to devsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Game Science)
It’s been a real weird week for Xbox, with confusion over the status of Black Myth: Wukong, third-parties noting the ongoing challenges for development on Series S, and frustration from indie devs over poor communication coming out all at once. These are all isolated problems, but the as the industry and fans alike continue to struggle to understand Xbox’s position in 2024, they’re coming up at an inauspicious moment.
Xbox entered this console generation in 2020 with two new platforms: the Xbox Series X, comparable in power toSony’s competing PS5, and the less powerful Series S model. Series S can, in theory, do everything that the Series X can - just at lower resolutions and frame rates - and it sells at an attractive price point for players who don’t demand the most high-end gaming experiences. But since even before the launch of the generation, fans and developers alike have feared that developing a game for Xbox - and thus having to support both Series S and X - couldhamstring the creation of new, high-end games.
Dune: Awakeningchief product officer Scott Junior rather gently indicated that’s still the case in a recent interview withVG247. “It’s one of the reasons we’re coming out on PC first,” Junior said. “There’s a lot of optimisations we need to do before we release on the Xbox. But yeah, Xbox Series S is a challenge.”
That quote comes just after theothercontroversy aroundBlack Myth: Wukonghas been coming to a head. Developer Game Science said months before launch that it was"optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards, so it won’t release simultaneously with the other platforms.“At the time, the delay of the Xbox version of such a visually impressive game seemed like a sure signal that the Series S problem had struck once again.
It’s allextremelyconfusing, which is par for the course on Xbox’s relationship with its third-party developers at this point. The dev behind theSoulslike Enotria has announced an indefinite delay to the game’s Xbox version, claiming that Xbox has ignored its emails for months. “You can ask Xbox why they haven’t answered us for two months,” the studio said in a message to fans. “Obviously they don’t care about Enotria and they don’t care about you.”
Taken in aggregate, what does all this mean? Maybe nothing! These could all be isolated cases of various Xbox policies coming to public light in poor circumstances. But if you took an optimistic view of the Series S when it was first announced, or hoped thatMicrosoftwouldkeep the lights on at studios like Tango Gameworks, or bought a modern Xbox to playexclusives like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, well… It’s getting increasingly difficult to keep that optimism alive.
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In another case of Series S woes,Baldur’s Gate 3 launched on Xbox months late after Larian and Phil Spencer “found a solution.”
See more Xbox Series X News
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”