CD Projekt Red has apologized on Twitter for the technical condition of the last-gen versions of “Cyberpunk 2077”. The versions for PS4 and Xbox One run with poor frame rates and low resolutions. “We should have paid more attention to the fact that these versions can be played better”, write CD project managers now in the statement.
The state of the game should improve in the coming months: In January and February, two major patches are to be released, which together should fix the biggest problems of the last-gen versions. CD Projekt plans to provide more information on the content of these patches before they are released.
If you don’t want to wait that long, you have the opportunity to return your game: Buyers of a digital copy can get the refund directly from Sony or Microsoft request, disk buyers should ask the seller. If this is not the case, buyers can also contact CD Projekt Red directly. Purchased and already played video games cannot usually be easily returned on Xbox and Playstation – CD Projekt has apparently reached an agreement with Sony and Microsoft here.
Last-gen version not shown in advance CD Projekt also apologizes for missing information in advance: Before the release, the development studio had no gameplay material for Playstation 4 and Xbox One shown. Only the game version for the newer systems PS4 Pro and Xbox One X was shown in a video. In the run-up to the publication, CD Projekt also only issued PC keys to the press, console versions were only sent on the eve of the publication.
In the Twitter CD Projekt, on the other hand, is open about the prospects for PS4 and Xbox One: Even after the patches in January and February, this game version will therefore differ significantly from the version for high-end PCs. But it should at least look more like it than the current console version: On PS4, the resolution sometimes drops to up to 720 p, the frame rate even drops in places on below 20 FPS.
“Cyberpunk 2077” in 100 seconds
The PC version of Cyberpunk 2077 also has performance -Fight problems and bugs. CD Projekt promises that it will also be provided with updates in the coming months.
Owners of TVs with HDMI 2.1 were certainly not happy to learn that Variable Refresh Rate support would not be available at the launch of the PlayStation 5, despite that it technically supports said image transmission system. The bitterness is filled with the fact that competing Microsoft has been adding support for variable refresh rates since the launch of the Xbox One X. Fortunately, Sony has just officially confirmed that it plans to introduce an update in the future that will support VRR. Unfortunately, it is still not known when this update is to come. All that’s left is to wait patiently …
Variable refresh rate allows the display to be synchronized with the current frame rate generated by the GPU from the PC (or, in this case, the console) . Even though PS5 does not currently support VRR, Sony has confirmed that I plan to upgrade with tech support.
Review of Sony PlayStation 5 and Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Variable Refresh Rate is also a guarantee of no tearing of the image, in addition to the input delay compared to the classic V-Sync technique. This is one of the biggest advantages of Microsoft’s Xbox Series X over the PS5, as demonstrated by Digital Foundry in a recent analysis of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. However, there is nothing bad that would not turn out to be good. The FAQ on the official PlayStation blog says that a future software update will indeed enable Variable Refresh Rate support in compatible games.
We are already testing the Sony PlayStation 5 console! Our first impressions
PS5 hardware supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) over HDMI 2.1. With a future system software update, PS5 owners will be able to use VRR features on compatible TVs while playing games that support VRR. – we read on the PS5 blog. Sony could have a bit of a mess here, because it looks like the PS5 will only support VRR via HDMI 2.1. It has not been officially confirmed yet. Xbox One X and Xbox Series X support VRR over both HDMI 2.1 (4K @ 120 fps) and HDMI 2.0 (4K @ 60 fps). 4K support at 120 fps via HDMI 2.1 is possible only for games that support 120 FPS. PlayStation 4 (Pro) games will not be able to use such high frame rates without studio creating a full (separate) game port.
A week ago, the Polish studio CD Projekt RED released the long-awaited gameplay from Cyberpunk as part of a special episode of Night City Wire) running on Microsoft consoles. We had the opportunity to watch 10 – one minute gameplay from the Xbox One X and Xbox Series X versions. So you could expect another video soon, this time prepared on the basis of the PlayStation 4 Po and PlayStation 5. No, we don’t mean the video that was leaked last weekend, but the official game record. This time there was no big announcement of a special edition of Night City Wire, the last episode of which we could watch on Thursday. How does Cyberpunk 2077 look on PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation 5?
CD Projekt RED has released a new, 6-minute long gameplay from Cyberpunk 2077, this time from the PlayStation 4 Pro and PS5 versions .
Cyberpunk 2077: Xbox One X and Series X game presentation
We were expecting Cyberpunk gameplay 2077 on PlayStation 4 (Pro) and PS5 during the last Night City Wire, but the final episode of the event promoting the upcoming RPG was full of so many attractions that it was hard to fit there. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long. CD Projekt RED is a bit more skeptical, because the length of the shared gameplay is “only” about 6.5 minutes. The graphics on the PlayStation 4 Pro seem to be comparable to that of the Xbox One X version and this time the streets are also empty (maybe the NPCs hid from the rain?). It seems that it is no coincidence that fragments from Badlands were also shown, in which not much is happening and it is difficult to count on any drops in performance.
Cyberpunk 2077 – hardware requirements to 1440 p, 4K and ray tracing
Cyberpunk video shared 2077 is less chaotic than the one that presented the Xbox versions. There is no regular jumping from one platform to another – CD Projekt RED studio first showed a gameplay fragment from PlayStation 4 Pro, and then from PlayStation 5. Both clippings show completely different scenes. On the second console, the player is thrown into the action. Fortunately, the animation flow seems stable. The visual setting is difficult to clearly judge by the image quality offered by the compressed YouTube movie, but even the PlayStation 5 version will not look as good as on the PC. Cyberpunk 2077 in the version for new consoles will receive a solid “upgrade”, probably including ray tracing support, only in an unspecified period 2021 year. We would like to remind you that the premiere of CD Projekt RED will take place 10 on December this year.
Last week, CD Projekt Red released the first official footage of Cyberpunk 2077 running on Xbox One X and Xbox Series X. Now this week, the studio is turning its attention to PlayStation, with new gameplay capture from the PS4 Pro and PS5.
The video simply shows Cyberpunk 2077 running on both consoles, although it should be noted that on the PS5, the game is running in backwards compatibility mode. CD Projekt Red will be releasing its next-gen console enhancement patch for Cyberpunk 2077 in 2021.
Interestingly, CD Projekt Red is not showing the game running on base Xbox One or PS4 hardware, opting to use the mid-gen refresh consoles as the base point of reference. This coincides with rumours that the game’s recent delay to December was down to the quality of the game on base Xbox One and PS4 hardware.
At the moment, Cyberpunk 2077 is due to release on the 10th of December for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Google Stadia.
KitGuru Says: What do you all think of the console capture footage so far? At this point, I’m very interested to see the visual jump between the Xbox One X/PS4 Pro and the base versions of those consoles.
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One of the big selling points of next-gen consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X is support for games running at 120fps on TVs and monitors that include 120Hz modes. While we’ve already seen a number of new Xbox and PS5 games running at 120fps, some existing games are only being updated with 120fps for the Xbox Series X, and not the PS5.
Both Call of Duty: Warzone and Rocket League, for example, only include support for 120fps on the Xbox Series X. Activision has not commented on why only Warzone on the Xbox Series X has this support, but Rocket League developer Psyonix has revealed to Eurogamer that it’s more complicated to enable on the PS5 side.
120Hz mode in DIRT 5 on Xbox Series X.
“Enabling 120Hz on Xbox Series X|S is a minor patch, but enabling it on PS5 requires a full native port due to how backwards compatibility is implemented on the console, and unfortunately wasn’t possible due to our focus elsewhere,” explains Psyonix in a statement to Eurogamer.
The PS5 is capable of running existing PS4 games at 120fps, but there’s clearly more work involved for developers to enable it. In the short term, this could mean we’ll see more instances of games running on the PS5 without 120fps, but appearing on Xbox Series X with the higher frame rate.
It’s only been easier for developers to implement this on the Xbox Series X side because Microsoft built 120Hz support into the Xbox One years ago. The Xbox One X and Xbox One S were also updated to support variable refresh rates back in 2018, alongside an option for 1440p video output. Sony has only just started supporting 120Hz with the PS5, but the console still doesn’t support a 1440p mode.
The 120fps support won’t be an issue in the long term, as more developers will be building native PS5 games. But as developers continue to release cross-generation games for Xbox One and PS4 then there’s likely to be a mix of what’s supported. There are signs this could improve, though. Bungie is planning to update Destiny 2 on December 8th with 120fps support on both the Xbox Series X and PS5 for its crucible mode.
