Recently, a former developer of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has strongly criticized the game optimization process of the Xbox Series S. The developer called it “annoying” and even wished that this console had never come into existence. This statement comes amidst recent game delays on Xbox consoles and complaints from some developers working on the Xbox Series S.

The Xbox Series S was launched during the 2020 holidays as a less-powerful and budget-friendly console alongside the Xbox Series X. While the Series X was priced at $499, the Series S was introduced with a price tag of $299, which included removing the disc drive, offering half the storage, and using a smaller chipset that was 65-70% less performant on paper. However, the longevity of the Series S has been much debated since its announcement, as many believe that this hardware is proving to be a new headache for game developers.

Developers’ concerns over Xbox Series S optimization

Most game developers are not allowed to share their experiences for certain platforms, but some developers have expressed concerns over the Xbox Series S over the years. Joining them is former Naughty Dog, Respawn, and Rocksteady Principal Artist Dale Walker, who worked on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Responding to a tweet on Xbox’s recent problems, such as Black Myth Wukong’s delay on Xbox consoles, Walker cited the Series S as the main reason for the delay.

Dale Walker called the budget console “annoying to optimize” and said that he expects more games to be delayed or leave the Xbox platform altogether in the future, due to Series S optimization problems. Walker’s comments are somewhat true, as 2023 Game of the Year winner Baldur’s Gate 3 also faced an Xbox launch delay, including problems with split-screen co-optimization for the Series S. Ultimately, Microsoft allowed Larian Studios to omit this feature entirely for the Xbox Series S, a rare exception to the Series X/S feature parity rule.

Xbox Series S: A controversial hardware?

Despite the delay of Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke defended the Series S and said that this budget Xbox console is no less cumbersome than supporting the Steam Deck handheld gaming PC. So, it’s a bit difficult to say whether the Series S is really a problem for game developers, or they just see it as another hardware configuration that they have to adapt to.

Final Thoughts

Developers’ reactions to the Xbox Series S are divided. While some consider it a necessary challenge, others see it as an unnecessary obstacle. This controversy has made the Xbox Series S a controversial issue in the gaming industry. It will be interesting to see in the coming times whether Microsoft will take any action in view of this criticism or the Series S will continue to be mired in controversies.

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