Remedy Entertainment’s Criticism of Xbox Series S for Game Development

Thomas Puha, the head of communications for Remedy Entertainment’s Control and Alan Wake 2 development team, shared his critical views on the Xbox Series S. He empathized with Larian Studios’ complaints about the challenges of developing a game for Microsoft’s cheaper console.

Understanding the Difficulty of Game Development on Xbox Series S

Puha agreed with colleagues from the Baldur’s Gate 3 team, stating that contrary to popular belief, it is actually difficult to create a game on the Series S. He emphasized that developers must consider technical limitations from the very beginning of development, rather than just addressing them at the end. Starting a game project with the knowledge of these constraints can be frustrating for teams that initially have many creative possibilities.

Comparing Xbox Series S to PC Development

Responding to a user who compared the Xbox Series S to the PC world, Puha acknowledged that PC builds scale differently. However, he didn’t elaborate on the specific differences between PC and Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X development. Nonetheless, his comments imply that the Series S imposes significant limitations on game development.

Limitations of Xbox Series S for Developers

Both Thomas Puha and Sven Winke of Larian Studios share the view that the Xbox Series S is a limitation for developers. They argue that its technical limitations require sacrifices in development, hindering the ability to fully optimize games for the console. This sentiment further emphasizes the challenges faced by developers working on the Series S.

Future Release of Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox Series X | S

It is important to note that Baldur’s Gate 3 is not expected to be released on Xbox Series X | S until 2024, highlighting the length of time required to adapt the game to the Series S and potentially overcome some of the limitations.