Microsoft is increasing the memory resources accessible on its Xbox Series S. This should allow graphic improvements in particular, enough to slightly reduce the gap between the Series S and the Series X for players.
If you happen to be frustrated that the games on the Xbox Series S don’t run as smoothly or render as nicely given that the machine is capable of displaying 1440p, be aware that Microsoft has a solution. The Verge has learned that, in the June novelties of its Game Development Kit (GDK), the Redmond firm is offering developers extended access to machine memory, offering “hundreds of extra megabytes” of RAM for their games. This should improve graphics performance on games that may have been limited due to memory, according to Microsoft.
Microsoft increases the memory resources accessible on its Xbox Series S
This modification of the GDK cannot, of course, allow the 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 could help alleviate the slowdowns that sometimes force developers to run their games at lower resolutions and/or lower frame rates on the Series S. If the Series X has 16GB of RAM (with about 13.5 usable), the Series S only has 10. And in practice, developers only have access to 8 GB. The creators have repeatedly complained about this limitation.
This should allow for graphical improvements, including
And if this sounds like a familiar strategy, it’s completely understandable. Microsoft gave Xbox One developers access to more power in 2014, allowing them to disable Kinect features in games that did not need the system. In both cases, the American giant modifies the system resources available in response to the limitations and other hiccups encountered by the developers.
Enough to reduce the gap between the Series S and the Series X a little for the players
In any case, it will take some time for developers 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. The improvement will rather be found on the new titles. Either way, it’s a very interesting move that should make Xbox Series S a more viable option if you don’t have the budget to buy Series X.