After only PC material was shown in previous trailers, developer CD Projekt Red has now for the first time a video with console gameplay for “Cyberpunk 2077” released. In it, CD Projekt shows the action role-playing game on the Xbox One X and the Xbox Series X. Apparently, the video is a cooperation with Microsoft: The Playstation is simply swept under the table with the name “other console”. “Cyberpunk 2077” appears on 10. December simultaneously for PC, Xbox and Playstation.
The new gameplay video for “Cyberpunk 2077 “mainly because of the comparison between the Xbox One X and the new Xbox Series X. This is exactly what CD Projekt makes difficult: the video jumps to a new scene every time that Gameplay material is switched from one console to the next. Accordingly, it is hardly possible to make a direct comparison.
Xbox video for “Cyberpunk 2021”
(Source: CD Projekt) In addition, CD Projekt only made the video available in FullHD resolution, although both Xbox consoles shown should actually aim at 4K resolution. The previous “Cyberpunk 2077” videos, all of which only showed PC material, were also uploaded by CD Projekt in 4K resolution. The Xbox video is also only shown in 30 FPS – it is still unclear whether the game will also have a 60 – will support FPS mode. The video does not contain any tangible information about the differences between current and next-gen consoles.
More questions than answers The trailer therefore gives the impression that CD Projekt is the comparison between Xbox One X and Xbox Intentionally nebulizing Series X. One possible explanation: At the start on 10. December no optimization patch for the new console generation will be available yet. That could mean that the shooter RPG on the Series X and PS5 looks exactly the same as on the previous consoles – as is the case with other games that have not been adapted for the PS5 and Series X. According to the CD project, the patch will only be released 2021, meaningful comparisons between the console generations will probably only be possible after publication.
One advantage of the new consoles, which even games without an optimization patch can take advantage of, are more stable frame rates: Because the hardware is stronger, games reach their intended limits more frames per second. For example, if a game designed for 30 FPS on the One generation occasionally sags, then it could on the Series X too without a patch keep the 30 FPS stable. When testing the PS5, heise online found this in the 45 FPS mode of Dark Souls 3, for example. But it is also conceivable that CD Projekt installs a 30 FPS mode at the start, which the new consoles can use without additional optimization.
Frame rate not stable What that Xbox video already shows: At least the One X does not seem to be able to maintain a consistently stable frame rate. Especially in battle scenes with shooting effects and explosions, the frame rate drops visibly in the video (for example at the point after 7: 45 minutes ). The Series X could possibly deliver a few more frames per second here. CD Projekt completely omits the standard version of the Xbox One, which is significantly weaker than the One X. Here, gamers have to expect considerable graphic compromises. Even with the material shown on One X and Series X, for example, the faces of many NPCs seem a bit lifeless for “Cyberpunk 2077” CD Projekt currently calls the 10. December. The launch of the highly anticipated role-playing game by the “Witcher 3” developers has been postponed several times in the past few months, most recently in October. For the developers, the release stress means an extraordinary burden: Although the studio bosses originally rejected the “crunch”, according to media reports, some employees have been accumulating numerous overtime hours for months and have to work on weekends.
Cyberpunk 2077 is finally set to drop in a little under a month, but so far, all the pre-release footage we’ve seen has been on PC. That’s finally changing, though, with a new trailer showing off Cyberpunk footage from both the Xbox One X and the Xbox Series X. Notably, the Xbox One S and Xbox Series S weren’t featured.
Before we get started, there’s a big caveat her e- the Xbox Series X footage is from the Xbox One version of the game. We’ve already noted in our Xbox Series X review that even backwards compatible games play noticeably better on the Xbox Series X, but we’re not going to know what the proper next-gen version of the game will look like on consoles until it arrives as a free patch sometime
next year
.
The new console gameplay video shows a single mission in the game across both consoles, with parts cut out to avoid spoilers and shorten the video, but still shows off a decent amount of gameplay in sunlit and nighttime exteriors, as well as neon-lit interiors. Activities shown also vary between driving, shooting, talking to NPCs and exploring in general.
Unfortunately, the video doesn’t have 4K or 60 fps viewing options, so we’re mostly limited to giving anecdotal impressions of the game’s various effects. Still, with FHD playback, we didn’t notice any stuttering across either console, and the Xbox Series X footage does appear a touch smoother even if it’s not playing back at 60 fps.
Facial, combat, vehicle and character animation is predictably strong across either console, though some Series X character models still look a little last-gen to me. What’s most impressive is the environmental effects, especially on the Series X.
The video cuts back and forth between both consoles, which can make direct comparisons a little difficult, but a single sequence around 6 and a half minutes into the video shows the same neon street market in quick succession on both the One X and Series X.
On One X, store sign text appears a little blurry, as does a hologram of a dancing girl outside one of the shops. These problems are fixed on Series X, where lighting and reflections also look more vibrant and water effects less glossy and more realistic. At least, to my eye.
We’re going to have to wait to get official benchmarks, of course, so the best you can do for now is watch the video yourself and be your own judge.
Cyberpunk 2077 finally launches on December 10th, after several delays and confirmed crunch at the studio, so we’re eager to get our hands on more official performance numbers on release.
(Pocket-lint) – The Xbox One has been a superb console, and thanks to Microsoft’s all-inclusive ideas about the next generation of console gaming, looks set to be a mainstay for a few more years, even with the Xbox Series X and S out now.
Best Xbox One headsets: Superb headphones tested for party chat and gaming
Top Xbox One games: Best Xbox One S and X games every gamer must own
Like most games consoles, though, as you get used to the Xbox One, whether it’s a powerful Xbox One X, or a sleek Xbox One S, there are some things you’ll notice that could be improved. A few simple accessories can make a huge difference to your experience of your Xbox. We’ve gathered some of the very best available, right here.
Our pick of the best Xbox accessories to buy today
Xbox
Xbox One Play and Charge Kit
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For all that we love the Xbox One, it frustrates us to this day that its controllers come with AA battery packs by default, which get expensive or fiddly quick.
This charging pack from Microsoft takes care of the problem, giving you longer batterlife that’s easily recharged with the included cable, which is also of really good quality.
Amazon
AmazonBasics charging cable
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Whether you’ve got that rechargeable battery or not, there will be times when you need to plug in your controller while you play, and a good cable is a must.
If you just want a new cable, then, Amazon’s cheap range will do the trick nicely, and a long version will make sure that you have plenty of room to move around.
Xbox
Vertical Stand
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How you arrange your consoles will depend on a whole bunch of factors around your space and TV stand, but for many people being able to stand them vertically would be really useful.
This stand is one of a few you can find, with version to fit every Xbox One model, letting you stand them up without worrying about toppling over.
The Xbox One controller is absolutely brilliant without any changes, but after a while, you might find yourself wanting some extra control and precision on the thumbsticks.
If so, KontrolFreek has a whole heap of different styles to pick from. We like this pattern for its texture and grippiness, but others can help in different ways.
Logitech
Logitech G920
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Racing wheels are a bit of tech that many people might consider overkill if they’re looking for a simple good time on a driving game.
If you want to take your immersion to the next level, though, in the likes of Forza Horizon 4 or Project Cars 3, there’s nothing quite like a wheel and pedal combo. This set from Logitech is as good as they come, although it’s got a price to match.
Razer
Razer Atrox
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If you’re at all into your fighting games you’ll know that a fighting stick is basically essential to take you to a new level of skill.
Standard controllers just don’t cut it. This stick from Razer, though, is a beauty, with great build quality and fully swappable controls that let you set it up exactly as you want. It’s really pricey, obviously, but it’s for the enthusiast market.
The next-generation of Xbox gaming is a little more complicated than what we’re used to. For starters, Microsoft has released not one but two new consoles this week: the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S. Many of the initial crop of first-party games is also designed to be playable on its last generation Xbox, the Xbox One, as well as Windows PCs. And that’s before we get into Microsoft’s game streaming service, xCloud, which could mean you won’t need any Xbox hardware at all to play many of the latest games.
Each new generation tends to deliver big changes for console gaming, and Microsoft’s successors to the Xbox One are no different. Games look better thanks to more powerful graphics hardware and built-in support for more realistic lighting technology, and in some cases feel more responsive thanks to support for frame rates of up to 120fps. They also also load quicker because both consoles now include fast solid-state storage, a big improvement over the mechanical hard drive included in the Xbox One.
