As I’m sure you’re aware, last year saw the launch of new generation consoles from both Sony and Microsoft. Microsoft took a unique approach to the console space, launching two different systems with two different specs. On paper, the idea is obvious: have a high-end system aimed for enthusiasts and a low-end system for the mass market. The idea is one that has gotten many talking, with some expressing concern about the system’s long-term viability. Well, one developer seems to have not had any major issue working with Microsoft’s baby Xbox.
In an interview with VG24/7, Producer Jacek Zięba for The Medium spoke briefly about the Xbox Series S version of the game. It will release later this week as a console exclusive to the Xbox Series group of consoles. By and large, it seems the developer didn’t have any issues developing for the Series S. He compared it to having to optimize and develop for PCs, which has varying degrees of construction, so the team didn’t find it hugely challenging to do with these systems that employ the same basic idea. He even says he did a full playthrough on the Series S and was impressed with how close it looked to the Series X.
“With each generation of consoles, they’re still closer and closer to the PC,” said Zięba. “The structure and everything, so with new consoles and Xbox Series X and S, it was mostly a no brainer in a way, you know, like the engine is prepared for it and architecture is like normal, you know how this stuff works there, not like the PS3 or something. So no, it was a really pleasant experience, mostly.
“Yeah, I even played the whole game on Series S like one week ago and I was blown away because I thought I played on Series X. Somebody told me ‘man, this is Series S.’ What! Awesome, wonderful. Of course, you know, there will not be 4K because S does not support 4K, and of course it will maybe look different a little to Series X because X is twice as powerful, but the overall experience and fun from the game, it is the same. I own the Series S and I can’t wait to play in my home.”
It is probably worth mentioning, of course, while The Medium is the biggest game for Bloober Team, it’s still overall in the mid-range when it comes to development of games. A lot of the worry people have is how bigger, AAA titles will be able to scale down. But this is probably a good sign that smaller titles, at the very least, aren’t going to have a huge issue in the downscaling process. That said, we won’t know what The Medium on Series S will look like until later this week when it releases alongside the Series X and PC versions.
