We’re just over two years into the current generation of consoles now, but it feels like we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface. Developers and publishers are just now getting into the phase where they’re starting to drop cross-gen releases and instead make games built specifically for current-gen hardware, meaning that we still have several questions about this current crop of consoles we’ve received. since they first launched in late 2020.
For example, is the Xbox Series S, thanks to its weaker hardware compared to the Xbox Series X and PS5, going to become a problem in the near future? Although we’re obviously going to have to wait for a definitive answer in that regard, Jose Carlos Montero – CEO of Red Hook Games, the studio behind Journey to the Westaction-adventure inspired title Crown of Wu – feels that he is certainly lower than his more powerful current counterparts in terms of the hierarchy of the current generation.
Speaking in a recent interview with GamingBolt, Montero said that he personally sees the Xbox Series S as more of a support console, especially with Game Pass becoming more of a force for Microsoft, and added that he believes the console will finds it difficult. maintaining 1440p / 60 FPS for the more demanding games throughout the generation – which is what Microsoft promised back when it was first unveiled.
“It’s going to be difficult to maintain 1440p/60 FPS for the most demanding games of the generation,” Montero said. “As much as Xbox wants to sell it this way, I don’t think the average consumer will want to buy an S Series and set it up as their console for the entire generation. Personally I see it more as a support console, for example in our case at home we have a PS5 and an S Series which we use to play Xbox exclusive games or just to enjoy the great Game Pass system. If we want to enjoy more resolution / quality we play on PS5 or PC directly.”
Opinion has certainly been split on the Xbox Series S ever since the console launched just over a few years ago. Several developers have spoken publicly about how the console’s lower specs compared to the Xbox Series X and PS5 could hinder development, especially in the long term, but at the same time, other studios have expressed the opinion to the opposite.
Microsoft, as you might expect, has defended the console staunchly. In the run-up to its launch in 2020, for example, Xbox system architect Andrew Goossen said that the Xbox Series S would not hold back the new generation of consoles, but rather help advance them. It should be interesting to see which end of the spectrum of that debate the industry as a whole ends up falling on, especially as we get deeper into this generation of consoles, and as games become more and more demanding on hardware.
Meanwhile, Red Mountain Studio’s Crown of Wu out today for PS5, PS4, and PC, while Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One versions are also currently in development.
