Microsoft is actively investigating why some third-party games are having performance issues on the Xbox Series X, with certain titles running better on the PlayStation 5. The news follows reports that Sony's console may have outsold the Xbox Series X/S by almost double. The PS5 allegedly sold between 2.1 and 2.5 million units on launch day.
Earlier this week, Digital Foundry published a series of reports that seemed to indicate that many third-party games appeared to run worse on the Xbox Series X compared to the PS5. This perplexed players and journalists, as Microsoft's system should have several performance advantages due to the more powerful hardware. Titles like Devil May Cry 5 and Assassin's Creed Valhalla had a number of technical issues such as frame rate drops and screen tearing that were not present in the PS5 version of the game.
Microsoft has confirmed that it is aware that a number of third-party titles seem to be running worse on the Xbox Series X compared to the PS5. The company is now investigating exactly why this is happening when its console is supposed to be more powerful — at least on paper. According to The Verge, Microsoft has released a statement saying that it is "aware of performance issues in a handful of optimized titles on Xbox Series X|S and are actively working with our partners to identify and resolve the issues to ensure an optimal experience." The tech giant confirmed that it is reaching out to developers to try and resolve the issues.
The spokesperson went on to say:
"As we begin a new console generation, our partners are just now scratching the surface of what next-gen consoles can do and minor bug fixes are expected as they learn how to take full advantage of our new platform."
Meanwhile, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has spoken about plans for Microsoft to release a streaming app for smart TVs next year. This would allow users to play Xbox games directly on their television sets without needing a console, using technology such as Project xCloud to stream games to TVs via an internet connection. However, there are no firm details about when such an app might be released.
The news that Microsoft is now looking into why some games are having performance issues on the Xbox Series X will come as a relief to players. After all, those who bought the new console may well have done so because of the supposed extra power that it is meant to have. Of course, it might be some time before developers get to grips with both the PS5 and Xbox Series X and are able to get the most of out both consoles.
Source: The Verge