Microsoft is increasing the memory resources available on its Xbox Series S. This should, among other things, allow for graphical improvements sufficient to close the gap between the Series S and Series X a bit for gamers.
If you’re frustrated that games on the Xbox Series S don’t run as smoothly, or don’t look as good considering the machine is capable of 1440p, know that Microsoft has a solution. The Verge has learned that with its June release of the Game Development Kit (GDK), the Redmond-based firm is giving developers more access to machine memory, offering “hundreds of extra megabytes”of RAM for their games. According to Microsoft, this should improve graphical performance in games that might be memory-limited.
Microsoft increases memory resources available on Xbox Series S
This modification of the GDK cannot, of course, allow an entry-level console to compete with the Xbox Series X, which uses the same CPU but has a much more powerful graphics chip. However, this can help mitigate the slowdowns that sometimes force developers to run their games at lower resolutions and/or lower frame rates on the Series S. 10. In practice, only 8 GB is available to developers, a limitation the creators have repeatedly complained about.
This should allow graphical improvements, including
And if that sounds like a familiar strategy, it’s completely understandable. In 2014, Microsoft gave Xbox One developers access to more power by allowing them to disable Kinect features in games that don’t need the system. In both cases, the American giant is modifying available system resources in response to restrictions and other glitches experienced by developers.
Enough to close the gap between Series S and Series X for gamers a bit.
In any case, developers will need some time to optimize their games, and all this without any guarantee that this improvement will affect many existing games. Don’t expect patches to improve the graphics of your favorite games. Improvement is more likely to be found in new titles. Either way, it’s a very interesting move that should make the Xbox Series S a more viable option if you don’t have the budget to buy a Series X.