But Microsoft’s approach to this new generation is a big departure from how console launches have worked previously. Typically, we’ve seen Sony and Microsoft release just one new piece of hardware at launch, and each one tends to come with an exclusive library of games that you have to buy the new console in order to play. While Sony, too, has operated a game streaming service for years, it’s only typically used PlayStation Now to offer access to older titles, rather than brand-new releases like xCloud is promising.
Microsoft’s new consoles give you a lot more freedom with how you play its new games, but depending on where you choose to play them, you won’t get exactly the same experience. The Xbox Series X is a much more powerful machine than the Series S or the current Xbox One, for example, which has a big impact on performance.
Microsoft’s two new consoles
This week, Microsoft released its two new Xbox consoles. There’s the $499 (£449, €499) Xbox Series X, and a cheaper $299 (£249, €299) Xbox Series S. You can read our reviews of both of them by following the links below.
It’s not unusual for console manufacturers to offer a couple of different hardware options at launch, but normally, the differences are minor. The PS3, for example, was initially available in two models. There was a version with a 60GB hard drive as well as a cheaper version with a smaller 20GB hard drive, no Wi-Fi support, and fewer ports. Meanwhile, Microsoft also originally sold a “Core” version of the Xbox 360 in 2005, which included compromises like including a wired rather than wireless controller and omitting a hard drive.
The differences between the Xbox Series S and Series X are more substantial and have a big impact on how games look. While Microsoft says the Series X is targeting running games at 60fps at a full 4K resolution, the Series S instead targets a lower 1440p resolution at 60fps. It’s a big power disparity, similar to what we saw between the Xbox One and the Xbox One X, but this time, the two consoles were available on day one, rather than releasing years apart.
Microsoft has a good rundown of the main differences between the Xbox Series X and the Series S on its website. Both have 8-core CPUs, although the X has a slightly higher maximum clock speed of 3.8GHz, rather than 3.6GHz on the Series S. Both support expandable storage of up to 1TB via an expansion card, both output over HDMI 2.1, and both are backwards compatible with “thousands” of Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games. Both support hardware-accelerated ray tracing for more realistic lighting in games, both support Dolby’s high-end Atmos audio technology, and both will support the Dolby Vision HDR standard. They’re also both backwards compatible with all officially licensed Xbox One accessories like controllers and headsets — although there are no plans to support the Kinect camera.
There are, however, big differences between the two. The Series X has a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drive, but the Series S is digital-only, so you’ll have to download your games rather than buy them on disc. And yet, the disc-based X also has double the amount of internal storage with 1TB as opposed to 512GB. We found the storage in the Series S filled up quickly as a result. The Series X also has more RAM at 16GB compared to 10GB in the Series S. Physically, the Series S is also a lot smaller than the Series X; Microsoft calls the console its “smallest Xbox ever.” Despite the size differences, we’ve found both consoles have good cooling systems, and are run cool and quiet when in use, so long as you don’t try blowing vape smoke into them.
Although they have different amounts of storage, both consoles use fast solid-state drives. For starters, that means that games load very quickly. We’ve found that many games that took over a minute to load on the Xbox One X now boot up in seconds. Games like Destiny 2 and Sea of Thieves, for example, load in half the time on the Series X as they did on the One X, and we found The Outer Worlds loaded in just six seconds on the new console.
Xbox Series X load times
Game
Xbox Series X
Xbox One X
Game
Xbox Series X
Xbox One X
CoD: Warzone
16 seconds
21 seconds
Red Dead Redemption 2
52 seconds
1 min, 35 seconds
The Outer Worlds
6 seconds
27 seconds
Evil Within 2
33 seconds
43 seconds
Sea of Thieves
20 seconds
1 min, 21 seconds
Warframe
25 seconds
1 min, 31 seconds
AC: Odyssey
30 seconds
1 min, 7 seconds
No Man’s Sky
1 min, 27 seconds
2 mins, 13 seconds
Destiny 2
43 seconds
1 min, 52 seconds
This fast storage also helps enable a feature called Quick Resume on both consoles, which allows you to switch between games incredibly quickly in a lot of cases. The big problem right now is that it’s not supported by every game, although Microsoft is working to enable it across more titles. When it works, though, Quick Resume is one of the consoles’ best new additions, and Sony’s PS5 doesn’t have an equivalent feature.
Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge
One of the most significant differences between the Series S and Series X is found in the graphics department. Although both consoles use AMD’s RDNA 2 graphics architecture, the Series X has 52 compute units. That’s not only more than double the 20 compute units you’ll find in the Series S, but they’re also clocked faster at 1.825GHz compared to 1.565GHz. In total, that means the Series X has 12.15 teraflops of graphical horsepower according to Microsoft, compared to 4 teraflops for the Series S.
The Xbox Series X is technically a shade more powerful than the PS5 in the graphics department. While Sony’s consoles are also based on AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture, both models of the PS5 clock in with 10.28 teraflops of GPU power. They’ve got a smaller number of compute units (36), but their maximum cap is higher at 2.23GHz. They’ve also got 8-core CPUs, but they’re clocked at 3.5GHz. However, it’s important to note that the PS5’s CPU and GPU clock speeds are variable based on the total workload, so it’s not quite an apples-to-apples comparison with the new Xbox consoles. This approach could benefit the PS5 in certain scenarios but limit it in others. Otherwise, the PS5’s specs on paper are similar to the Series X. It has 16GB of RAM, 825GB of storage, and a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drive.
There aren’t many cross-platform titles that allow us to see how the performance of the PS5 and Series X compare in practice, but an analysis of Devil May Cry 5 by Digital Foundrysees Sony and Microsoft’s consoles performing very similarly. In some modes the Series X offers slightly faster performance, while the PS5 is ahead in others.
Like Microsoft, Sony also has a step-down digital-only version of its next console, but here, the differences are a lot more basic. The lack of a disc drive means that the digital console is a little slimmer, but otherwise, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan tells CNET that its two consoles are “identical products.” That means we shouldn’t see the same power disparity as Microsoft has.
Xbox Series X vs Series S vs PS5
Categories
Xbox Series X
Xbox Series S
PS5
PS5 (digital-only)
Categories
Xbox Series X
Xbox Series S
PS5
PS5 (digital-only)
CPU
8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT Enabled)
8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.6GHz (3.4GHz with SMT Enabled)
8x Zen 2 Cores @ 3.5GHz with SMT (variable frequency)
8x Zen 2 Cores @ 3.5GHz with SMT (variable frequency)
“Thousands” of Xbox One, Xbox 360, original Xbox games. Xbox One accessories.
“Thousands” of Xbox One, Xbox 360, original Xbox games. Xbox One accessories.
“Overwhelming majority” of PS4 games
“Overwhelming majority” of PS4 games
Disc Drive
4K UHD Blu-ray
None
4K UHD Blu-ray
None
Display Out
HDMI 2.1
HDMI 2.1
HDMI 2.1
HDMI 2.1
MSRP
$499/£449/€499
$299/£249/€299
$499/£449/€499
$399/£349/€399
The difference in power generally mean early Series S and the Series X’s games run at different resolutions, but often perform similarly. For example, Watch Dogs: Legion targets 4K at 30fps on the Series X, and 1080p 30fps on the Series S, and both support ray-tracing for better looking reflections (check out both in action here).
Similarly, Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon run at 60fps at 1080p on the Series S, compared to 4K 60fps on the Series X.
Despite the differences in resolution, Microsoft says both consoles are targeting frame rates of 60 frames per second and can support up to 120fps. For example, Rocket League will have a performance mode on both consoles that will allow it to run at 120fps, albeit in both cases at a reduced resolution compared to its 60fps mode. That said, there are some games that target different frame rates across the two consoles. Destiny 2’s crucible mode can run at 120Hz on Series X, but not on Series S, for example.
For now, however, the trend has been for games to feel just as smooth to play regardless of the console, but to look less detailed on the cheaper machine because of their lower resolution. That might not matter as much if you’re playing on an older 1080p TV, but it’ll be more apparent if you’re using a modern 4K set.
Although Microsoft has said the Series S targets 1440p, some early Series S games are running at 1080p. Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Gears Tactics target 1440p, but others like Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4, Fortnite, and Watch Dogs: Legion are 1080p. That may change as developers get more comfortable working with the new hardware, but based on past experience it might not. For example, Microsoft billed the Xbox One X as being capable of 4K gaming at 60fps but many of the most popular games around didn’t run at full 4K. Fortnite, for example, runs at a maximum of 1728p on the Xbox One X, while Doom: Eternal tops out at 1800p.
