Believe it or not, the hype for Assassin’s Creed Shadows is real. Despite initial skepticism about the gameplay and characters, many players are eager to try out Ubisoft’s latest entry in the beloved franchise. Fans want to see the return of stealth-focused mechanics and an open-world feudal Japan setting.
Recently, Ubisoft released its specs for the various consoles, leaving fans excited. However, while anticipation is high, one section of console gamers is once again getting the short end of the stick: Xbox Series S players. While it’s great that it is releasing on the budget-friendly console (day 1), the official specs reveal some serious compromises.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows proves that Series S still gets the worst deal
The Xbox Series S is the most affordable console of the current generation, offering a low-cost entry into next-gen console gaming. While it isn’t as popular or powerful as the Series X or PS5, it remains a viable option for those who want to experience modern games without breaking the bank.
The problem? Many AAA developers either ignore it entirely or provide heavily downgraded versions of their games. To Ubisoft’s credit, they are releasing Shadows on Series S on day one, which is more than some studios are willing to do or try.
However, after seeing the official specs, it’s clear that this version of the game is far from ideal. Unlike the Xbox Series X and PS5, which get multiple modes, including 60FPS and 4K options. The Series S is stuck with a single 30FPS Fidelity mode, which is upscaled to 1620p only.
For a next-gen console in 2025, this is simply unacceptable. Even though Microsoft encourages developers to optimize for the Series S, it seems that the console is constantly getting the worst version of games.
The obsession with High Fidelity is ruining performance
There’s no denying that high-fidelity graphics are great, who wouldn’t want their games to look as realistic as possible? However, achieving such high levels of detail requires powerful hardware, something that not every player has.
While developers constantly push for more detailed worlds, better lighting, and advanced effects to showcase their prowess, they most often forget that the majority of players aren’t running high-end gaming PCs or top-tier consoles to actually see that.
Instead of focusing on optimization, many developers choose to push the graphical limits. This issue becomes apparent when games are (forced by Microsoft) released on the Xbox Series S.
Rather than working on optimizing the game to make it run smoothly, developers either skip the console altogether or release inferior versions with disappointing specs, just like what’s happening with AC Shadows. A 1620p resolution at 30FPS in 2025 as the only option is sad, at best.
In the end, if developers want their games to reach as many players as possible, they must focus on optimization, not just visual spectacle. Because at the end of the day, a beautiful game that runs poorly is a game that players won’t enjoy.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
