With a full reveal of Microsoft"s highly anticipated Project Scorpio console expected at E3 2017 next month, questions have arisen on Microsoft"s stance regarding the maintenance of frame rate and graphical parity between the existing Xbox One/One S consoles and the upcoming powerhouse.
Mike Ybarra, Xbox"s lead engineer, was recently quizzed by a Twitter user as to whether the company will require developers to maintain frame rate parity between the console variants. His answer, in this particular instance, was a definitive no.
Developers are free to choose how they use the power of Project Scorpio for games. We have no requirements limiting framerate or fidelity.
— Mike Ybarra (@XboxQwik) May 19, 2017
As the above tweet explains, Microsoft will not impose any restrictions on developers to maintain frame rate parity, instead letting the developer choose what they believe will be the best setup for their game.
While is certainly welcome news for potential buyers of what Microsoft claims will be the most powerful console ever, there may still be one caveat: multiplayer games. As Microsoft Studios" General Manager, Shannon Loftis, explains, developers of multiplayer games are unlikely to opt for different frame rates for different consoles in order to provide a more consistent and balanced experience for users of different variants of the Xbox One.
@The_CrapGamer Developer choice, but as a developer I would bet no one chooses different framerates for mp games ever.
— Stargoon Loftis (@shannonloftis) May 20, 2017
Given the need for balanced gameplay without fragmenting the Xbox community, this seems like the most sensible solution at the moment, while still allowing users to enjoy all the 60fps 4K goodness Project Scorpio promises in single player games.
Via: GameSpot