As odd as it is, MLB The Show 21 is on Xbox consoles and available on Xbox Game Pass. And with multi-platform releases, especially those for former exclusives, the question always becomes: which version is better? Well, the experts at Digital Foundry have the answer, and the winner in MLB The Show‘s case is the PS5 – but just barely.

Both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 render the game at 2160p, and barring an odd bug that affects water on the Series X version, they’re basically identical. Both version are basically locked at 60 FPS during gameplay, though the Xbox Series X version is slightly less stable. The real difference is during the game’s cutscenes, or “presentations.” Both systems struggle here, but the Series X version drops around 9-11 more frames in intense sequences. The Xbox Series S runs the game at 1080p, and runs about 2-3 frames slower than the Series X.

On last generation machines, the Xbox One X runs about 5-7 frames faster than PS4 Pro at 1440p. Dropping the resolution to 1080p makes both machines run more closely to the Xbox Series S. The current gen machines do not feature resolution options. The only other major difference is that the PS5 supports the DualSense and loads about 4 seconds faster.

In all, Digital Foundry found the ports to be pretty impressive and both versions worth playing, noting that the difference here was likely due to the engine being developed on PlayStation systems, San Diego Studio’s general inexperience with Xbox hardware, and the difference in developer tools available at this point in the generation.

Many will no doubt use the PS5’s slight advantages here to fuel the never-ending console wars, but the main takeaway here is that MLB The Show 21 runs well on every platform. And that’s good for everyone, because it’s a good game. You can watch a more detailed version of Digital Foundry’s findings below.

We now finally have seen both the Xbox Series X and the PS5, the next generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony, respectively. When Sony had their grand unveiling for their system, one thing that many noticed was the incredible amount of third party timed exclusives they showed off. Interestingly, a conversation about that revealed a fact about a game seemingly unrelated to it all in Cyberpunk 2077.

VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb was mulling over what Microsoft would do in response to Sony’s timed exclusive strategy. One thought he had was instead of going down the same route, they would get major releases day one on Game Pass. He happened to use Cyberpunk 2077 as an example, and the Lead PR Manager for CD Projekt RED, Radek Grabowski, chimed in to say he would have to find another example because there was zero plans currently for 2077 to hit Game Pass.

Of course, that’s not too surprising frankly, since it’s rare that a major AAA title releases on Game Pass day and date excluding Microsoft’s offerings obviously. And Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most anticipated upcoming releases, so putting it on a service like Game Pass would be counterproductive, least at launch. It’s not outside the realm of possibility the game will come to Game Pass much later, like The Witcher 3 did, but it will be a good while no doubt.

But it is an interesting idea on Grubb’s part and would be an interesting counter strategy to Sony’s more traditional timed exclusive deals. The Xbox Games Showcase is slated for July 23rd, so let’s see what ends up being shown there to see if he might be on the right track.

You have to pick another example, Jeff. No Game Pass plans for Cyberpunk 2077.

— Radek (@gamebowski) July 10, 2020

The Game Pass service has been something that Microsoft has used as one of their biggest pillars for gaming going forward. They’ve extended the once console-only service to the PC, and they have pushed it hard through the last few years with aggressive pricing deals and having all their first party titles launch day and date with their regular release. Now, they are expanding it.

We’ve known for awhile that Microsoft was planning to expand Game Pass to Asia, and now we know that will come exactly one week from today. In a special video from Xbox Head Phil Spencer, which you can see below, to officially announce the service will come to Japan and Korea on the 14th. You can see the full list of titles expected to come thorough here.

Asia has traditionally been the weakest market for Microsoft, so it’s likely that they hope this will bring some new attention with a low barrier of entry. It also seems that the PC version of Game Pass will be bundled with select PCs from certain brands such as Lenovo and ASUS, to continue trying to get a new foothold.

With the upcoming release of Sea of Thieves just over one month out, the time to hit the high seas is nearly upon us on Windows 10 or the Xbox One family of systems.  Executive Producer, Joe Neate spoke with Xbox: The Official Magazine in their March 2018 issue which went on sale today to discuss the console’s ultimate 4K power and the game’s launch.