Although your existing Xbox One controllers will work on the Xbox Series X and Series S, there’s also an updated controller for the new consoles, which is available in white, black, and blue. Although it’s broadly similar to the design Microsoft has used for its previous controllers, it’s slightly smaller and has a dedicated share button to simplify the process of uploading screenshots and video clips. Its D-pad is also a circle like the recent Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, rather than a cross like it was on the Xbox One.
New games, new hardware
New hardware needs new games to make the most of it, and Microsoft and its partners have announced a host of games that are coming to its new console. The biggest of these is Halo: Infinite, the latest entry in the long-running sci-fi first-person shooter franchise that’s become synonymous with the Xbox brand since its debut way back in 2001.
Unfortunately, Microsoft recently delayed Halo: Infinite, meaning it will now release in 2021, rather than arriving alongside the new console. News of the delay, which Microsoft attributed in part to the pandemic, came after the game’s visuals were met with criticism after their initial unveiling, prompting developer 343 Industries to admit, “We do have work to do to address some of these areas and raise the level of fidelity and overall presentation for the final game.”
With other Xbox staples like Fable and Forza Motorsport without release dates, the delay has left third-party publishers to fill in the rest of the launch lineup, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Dirt 5, Watch Dogs Legion, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Here’s a guide to the best launch day games, and here’s what the months ahead are looking like in terms of new releases.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a high-profile launch title for the new consoles.Image: Ubisoft
These games support different Xbox Series X and Series S features. Watch DogsLegion, for example, run in 4K on the Series X and supports ray tracing for more realistic-looking lighting on both consoles, but there’s no ray-tracing support in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Another interesting title in the launch lineup is Dirt 5, which can run at up to 120fps on the Xbox Series X. A high frame rate like this is especially important in a fast-paced racing game, and it means Dirt5 feels more responsive to play on compatible TVs.
One common feature a lot of these games share is that they’ll also be available for current-gen consoles like the Xbox One and PS4. What was more surprising was when Microsoft said that would be true for even its own flagship games. If Microsoft keeps that promise, it would be a big departure from how console manufacturers have treated these games in the past, where these exclusive games have previously been an essential part of the sales pitch for new hardware.
New games, old hardware
Microsoft has said you won’t have to buy new hardware to enjoy its upcoming first-party titles because many of them will also come to Xbox One. Here’s how Xbox chief Phil Spencer described the company’s approach back in July, where he said that every Xbox Game Studios game in the next couple of years will be playable on the Xbox One.
You won’t be forced into the next generation. We want every Xbox player to play all the new games from Xbox Game Studios. That’s why Xbox Game Studios titles we release in the next couple of years—like Halo Infinite—will be available and play great on Xbox Series X and Xbox One. We won’t force you to upgrade to Xbox Series X at launch to play Xbox exclusives.
And if you’re more of a PC gamer and don’t own an Xbox One, then Microsoft also typically releases its major titles there as well, and it says it plans to continue this policy this year.
Microsoft has promised to bring Halo Infinite to PC and Xbox One as well as its new Xbox consoles.Image: 343 Industries
There are some caveats you should be aware of. First is that these promises only cover Microsoft’s first-party titles, aka those published by Xbox Game Studios. Microsoft isn’t making any promises about how other publishers like EA, Ubisoft, or Activision will handle their new games.
Even then, Microsoft has been pretty explicit about the fact that this only covers its own games that will release across the “next couple of years,” and there are signs that some high-profile games that have already been announced might not be coming to the Xbox One. After Microsoft’s high-profile Xbox event in July, we noted that a majority of the title cards for Microsoft’s first-party games, including Forza Motorsport and Fable, didn’t mention that they’d be coming to the Xbox One.
Finally, in case this wasn’t obvious, you’re probably going to see a very different-looking game if you’re choosing to play on a base Xbox One from 2013 compared to a shiny new Xbox Series X.
There’s even been some concern that trying to continue to support the Xbox One could hold back Microsoft’s next-generation games, which could give Sony an advantage since it can focus all of its attention on the new hardware. Spencer, as well as developers we’ve spoken to, have said this shouldn’t be a problem, but so-called “cross-gen” games on previous consoles have never made the most of the latest hardware.
New games, no hardware
Say you don’t own an Xbox or a gaming PC, but you do have an Android phone. Does Microsoft have any next-gen gaming options for you? Thanks to game streaming, it does. On September 15th, Microsoft added game streaming to Xbox Games Pass Ultimate, which costs $14.99 a month. The feature, which was known previously as xCloud, could give you a way to play many of the biggest Xbox Series X games without having to own any gaming hardware at all. You can stream them to a device as simple as an Android phone, for example (but not iOS, which we’ll get into in a second).
Game streaming isn’t an entirely new idea — Sony launched its PlayStation Now service way back in 2014 to a muted response — but Microsoft is taking a much more interesting approach. Rather than focusing on older titles, as Sony did with PlayStation Now, Microsoft says its new games will be available to stream the day they release and lists recent first-party titles like Forza Horizon 4, Gears of War 5, Tell Me Why, The Outer Worlds, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps as being among the 150-plus games available to stream at launch.
Microsoft promises to let you stream major Xbox games straight to your phone.Photo by Nick Statt / The Verge
There are currently a couple of compromises to this approach, as we found recently when we tested the service for ourselves. For starters, load times and lag and noticeable, and are worse than competing cloud gaming services from Google and Nvidia. Getting into gameplay can take between a minute and a minute and a half, and fast-paced games can feel sluggish. Microsoft says that the servers powering the service will be upgraded to Series S/X hardware next year, but as it stands the service feels unfinished.
xCloud also currently isn’t available on every platform. At the moment, xCloud is available for Android, but the restrictions Apple places on game streaming services mean that its yet to come to iOS. That should change next year, however, since Microsoft is planning to develop a web version of the service that will be able to run on Apple’s devices.
Since xCloud will be included with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, it’s offered alongside a huge array of content beyond game streaming. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate’s $14.99 a month subscription also lets you download and play over 100 games directly on your Xbox or Windows 10 PC, as well as EA Play. It also includes an Xbox Live Gold subscription, which gives access to online multiplayer on Xbox.
PlayStation Now is still around, of course, but Sony isn’t promoting it as a way to play its recent games. It might have a huge catalog of over 800 titles, but it doesn’t feel like a serious attempt to compete with Microsoft’s game streaming, even after a recent price cut to $9.99 a month.
The backwards compatibility question
The ability to play a previous generation’s games on your new hardware (so-called “backwards compatibility”) has varied between different consoles and generations. Nintendo’s Wii U could happily play every Wii game, and the Wii could play every GameCube game before it. In contrast, the PS4 can’t natively play any games that were released for previous PlayStations — although some can be streamed via PlayStation Now.
With its new consoles, Microsoft has outlined three ways your old games will eventually be playable on its new hardware. Some games will be backwards compatible, some will receive enhancements, and others will receive a free upgrade when newer versions are released.
With the Xbox Series X, Microsoft is making big promises about your ability to play your old Xbox games on its new hardware. For starters, “thousands” of games released for the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One are playable on the new consoles, and Microsoft has got a handy tool to let you browse them all. That includes almost every game released for the Xbox One, barring those that required its Kinect camera accessory.
The Xbox Series S can still play older games, but it doesn’t include their Xbox One X enhancements like higher resolutions. So in most cases, you’ll essentially be playing the version of the game that was designed for the less-powerful Xbox One S. That said, in some cases those older games can still benefit from more modern hardware such as the faster solid-state drive, and games with dynamic resolution scaling can run at higher resolutions. Backwards compatible original Xbox and Xbox 360 games run at an enhanced 1440p resolution.
The Series S won’t include Xbox One X enhancements for games.Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge
That’s the baseline, but in some cases, Microsoft says that games will be enhanced, running in higher resolutions and frame rates than they were originally released with and with support for new technologies like HDR. In particular Microsoft says games can be updated to run at double their original frame rate on both the Series S and Series X. We already seen Microsoft achieve impressive results with some of this technology.
Finally, there’s Smart Delivery, which is essentially a free upgrade program that means you won’t have to re-buy an Xbox One game — like Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, or Doom Eternal — if it also gets released on the new hardware. Although this will theoretically offer the biggest upgrade, the feature is being selectively used. If you previously bought the original Control for Xbox One, for example, you won’t get a free upgrade to the next-gen version. That’s reserved for owners of Control’s new Ultimate Edition.
Sony has promised more modest improvements for PS4 games running on the PS5. It’s confirmed that the “overwhelming majority” of PS4 games will run on its new hardware, and says that some will have better loading speeds and more stable frame rates. Some developers have said they’ll offer free upgrades to the PS5 versions of their games.
