The Xbox Series S was a wise decision by Microsoft as it represented the face of the current generation for the brand during the pandemic and also provided a more affordable option in economic terms. However, this decision came with a cost, as developers were not happy with having to deal with additional optimization processes compared to the Xbox Series X, leading to an ongoing debate about whether the console is a hindrance or not. Recently, a developer from Larian Studios shared their thoughts on this matter.
Larian Studios does not consider Xbox Series S a hindrance, but rather a different development process
During an interview with Skill Up (via The Gamer), Swen Vincke, the creative director of Larian Studios and Baldur's Gate 3, spoke about the particularities of the development process for the Xbox Series S version. These statements come months after the studio itself acknowledged that working on the less powerful Microsoft console presented difficulties, which generated controversy at the time. According to Vincke, he does not believe that Xbox Series S hinders game development: "Do I think it's holding back game development? It's just defining certain parameters within which you have to develop. There are ways to do it; it just takes effort in the process. However, despite having grown, we don't have infinite resources. That means we can't do everything at once."
Few mortals ever glimpse what you are about to see…
— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) July 7, 2023
A never-seen-before look at Baldur’s Gate 3 and the adventure that awaits you in Faerûn.
Baldur’s Gate 3 launches August 3rd for PC and September 6th for PS5. https://t.co/O94rpwHU70 pic.twitter.com/QZv81AUHHk
The creative director further pointed out that developing Baldur's Gate 3 for Xbox Series S is a similar process to what they have to do for a version on the Switch or PC, considering minimum system requirements. However, he clarified that this work is being done separately, as the team is currently focused on the proper release for PS5 and PC: "Right now, the whole focus is obviously on the PC and PS5 versions that are coming out. There is a team working on the Xbox version, and they are making progress. It's already much better than it was. Our hope is that we'll make it this year, but I don't want to commit to it because optimization comes with this annoying thing where you know where you start, but you don't know where you'll end up."
Stay tuned here, at LEVEL UP.
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