A Dune Awakening developer is the latest to speak up about the challenges in bringing games to Microsoft’s lower-end console. The Xbox Series S has been increasingly talked about of late, but not in any positive light. Multiple game developers have commented on how its hardware limitations have led to delayed ports to Xbox as well as the added time and resources needed to overcome the challenges of Microsoft’s aging, all-digital, disc-free, console. Chief Product Officer Scott Junior spoke with VG247 at last month’s Gamescom and gave some updates on the game’s development but also touched on the topic of bringing Dune Awakening to the console.
Per VG247:
- “So, it’s one of the reasons we’re coming out on PC first. There’s a lot of optimizations we need to do before we release on the Xbox.”
- “But yeah, Xbox Series S is a challenge.”
The Dune Awakening developer adds that the efficient design of Epic’s Unreal Engine aids in development but the team is focused on optimizing assets and implementing various technologies such as FSR. Scott emphasizes the goal of making the game look good on any system despite its ambitious scale.
- “We want the game to look stunning on high-end, whether you have a 3070 or a 4090, but we also want it to look good… “
- “It should look good – it won’t be able to leverage the ultra-spec options, but it’ll still look nice.”
Scott said that the next beta testing phase would aim to “completely max out one world”, including having a maximum number of concurrent players at one time. It was not revealed when this event will begin but invites will increase in the coming months as Funcom nears its early 2025 release window. Dune Awakening is planned to launch for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Those interested in signing up for Beta testing can do so here on the official game page.