Paying the price
If you want to continue to pay for your hardware and games up front, then that’s still an option with Microsoft’s new Xboxes. As mentioned above, the Xbox Series X retails for $499, while the Series S costs $299. Major releases, meanwhile, seem to be priced similarly or at a $10 premium to current-gen titles. The PS5 costs between $399 for its disc-free model, and $499 for its model with a 4K Blu-ray drive.
But going into this generation, Microsoft is making a big bet on people wanting to spend their money on games in monthly installments. For the Xbox Series X, that means paying $34.99 a month for 24 months via its Xbox All Access bundle (total cost: $839.76), while the Series S is available for $24.99 a month (total cost: $599.76). All Access will be available in 12 countries this year: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, the UK, and the US.
That’s more expensive than buying the console upfront, but included with Xbox All Access is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate — a subscription service that gets you free access to over 100 Xbox One titles, including big recent titles like Tell Me Why, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Forza Horizon 4 — free games via EA Play, Xbox Live Gold (a subscription that comes with its own monthly free games as well as access to online multiplayer), and game streaming via xCloud. Oh, and it gives free access to over 100 Windows 10 games as well, such as the recently released Microsoft Flight Simulator.
If you’d rather buy your hardware outright and buy a subscription to one of Microsoft’s game services separately, then Xbox Game Pass is available in a couple of different variations. Factor in the cost of these subscriptions to the total price of Xbox All Access, and the price of the console hardware itself drops to just $10 or $20 a month.
Xbox Game Pass comparison
Categories
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass for PC
Categories
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass for PC
Platform
PC/Xbox
Xbox
PC
Games included
250+ games
250+ games
200+ games
Xbox Live Gold
Yes
No
No
xCloud
Yes
No
No
EA Play
Yes
No
Yes
Monthly price
$14.99/£10.99/€12.99
$9.99/£7.99/€9.99
$9.99/£7.99/€9.99
Suffice it to say, if you don’t have the cash to make a big upfront purchase, then Microsoft still wants to get you on board for its next generation of consoles. You won’t own any of the games you can play (aside from the older Xbox 360 games you can download with Xbox Live’s Games with Gold service), but that’s the trade-off you make.
Microsoft’s plans for the next generation of gaming are sprawling. Two consoles that are available via subscription and can play a huge chunk of your existing Xbox games, a new roster of games that will be playable on your existing Xbox One, a continuing focus on PC gaming, and a game streaming service mean that, no matter what hardware you own, there’s a decent chance you’ll be able to pay Microsoft to play its games.
We’ve written before about how the focus on trying to sell subscriptions rather than premium hardware means that the “true next-gen Xbox” is the subscription itself, rather than the hardware it plays on. Microsoft is casting its net wide, and it doesn’t want any hardware requirements to get in the way of you subscribing.
Sony, meanwhile, is doing what it’s always done: it’s making a new console, developing exclusive games for it, and selling it. It’s hard to argue too much with the approach when it’s done so well for the company so far, especially with the PS4.
As of this writing, the PS4 has reportedly outsold the Xbox One by a factor of over two to one, so it’s hard to see why Sony would want to change its strategy too much. Microsoft is coming into this next generation as an underdog, and it’s doing everything in its power to change the rules of the game.
Update November 12th, 1:30PM ET: Added hands on impressions now that the Xbox Series S and Series X have launched.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the PS5 will have 16GB of GDDR5 RAM. This is incorrect. It actually has 16GB of GDDR6 RAM.
The Playstation 5 is already available in the USA and Japan, in Germany buyers have to register until 19. November be patient. However, heise online has been playing on the PS5 for over two weeks – and is organizing a live stream around the clock for the international launch from 17 new Sony console. Launch titles like “Demon’s Souls”, “Astro’s Playroom”, “Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition” and “Spiderman: Miles Morales” are ready. We have also connected the PS4 Pro for a direct comparison.
Playstation 5 – Launch-Stream (Games, OS, possibilities, your questions)
In the comments section you can suggest games that we should show in the live stream. In addition to the games, Michael Wieczorek also answers further questions from viewers and forum users. The waiting time until the live stream can be spent, for example, with our test talk on the Playstation 5.
Test-Talk for Playstation 5 from heise online More software, weaker hardware Sony is releasing two versions of the PS5: one with and one without a drive. The hardware of the two PS5 versions does not differ, however. Microsoft is pursuing a different strategy: The Series X is the main model, which is in direct competition with the PS5 from Sony. It costs 500 euros. 200 The Series S costs euros less, but it also has to get by with weaker hardware. Both consoles support the same video games.
Microsoft does not offer any exclusive new titles, Sony offers with “Astro’s Playroom” and “Demon’s Souls” are at least two tracks that you won’t find anywhere else. In addition, the extended rumble functions in the controller offer a new kind of gaming experience.
In comparison between the Xbox Series X / S and Playstation 5, the two Microsoft consoles make the somewhat more solid impression: They are quieter and appear more robust than the Playstation. But if you really want to play demanding games in the Microsoft ecosystem, you should get the faster Xbox Series X. The Series S, on the other hand, is a successful entry-level console in itself, but embodies the generation leap since the Xbox One X only to a limited extent.
(Pocket-lint) – There are amazing games coming out for Xbox One in the coming months. Whether you own an Xbox One S, 4K-ready Xbox One X or one of the newly-released next-gen consoles, most games work across them all.
We’ve rounded up the Xbox One games we’re looking forward to the most for you to get excited about too.
If you’re more into Sony, here’s our list of the best upcoming PS4 games, instead
There are release dates where possible and a trailer for each. We’ll also be updating the round-up throughout the year so come back wherever possible.
Cyberpunk 2077
Release date: 10 December 2020
Xbox One exclusive: No, also on PS4 and PC
Publisher: CD Projekt Red
Read more: Cyberpunk 2077 initial review: The most stunning open-world RPG we’ve seen by far
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We got to see around 50 minutes of the game played in front of us in a behind closed doors session at E3 2018 and 51 minutes later we could pick our jaws up off the floor.
Now over a year later and we’re still hyped. This is an open-world RPG from the maker of The Witcher 3 that is quite simply stunning. Our only question is whether it really will run properly on an Xbox One or if it’ll have to wait until the Xbox Series X turns up for the best performance. We’ve got a release date now and the chance to pre-order as well!
Outriders
Release date: December 2020
Xbox One exclusive: No, also PC and PS4
Publisher: Square Enix External Studios
See the official site
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From the team behind Gears of War Judgement and Bulletstorm comes a brand new co-op shooter with a dark sci-fi vibe. We don’t know much about the game at this point, but it certainly looks intriguing and a whole lot of fun to play with friends.
Immortals Fenyx Rising
Release date: 3 December 2020
PS4 exclusive: No, also on PS4, PS5 and PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
See the official site
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An all-new IP from Ubisoft, Immortals looks for all the world like it’s taken plenty of inspiration from The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild.
A hero is on a quest to save the gods while exploring a beautiful fantasy world where tricky puzzles, mysterious dungeons and heroic feats await.
Halo Infinite
Publisher:Xbox Game Studios
Release date:2021
Exclusive?No, also on Xbox Series X and Windows 10
Halo Infinite is going to be a big game for Xbox Series X, but will also be coming out for Xbox One, meaning that almost anyone can play it – plus it’ll be on Game Pass from day one.
The game will put players back in the hallowed Spartan armour of Master Chief, as he combats the Banished, a new threat to humanity, and promises more freedom than any recent game in the series, with huge levels and the choice of how and when to tackle your objectives.
Dying Light 2
Release date: 2020
XBox One exclusive: No, also on PS4 and PC
Publisher: Techland Publishing
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The first Dying Light offers an excellent blend of parkour, first-person combat and more than a touch of role-playing. We have even bigger hopes for the sequel, which looks to add a dynamic world to the mix. The characters and circumstances change depending on your actions – a potentially great concept.
The next outing also seemingly promises a world that changes based on your choices, so you’ll have much more influence on the world around you. The new trailer also appears to show various factions of humans fighting it out for supremacy, so there’ll be more than just brain chompers to worry about.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Release date: 2020
Xbox One exclusive: No, also PC and Xbox Series X
Type: Simulator
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
See the official site
The next update to Microsoft’s Flight Simulator series is coming in 2020. Flight Simulator has already hit PC, but is coming to Xbox One as well.