The beta build Rare shared wasn’t Xbox One X enhanced, but the full launch of the game will be. Thanks to the work the team had done with the PC, there were already lots of 4K assets, including HDR lighting and high resolution textures in place and getting it running well on Xbox One X in native 4K, HDR and supporting Dolby Atmos was simple from there.

Neate also spoke to where the team stands in regards to the content they’ll have available at launch, and like any modern game, the team understands that they live and die by their community. They feel good about what they’ll have on day 1, but also great about the plans to grow the game beyond that. Are you going to check out Sea of Thieves? It’s going to be avalible on Xbox Game Pass on launch day. Let us know in the comments.

Thanks, Wccftech.

While some retailers aren’t so happy with the announcement that Microsoft is adding all of their first party titles to the subscription service Game Pass day and date with their launch, according to a Microsoft spokesperson speaking to Gamesindustry.biz explained that from larger retailers, the response has largely been positive.

“As we noted in our announcement, our plan is to offer ways for select retailers to assort and promote Game Pass,” said the spokesperson. Microsoft has been seeing a strong demand for such inclusion in their distribution plans, and is open to feedback on how they evolve their plans for distribution.

“In fact, we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the breadth of demand from retailers so far, and we’re considering if and how we broaden our distribution plans. We welcome feedback on our plans, and will continue to evolve our plans as appropriate,” the Microsoft spokesperson further added.

Apparently rather than interest in physical copies dying down, there has also been “strong interest” in both the subscription plans and physical copies of Sea of Thieves, which is the first party title they’re choosing to launch the movement with. Despite the recent anger from smaller, independent stores, Microsoft isn’t giving up on them. “We have a long history partnering with independent stores around the world, and continue to believe they play a unique and valuable part in the ecosystem,” said the spokesperson.

The news that all Microsoft first party games would be hitting day and date with their Netflix style Xbox Games Pass service was a huge boon for the house of Xbox, but one of the major benefits of digital downloads is that by purchasing them you can usually start playing the moment the clock hits midnight on release day.

Now the question is whether this pre-loading courtesy would remain for those who purchased the game outright alone, or if Xbox Game Pass subscribers could be able to jump in at the same time, without having to wait for the infamous download times of the Xbox One. A Twitter chain with this exact question, embedded below, would work its way to Mike Ybarra, Microsoft’s Gaming Corporate Vice President.

Turns out the answer is yes!…Well, sort of. Ybarra would say in the tweet that the team is working on that, and they know that it’s an important part of why someone would want to take advantage of the service. All the same, they have nothing to say beyond exact timing is to be determined. Once it is determined, count on Gamingbolt to share that with you good people.

@DMC_Ryan do you know if we will be able to pre download those first party games through game pass so that we are able to play them exactly at the release date and time?

— Militia Gaming Community (@MilitiaGamingCo) January 24, 2018

https://twitter.com/XboxQwik/status/955989877601968128

Gears of War 4, the latest in Microsoft and The Coalition’s premier third person shooter series has been officially announced for inclusion on the Xbox Games Pass service, alongside several other titles such as Darksiders: Warmastered Edition, This War of Mine: The Little Ones, and Mega Man 10.

The addition was heavily foreshadowed last week in a video by Major Nelson covering what was available on the Xbox Games Pass service, a Netflix style option similar to the competition’s PlayStation Now, but allowing users to download the titles. In the video, the Gears of War series logo, the Crimson Omen, made four appearances. Turns out that the Omen’s foretold the addition of the most recent entry in the series, and one of Microsoft’s showpieces for the Xbox One X.

Gears of War 4 joins many other titles from Xbox One and Xbox 360 such as Halo 5: Guardians for unlimited download for $9.99 a month. The other Gears of War titles are already available to play on the service, including your choice of Gears of War 1 in both original Xbox 360 and Xbox One remaster variants.