Machine Games’ Creative Director Axel Torvenius has raised the bar for what Xbox Series console owners can expect for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Speaking to Windows Central, he made this statement when it came to technical performance:
“It might be that we will release even more details in terms of specifics, technical details, as we get closer to launch, once we see all the telemetry on performance.
But what I can tell you is that the ambition is that the game runs at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and that, you know, it shouldn’t be compromised in the visuals or the experience of the product.
It should feel cohesive, running smoothly at 60 on both.”
This follows GSC Game World claiming that they managed to get their upcoming title, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, running on the Xbox Series S at 60 FPS.
For now, it is not a stable 60 FPS in action. However, the studio which has split between Kyiv and Prague, is planning to build a performance mode for this purpose.
These statements are great news for Xbox Series S owners, whose chosen console had originally received a stellar reputation for offering a cheap entry point for current generation consoles. However, in the succeeding years, it had been branded as an impediment to game development.
Part of this is that Microsoft placed a requirement to third party developers to get their games ready for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S at the same time before they can get published on the platform. That ironically led to many games coming to PlayStation 5 first, but it was a policy intended to make sure Xbox Series S users were not left behind.
And then developers started talking openly about how making modern games to run on the Xbox Series S was an added burden to game development in general. Regardless of if the games sell well on Xbox or not, the complaint is it’s just an additional workload, that does lead to longer development time and harder deadlines for them.
And of course, now Microsoft has to reckon with the impact of the PlayStation 5 Pro. It is well understood that the console will really only sell to a smaller group of higher income PlayStation gamers. But the improved performance the upgraded console promises raises expectations for Xbox as well.
So we may see more Microsoft first party titles tout 60 FPS on the Xbox Series S as well as the Xbox Series X. If gamers were honest, we would all be talking about how both the Xbox Series S and PlayStation 5 Pro both use upscaling.
If Microsoft can make that 60 FPS message stick on Xbox Series S, even if it is only for their first party games, it will at least keep that console competitive with gamers. We now see that Microsoft’s bet with the console SKU has not paid off, as newer or low-income gamers are more likely to play their games on PC on Game Pass, and now, mobile.
But for those gamers who wanted this option, and that’s still about half of all Xbox Series console owners, this is welcome news that should keep them happy.