Flight Simulator promises players the freedom to create their own flight plan and jet off anywhere in the world, flying day and night against realistic weather conditions.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2
Release date: 2020
Xbox One exclusive: No, also on PS4 and PC
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
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After a decade and a half, we’re finally getting a sequel to Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. Similarly a first-person RPG, it’ll put you in the shoes of a bloodsucker ready to wreak havoc on mortals and the vampiric alike. We can’t wait.
Psychonauts 2
Release date: 2020
Xbox One exclusive: No, also on PS4 and PC
Publisher: Double Fine
See the official site
Double Fine studios were at E3 2019 showing off gameplay footage for Psychonauts 2, alongside the announcement that the company is joining Xbox Game Studios.
Psychonauts 2 has been a long time coming, but will no doubt have fans of the series thoroughly excited.
“Psychonauts 2 tells the story of Razputin Aquato, a gifted acrobat with psychic powers, as he fulfils his life-long goal of becoming an international psychic super-spy. In other words, a Psychonaut. Raz joins the Psychonauts at a dangerous time: a mole has infiltrated the organization and is planning to resurrect history’s most cruelly powerful psychic villains. Not knowing who to trust, Raz must dive into the history of the Psychonauts, and that of his own family, to fight the demons of their shared past.”
Twelve Minutes
Release date: 2020
Xbox One exclusive: No, also PC
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
See the official site
Twelve Minutes is an “interactive thriller” where your character is stuck in a time loop. A romantic evening with your wife is interrupted by a police detective rudely entering your home, accusing your wife of murder and then beating you to death.
Things get interesting when time starts all over again and you’re forced to suss out what’s happening and how to stop it. Twelve Minutes should certainly make for an awesome gaming experience.
Biomutant
Release date: 2020
Xbox One exclusive: No, also PC
Publisher: THQ Nordic
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Biomutant is a new open-world action RPG coming later this year. Biomutant will allow players to combine mutant powers and a wealth of weaponry to customise their characters into the ultimate hero or villain. The fate of the world is in your hands.
Skull & Bones
Release date: 2020
Xbox One exclusive: No, also on PS4 and PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
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If there’s a game to starkly contrast the jovial pirates of the recently released Sea of Thieves then, well, Ubisoft has hit the nail on the head with Skull & Bones. This multiplayer battle game takes you to the seas where you’ll need to play co-operatively with others to sink competitors’ ships and abscond with the loot.
Rainbow Six Quarantine
Release date: 2020
Xbox One exclusive: No, also on PS4 and PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
See the official site
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There’s a new threat coming to the world in the form of a mutated alien parasite that’s infecting people and wreaking havoc on the planet. Your team is sent to save the day.
This is a 3-player tactical co-op FPS where you’ll be teaming up to battle it out against the environment and survive unpredictable missions.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Release date: 2021
Xbox One exclusive: No
Publisher: WB Games
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It seems that a new Lego game is coming at some point soon. This new platformer isn’t just a remaster of the previous Lego Star Wars games – it promises hundreds of different characters and different levels throughout. It’s being pitched as a brand-new Lego video game unlike any other with fun-filled adventures and plenty of humour too.
Tunic
Release date: TBD
Xbox One exclusive: Yes
Publisher: ID@Xbox
Looking like a cross between the SNES Zelda games and Monument Valley, Tunic is a cute, isometric adventure game with exploration and puzzles at its heart. Very much an indie game to watch.
Starfield
Release date: TBC
Xbox One exclusive: No, also on PS4 and PC
Publisher: Bethesda
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Touted as “Skyrim in Space”, Starfield will be the first new intellectual property from Bethesda Softworks in many a year. We don’t expect to see anything about it until 2021 at least, though.
The Elder Scrolls VI
Release date: TBC
Xbox One exclusive: No, also on PS4 and PC (probably)
Publisher: Bethesda
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Yep, it’s just music and a logo, but doesn’t it make the hairs on your arms stand on end like it does ours?
Beyond Good & Evil 2
Release date: TBC
Xbox One exclusive: No, also on PS4 and PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
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It’s been more than 15 years since the original game, so this sequel has us excited more than most. We still haven’t seen much of the gameplay yet, but the CGI effects are quite simply jaw-dropping. What’s more, you can have some of your music or artwork included in the game. Find out more at hitrecord.org.
Elden Ring
Release date: TBC
Xbox One exclusive: No, also PC
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
See the official site
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Another cracking game reveal at E3 2019 was Elden Ring – a game co-written by Game of Thrones’ George RR Martin and developed by FromSoftware. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also set to be an action-RPG in the style of Dark Souls. If that’s not enough to get your pulse racing, then what is? That said, we’d be very surprised if this one doesn’t slip its release date at this stage, since we’ve heard so little about it.
Writing by Rik Henderson and Adrian Willings. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.
After unpacking the new Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, players are likely to be allowed to wait. Waiting for games to be installed or waiting for games to be patched.
Xbox Series X – Launch-Stream (Games, OS, possibilities, your questions)
We already have this arduous process behind us and now want to go live on day 1 in the life of the new series generation from Xbox report to the operating system. What are the options? What does Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla look like and how fast does it load? Does quick resume work?
Michael Wieczorek asks himself such and many other user questions in the live stream. Feel free to bring a lot of questions or suggest games here in the comment area that you would like to see in the live stream. The waiting time until the live stream can be spent, for example, with our test talk about the new Xbox.
The Xbox Series S & X in the test talk Two Xbox, one Playstation Microsoft is bringing two new consoles onto the market: The Series X is the main model that is in direct competition with the PS5 from Sony . It costs 500 euros. 200 The Series S costs euros less, but it also has to get by with weaker hardware. Both consoles support the same video games.
In the comparison between Xbox Series X / S and Playstation 5, the two Microsoft consoles make the somewhat more solid impression: They are quieter and appear more robust than the Playstation. But if you really want to play demanding games in the Microsoft ecosystem, you should get the faster Xbox Series X. The Series S, on the other hand, is a successful entry-level console in itself, but embodies the generation leap since the Xbox One X only to a limited extent. The Playstation 5 comes in Germany on 19. November in the trade.
A few days ago we published a review of the hardware part of the Sony PlayStation 5 console. We mainly praised the low temperatures under load (except for the bottom of the device noticeably warms up) and a very good work culture of the equipment. This one is incomparably better compared to PlayStation 4 and (especially) PlayStation 4 Pro. On the eve of the official premiere at, among others American and Japanese market, we discuss in detail issues related to the new console UI interface, support for multimedia applications and issues related to the built-in Ultra HD Blu-ray drive. I was particularly interested in the quality of popular VOD applications, as well as the culture of the optical drive. It is good in this respect, but it could be even better.
In today’s material, we take a detailed look at the system interface, the most interesting functionalities, multimedia applications and the Ultra HD Blu disc player. ray.
Sony PlayStation 5 review and games Spider-Man: Miles Morales
This time, however, I will start with the Ultra HD Blu-ray drive, which is new to the PlayStation 5. Both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 had Blu-ray drives that could read discs up to 43 GB In the case of the new console, support has been extended to Ultra HD Blu-ray media: BD – 66 and BD – 100. I was curious how he would do and the drive in the PS5, the more so since consoles have not yet had a great work culture while watching movies. Fortunately, the PlayStation 5 actually has an extremely quiet drive, but only from the moment all the content is loaded. For the heaviest BDs – 66 need about 10 minutes from the moment the CD is placed in the reader for the software to run through the entire material. You have to prepare for it and be aware of it if you want to watch movies from such CDs. In the first minutes, the reader volume reaches close 43 decibels and this is the only time the console is noticeably louder. After this time, the drive becomes inaudible and the volume drops to about 31 decibels (a constantly running fan is heard).
We are already testing the Sony PlayStation console 5! Our first impressions
We can control the player using the DualSense controller, but I wouldn’t say that the pad is a perfect replacement for a traditional remote. It’s not bad, but it takes a while to get your bearings. which buttons are responsible for what. A much better solution will be to obtain a dedicated accessory in the form of a multimedia remote control, with which we will be much easier to maneuver around the options in the UHD Blu-ray player. I also confirm that PlayStation 5 supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS: X in Blu-ra movies y and Ultra HD Blu-ray. However, there is a small detail. In the default setting, spatial audio is disabled. The fastest way to change it is from the settings in the player. After entering the Audio Format section, you will notice that Linear PCM is enabled by default. To activate Dolby Atmos and / or DTS: X, change the format to Bitstream. Regarding the video aspects, unfortunately the PlayStation 5 player does not support Dolby Vision or HDR +. For 4K movies, therefore, only the base HDR remains . At the moment, there is no information about a potential software update that would add functionality. However, I evaluate the drive itself positively, mainly thanks to the great work culture after loading all the data from the disc. In this respect, it beats the Xbox One X console. Finally, we can enjoy support for 4K Blu-ray discs with a capacity of up to 100 GB, so the PS5 could become quite Nice alternative to standalone Ultra HD Blu-ray disc players.
