The Xbox Series S is a gaming console that has accounted for 3 out of 4 total Xbox sales for Microsoft. Its affordable price tag has made it a popular choice among gamers. However, this affordability has sparked continuous discussions regarding the challenges faced by game developers in optimizing games for the Series S. Remedy, the developer behind Alan Wake 2, recently shed light on the difficulties they encountered in developing a playable version of the game on the Series S, limited to a 30fps frame rate.
Thomas Puha, Remedy’s Communications Director, explained in an interview with IGN that while the Series S has a CPU performance that is comparable to the Xbox Series X, the GPU differs significantly. Additionally, the Series S has significantly less memory, which presents a major challenge in game development. Even though Remedy has previously developed games on PCs with diverse hardware options, the limitations of the Series S posed a unique obstacle.
The primary issue with the Series S is its inadequate memory, as reducing the image resolution alone does not solve the problem. Remedy had to put in tremendous effort to ensure that the quality of the visuals did not suffer. Unlike on PCs, where players accept that lower-spec hardware may result in compromised image quality and frame rates, Remedy strived to maintain a beautiful and next-generation gaming experience with Alan Wake 2 on the Xbox Series S, aiming for a stable 30fps frame rate.
Alan Wake 2 will be available for Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, and PC on October 27th.
TLDR: The Xbox Series S has been a top-selling console for Microsoft, but its affordability poses challenges for game developers, as highlighted by Remedy while developing Alan Wake 2. The limited memory and distinct GPU of the Series S presented hurdles in optimizing the game for the console, requiring extensive effort to maintain visual quality. Despite these obstacles, Alan Wake 2 will be released for Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, and PC on October 27th.
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