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Ex-Tekken boss says developing for Xbox Series S is doing “extra work for a slightly weaker child”
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
The developing story now includes more detail about why Katsuhiro Harada objects to the Xbox Series S: its close similarity to the Series X, combined with lower performance, makes it harder to support than a clearly distinct console. Speaking at an industry event in Seoul with an Xbox official present, the longtime Tekken developer said he wished hardware like it had not been released.
Harada pointed to limited memory and the extra optimisation required, while noting that developers cannot neglect the Series S because it has many users, particularly in the US. He said players sometimes direct complaints about lower texture resolution to developers, though the differences reflect hardware limits. CD Projekt Red’s Pawel Sasko said the console also pushes studios to optimise their code more cleanly.
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In short
- Harada says the Series S adds difficult optimisation work.
- Its large user base means developers cannot ignore it.
- Sasko says the hardware can encourage cleaner code.
How this story developed
- 9 minutes ago Katsuhiro Harada, the longtime Tekken developer, criticised the Xbox Series S at an industry event in Seoul, saying he wished hardware with its constraints had not been released.
- 13 minutes ago The developing story now includes more detail about why Katsuhiro Harada objects to the Xbox Series S: its close similarity to the Series X, combined with lower performance, makes it harder to support than a clearly distinct console.
- Polygon Ex-Tekken Boss Doesn’t Want Next-Gen Xbox to Repeat Series S Mistake
- GamesRadar+ Ex-Tekken boss says developing for Xbox Series S is doing “extra work for a slightly weaker child”
- VGC Katsuhiro Harada says he wishes Xbox Series S didn’t exist, because it’s like doing ‘extra work for a slightly weaker child’
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Developers can reasonably argue that the Series S’s lower memory and performance require extra optimisation and can constrain what they build for more powerful platforms. Supporting it despite those demands may mean additional costs and compromises, while players’ complaints about visual differences reflect expectations studios cannot always meet on that hardware.
The case against
The Series S has a substantial user base, so supporting it helps studios reach more players and gives those customers access to current games at a lower performance tier. Its constraints can also encourage careful optimisation, as Sasko argues, potentially improving efficiency and making games run well across a wider range of hardware.
Coverage · 3 sources
- GamesRadar+Ex-Tekken boss says developing for Xbox Series S is doing “extra work for a slightly weaker child”
- PolygonEx-Tekken Boss Doesn’t Want Next-Gen Xbox to Repeat Series S Mistake
- VGCKatsuhiro Harada says he wishes Xbox Series S didn’t exist, because it’s like doing ‘extra work for a slightly weaker child’