DualSense controller – Test crashes on the example of Astro’s Playroom
The above-mentioned remote control has dedicated buttons corresponding to Disney +, Netflix, Spotify and YouTube. Currently Disney + is not still available in Poland, so the corresponding application on the console is also not available But we will find Amazon Prime Video, Twitch or Apple TV. I am very pleased with the presence of the latter application in particular. The introduction of Apple TV to the new generation consoles will make it much more common. It is worth getting to know it better, if only because of the very rich movie store. in 4K quality – often these are productions that we have never seen on physical media, especially with the Polish language version. Low prices for films are another advantage, and in addition, various types of promotions are often held in the store. Apple TV also includes Apple TV + with original series and movies. Support for 4K and HDR resolutions is available 10. Again, however, we will experience neither Dolby Vision nor Dolby Atmos. Sony obviously has a problem with Dolby technologies, because Atmos will not be found in any VOD application. It is not offered on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, and it will also not be available on Disney + when the service finally hits the Polish market. We have to be content with the usual Dolby Digital 5.1 format with bandwidth 640 KB / sec.
The very appearance of the interface with applications is very nice for Here you will find tiles with the appropriate programs, which we need to download first to be able to run them later. The applications themselves inside do not differ from what we know from, for example, Smart TVs or dedicated TV adapters. In the case of Netflix, Prime Video or YouTube, we can count on support for 4K and HDR resolutions Dolby Vision, just like Dolby Atmos, however, is nowhere to be found.
I will also pause for the console interface for a moment. At first glance, it looks like a more refined version of the UI, already known from PlayStation 4. It is aesthetically pleasing, but at times I get the impression that it is a bit too overcomplicated. In the case of PS5, we have to press the “PS” button on the DualSense controller each time and only then the same options will appear at the bottom of the screen. We can check the latest notifications, game download status, friends list, sound settings sound and microphone or quick shutdown of the console. Of course, we can get used to it quickly, but I must admit that the number of these hidden options at first seems overwhelming. A big advantage, however, is the very fast interface work. Moving between options is extremely smooth. Nothing gets stuck or muddy.
An additional advantage of the new interface is its coupling with the PlayStation Store. In its predecessor, the store was a separate part and each time entering it took a bit of time to load. The store interface itself was also not the most transparent. In the case of PlayStation 5, the store is an integral part of the system. This makes the store basically like another application. Launching is incredibly fast. and the refreshed interface is definitely eye-catching general sections, e.g. news or promotions. There is a separate category for subscriptions, where we can learn everything about the PlayStation Plus service and PlayStation Plus Collection (access to the most popular PS4 games as part of the PS Plus subscription).
In our photo gallery we present more news from the Sony PlayStation 5 console system. An option that fell to me to your liking it is a quick transfer of data from PS4 to PS5. We do not need a flash drive for this, but a network connection of both consoles on the same WiFi network is enough. After connecting PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 and entering the appropriate setting, we can quickly transfer both save from PS4 games as well as all multimedia materials (screenshots, video clips). Another feature that I liked is general settings for all games. We can choose the level of difficulty, limitations in revealing spoilers from games or the overall image quality (the choice between better fluidity and greater detail of the graphics). This option is very nice especially for people who would like to set individual game elements once and have them saved for all upcoming titles. There is also support for the mouse and keyboard, although here a lot also depends on the game developers whether they want to implement the possibility of using these peripherals. The console also allows you to change the default settings for the DualSense controller. We can decide, for example, on a lower vibration intensity or the effect of adaptive triggers. The lower the degree, the less we will feel them during games. The DualSense will then lose much of its unique experience, but will also be able to run longer on battery power.
There is also one change that I did not like: the ability to copy game save files on the PS5 console. In the case of PS4, we could have them easily keep them even on a flash drive. In the new device we can only store them in the cloud, there will be no other method of access to them. By default, of course, they are saved in a given console, but we will not transfer them locally. In turn, to be able to store them in the cloud, it is necessary PlayStation Plus subscription Officially, the manufacturer retains the line of defense that it is related to increasing data security. In my opinion, however, this looks like another limitation to what we had seamless access to on PlayStation 4.
Of the other disadvantages of PlayStation 5 that we have encountered so far, there is the issue of incomplete support for HDMI 2.1 and screens with resolution 1440 p. We do not know how it will be Variable Refresh Rate and Auto Low Latency Mode look like Variable Refresh Rate and Auto Low Latency Mode In the case of monitors, Sony is currently investigating the issue and if user interest is high enough, there is a chance that native resolution support will be positive 1440 p. It is a pity that Sony once again closes on solutions that have been available from competitors for a long time. After these few weeks of testing, PlayStation 5 appears to be a good successor to its predecessor. Keep in mind, however, that in several places the equipment appears to be artificially limited again. No support for Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos in VOD applications and games, initially blocked M.2 connector for an additional disk, no support for 1440 p or the mentioned HDMI 2.1 functions are the most serious complaints I have today to the console. Most of this will certainly be fixed in the next system updates, but some disgust at the premiere remains.
A graphically pedestrian Japanese roleplaying game is perhaps not what many Xbox Series X owners were hoping for as their premier next-generation-exclusive launch title, but here we are with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. While it might not be much of a technical workout for Microsoft’s most powerful console, it’s a revolution for the series and, by some distance, the most substantial console exclusive in the Series X and S launch lineup.
This is the eighth mainline Yakuza game, with Sega presumably ditching the series numbering in an attempt to gain a wider audience. (It’s still called Ryu ga Gotoku 7 in Japan, “Like a Dragon” being a direct translation of the Yakuza series’s Japanese name.) This game is a canonical sequel, with occasional recurring characters and references that fans will appreciate, but I wouldn’t worry about playing the previous seven if you don’t have the time.
That’s because Like a Dragon has an all-new cast, a different setting, and a radically altered gameplay style to its predecessors. 2018’s excellent Yakuza 6 served as a farewell to original protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, one of the most iconoclastic characters ever to grace a video game, and as promised, Like a Dragon replaces him with a new lead.
Where Kiryu was stoic and brooding, Ichiban Kasuga is wild and extroverted. He’ll perform pranks, tell dad jokes, and barge into situations with the subtlety of a puppy. But both men share a history of tragedy and sacrifice and are bound by a strong sense of integrity. I found Kasuga to be a hugely likable main character in my time with the game, and in some ways, he feels like a better fit for Yakuza’s oddball mix of goofball humor and sincerity.
Much of the supporting cast is less agreeable but no less entertaining. Like a Dragon spins a typical Yakuza story of wrongful imprisonment and betrayal, with Kasuga finding himself homeless in Yokohama after spending 18 years behind bars to take the hit for a colleague. Things have changed in the yakuza world since he was away, and he’s forced to ally with various characters from Yokohama’s underbelly in an attempt to not only survive, but become a “hero.”
That last objective is because Kasuga turns out to be a huge RPG nerd, frequently referencing Dragon Quest as an inspiration. That’s a theme carried over to the core action of Like a Dragon itself, which moves from real-time brawler combat to turn-based JRPG-style battles where you select commands from a menu.
This isn’t as huge a change as you might think. The Yakuza games have always essentially been JRPGs with a more hands-on approach to combat, and there isn’t much structurally different about Like a Dragon. You’re still exploring a fairly small but densely detailed area, moving from quest to cutscene to quest at your leisure. In fact, the biggest change is that Like a Dragon’s take on Yokohama is far bigger than previous series locations, so you’re spending a lot more time on foot. That gives you all the more opportunity to get distracted by an arcade and step in for a few rounds of Virtua Fighter 2 or OutRun.
The actual combat system isn’t particularly deep, though you could say the same for most other Yakuza games. The shift to turn-based action does enable some truly outlandish moves, especially when you start experimenting with the game’s job system. Kasuga’s homeless drifter buddy Nanba, for example, starts out being able to attack enemies with pigeons by throwing seeds at them. But now that I’ve given him a job as a musician, he has a devastating attack involving “physically releasing” a CD in his opponents’ direction.
