Available on PC and PlayStation 5 for the last four-and-a-half months, 2024’s smash hit Black Myth: Wukong is still conspicuously absent on Microsoft’s consoles. Exactly why has been a matter of some speculation, with the Xbox makers previously suggesting it’s nothing to do with its tech. However, now Game Science CEO Feng Ji has posted to Chinese social media platform Weibo to say it’s absolutely because of that, and specifically the lack of it in the Xbox Series S.
God bless the Series S—a console so cheap that a few friends and I clubbed together to get it as a wedding present for a chum—but as we enter the second half of this console generation’s lifespan, it’s definitely becoming a problem for developers. Microsoft requires that games released for the more powerful Series X must also work, including all features, on the sub-$300 Series S, and that’s definitely proving trickier as the PC-led fidelity race progresses.
Black Myth: Wukong developer Game Science hasn’t been shy about making its views clear on various matters, and CEO Feng Ji has once more taken to Weibo to explain the game’s continuing absence on Xbox. While celebrating all of the game’s successes in 2024, Ji explains (via machine translation) “the only thing missing is the Xbox.” He reveals that it’s the “10GB shared memory” that’s the issue which, as GamesRadar points out, is much lower than the X’s 16GB. Ji continues, “It’s really impossible to get it without several years of optimization experience.”
Read More: Is Black Myth: Wukong Coming To Xbox? Phil Spencer Knows, But Won’t Say
It’s a splendidly honest explanation, as the Series S, as limited as it is, is still able to play games as technically complex as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, or Black Ops 6, albeit not at the same settings as the Series X or PS5. Perhaps a more experienced team could achieve it, but it’s seemingly beyond what Game Science is able to deliver right now. And given the enormous complexity and GFX-pushing nature of Wukong, Game Science has delivered an extraordinary amount. (It’s worth noting that Microsoft mad an exception to their rule for Baldur’s Gate 3, where Larian could never get the Series S to handle co-op.)
But the remarks raise concerns about Microsoft’s previous statements on the matter. In November, CEO of gaming Phil Spencer was extremely cagey about whether Wukong would be appearing on Xbox. This followed leaks and rumors in August about the game supposedly failing Xbox’s “bug detection tests,” while insiders told IGN that it was instead due to an unannounced exclusivity deal between Game Science and Sony. This was also tacitly suggested by Microsoft itself when asked about the lack of the game on its console, responding (emphasis ours):
We’re excited for the launch of Black Myth Wukong on Xbox Series X|S and are working with Game Science to bring the game to our platforms. We can’t comment on the deals made by our partners with other platform holders, but we remain focused on making Xbox the best platform for gamers, and great games are at the center of that.
And yet, this all followed Game Science’s July explanation for the delay on Xbox, which stated, “We are currently optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards, so it won’t release simultaneously with the other platforms…We will announce the release date as soon as it meets our quality standards.”
So yes, it all comes full-circle with the latest statement from Ji, once again insisting the issue is the Series S’s limitations.
The Series S is a pretty extraordinarily little machine, making console gaming far more affordable, but it’s undeniably a thorn in the side of many developers who would far rather optimize for the top-end devices, instead of needing to create fully functioning versions on much more restrictive technology. Just ask Dune Awakening’s CPO, Scott Junior.
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