But there isn’t much gained in terms of tactical scope. While your characters all move around the battlefield automatically, positioning only really comes into play when you try to attack a far-off enemy and another one gets in the way first. Characters often get themselves stuck behind scenery, which can be frustrating when you want to target a specific opponent but have no obvious way to do so. You can use environmental attacks when they’re in range — attacking enemies with a bicycle is a time-honored Yakuza tradition — but it’s not as easy to do so as in the past.
I don’t really have an inherent preference for real-time or turn-based combat, and Like a Dragon switching to the latter doesn’t change the game up too much in the end. I wouldn’t call it a clear improvement, but it’s not a regression either. Overall, I appreciate the attempt to provide a more novel spin on the classic Yakuza experience.
It’s fair to say that Like a Dragon is not a technical showcase. It came out on the PS4 in Japan almost a year ago, and it’s only now making its way to the West. That means even if you’re playing it on the Series X today, it’s firmly rooted in the prior generation — even more so than cross-gen games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Watch Dogs: Legion that are also available at launch. (That’s not uncommon for the series: Yakuza 0 was a Japan-only PS3 game before a PS4 version found success in the West nearly two years later.) The Yakuza series still has great facial animation and acting performances, the in-engine cutscenes are well-directed, and the cities are rendered in often-impressive detail. But this is not the place to come for next-generation graphical technology.
Like a Dragon does, however, benefit greatly from its status as an Xbox Play Anywhere title. I started playing it on my Xbox One X last week, installed it on my PC a few days later (TL;DR review: it supports ultrawide resolutions and has a splash screen saying “REAL YAKUZA USE A GAMEPAD”), and now it’s on the Series X that got delivered to me this morning.
The Series X version has the option for a 4K / 30fps mode, but by default, it runs at 1440p / 60fps, which I think is the best option. While it looks essentially identical to what I was playing on the One X, it runs twice as smooth, which is a welcome upgrade. The game also has a lot of interstitial loading screens on the One X, which the Series X speeds up to the point where they’re insignificant.
Like a Dragon might not be what you’d expect from a next-generation launch title, but then the Xbox Series X isn’t always what you’d expect from a next-generation console. While the hardware power isn’t in doubt, at this point, it serves more as a performance boost than a paradigm shift. From that point of view, Like a Dragon is a great game to have available on day one. It’s a fresh take on the Yakuza series, it’ll keep you occupied for a long time, and it runs better than ever before.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is out today on Xbox, Windows, Steam, and PS4. A PS5 version will be available on March 2nd, 2021.
(Pocket-lint) – PlayStation and Xbox are head-to-head once again. The Xbox Series X is duking it out with the PlayStation 5 in the battle for next-gen supremacy and we’ve tested both in our Pocket-lint labs.
Here’s how they stack up against each other.
Oh, and if you want to compare the consoles with their sister models, check out our Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S and PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition features roo.
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Pocket-lint
Design
We are being treated to two very different-looking consoles. Quite unlike anything we’ve seen before – as you can see above, with both consoles shot alongside the smaller Xbox Series S.
The PS5 is massive – the tallest games console we’ve ever seen. It is also uniquely-designed, with two faceplates protecting the main console unit sandwiched between.
It retains some of the company’s flair for curves (remember the original PS3?) but adopts white as a launch colour for the first time. It can be stood on end or laid horizontally, but either way it could be struggle to fit it in an average-sized AV cabinet.
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The PS5 Digital Edition dispenses with the disc drive, so is slightly thinner, but is still extremely tall.
Microsoft has gone for almost the opposite – chunky and squat. There are few curves to be found here. The Xbox Series X looks more like a mini-tower PC than a games console, which is essentially what it is. We suspect heat dissipation is playing the biggest role in the design of both next-gen machines this time around.
Luckily, the Series X too can also lie flat, not just stand on its end, so you’ll have a bit of control over how you align it near or under your TV.
Both consoles weight roughly the same – the Xbox Series X is 4.44kg, the PS5 is 4.5kg.
Processing and graphics hardware
Each of the new consoles is clearly and significantly more powerful than their predecessors, but by how much? And which is the most powerful full stop?
The Xbox Series X is “four times more powerful than Xbox One X”. It sports a custom Zen 2 eight-core processor running at 3.8GHz per core.
The PlayStation 5 runs on an eight-core Zen 2 processor too, but at 3.5GHz per core.
RAM inside both is similar: 16GB GDDR6.
They also both run RDNA 2 graphics. However, the Xbox Series X has a slight upper hand with its GPU having 12 TFLOPS of power across 52 CUs. In comparison, the PS5 has 10.3 TFLOPS of power across 36 CUs.
This effectively means that developers could potentially eke more from the Series X than PS5. But, in reality, both display excellent handling over games with ray tracing, full resolutions, even 60fps enabled.
Graphical capabilities
In terms of their initial graphics capabilities, both are ably matched with similar features.
Both manufacturers say that they will be able to output 8K video/games but that’s unlikely to be reached for some time (if ever) and is more that the HDMI 2.1 output on each has the bandwidth for it.
In the here and now, however, they are capable of up to 4K (2160p) resolutions at 60 frames-per-second. They can also output 120fps, which will be an option on some games, but likely only at up to 1440p on Series X, 1080p on PS5.
They each include support for ray tracing, which will put them on a par with modernPC graphics cards. It introduces accurate and realistic lighting to great effect.
Storage and memory
SSD is where it is at with both next-gen consoles. Both have adopted solid state drives for storage in order to speed up loading times.
The Xbox Series X features a 1TB internal SDD, with approximately 802GB available to the user after system software, etc. The PS5’s has less storage space, with an 825GB SSD, but only 667GB of that is available for games.
This could be important to you as some modern games can be well over 100GB in size.
Both have the ability to increase that storage through expansion cards. In the case of Xbox, you can purchase an official 1TB Storage Expansion Card that slots into a dedicated port on the rear.
The Sony machine will also be able to be boosted, through third-party PCIe Gen4 SSD cards, but that option is not activated at launch, we understand.
Each of the consoles can also play games stored on external hard drives and SSDs, but some of the next-gen features, such as loading times, will not work in that case. In fact, PS5 games stored on an external drive will not work at all – external storage is for PS4 games only, therefore.
Optical disc drives
Neither manufacturer wants to ditch the physical disc drive yet. Both the Xbox Series X and standard PS5 will sport 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drives. Neither the PS5 Digital Edition nor Xbox Series S have disc drives though.
It’s worth noting that while the Xbox Series X is the only console to boast Dolby Vision support, for media streaming and future games, its 4K Blu-ray drive is not compatible with it at launch. The PS5 does not have Dolby Vision at all.
Cloud gaming
Here’s a major differentiator between the two consoles.
Xbox has Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (formerly known as Project xCloud). It comes as part of the montly Game Pass Ultimate subscription service and allows you to play over 100 Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S games on mobile devices.
We are yet to see whether the PlayStation 5 supports PS Now – Sony’s own cloud gaming service.
Backward compatibility
Both PlayStation and Xbox backward compatibile with thousands of their respective back catalogues – often introducing performance and frame rate enhancements to older games.
How PlayStation 5 backward compatibility works: What PS4 games will play?
In Xbox’s case, that means almost everything that runs on an Xbox One, including Xbox 360 and original Xbox games, will also work on Xbox Series X. In some cases where HDR wasn’t originally implemented, they will even make use of the console’s Auto HDR feature for a wider colour gamut and greater contrast.
All Xbox One accessories work on Xbox Series X (and S) too.
The PlayStation 5 is also compatible with the vast majority of PS4 games already out there. And the PS4 DualShock controller will work with them running on a PS5. It won’t be able to be used to play native PS5 games, however.
Other older accessories will work with PS5 too, including PSVR, although you do need a PlayStation Camera adapter that Sony is offering to eligible customers for free.
Can you play Xbox One game discs on Xbox Series X or S?
Price
Probably the most important factor of all, both the Xbox Series X and PS5 cost around £450 in the UK, $500 in the US. However, should you not need a disc drive, the PS5 Digital Edition is significantly cheaper as you can see here:
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With both costing around the same amount, the main choice could come down to the games and, we have to say, PlayStation 5 slightly edges it in the exclusive title list.
However, owners of Xbox Series X can pay for Xbox Games Pass membership and instantly have access to more than 200 games (albeit mainly Xbox One titles). It’s an intriguing choice between the two for sure.
PlayStation 5 review
Xbox Series X review
Writing by Rik Henderson.
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