Working on the Xbox Series S version of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 directly benefitted the game's development on other platforms, according to new comments from Warhorse Studios' public relations (PR) manager.
Speaking in an interview on the Iron Lords Podcast (around the 1:32:17 mark) Warhorse Studios PR manager Tobias Stolz-Zwilling noted that "The optimizations for the Xbox Series S helped greatly [for] other platforms," adding that "since you have to dial down a few things and be cleverer where you can with the programming," the benefits of being careful carried over to the other versions of the game.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 runs on a version of Crytek's CryEngine, though it's worth noting that Warhorse Studios has been heavily customizing its version of the engine, packing it out with unique tech and features in order to run a massive medieval open world with a number of simulation elements.
On Xbox Series S, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 runs in a single mode at 30 FPS, with 30 FPS quality and 60 FPS performance modes available on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, while there's a handful of additional tweaks on the PlayStation 5 Pro.
Xbox Series S continues providing challenges and opportunities
Years after the console was first released, the reaction to the Xbox Series S from developers has been interesting to watch unfold, with some finding the constraints of a lower-powered machine annoying, while others have taken advantage of it in order to provide additional visual modes.
Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 initially shipped without its split-screen feature on Xbox Series S in December 2023, though over a year after launch, the team's continued optimizations have finally allowed split-screen to come to Microsoft's lower-end console. This feature is included in the upcoming Patch 8 that's available to test right now.
Warhorse Studios hasn't been alone in its experience with having the Xbox Series S version of a game ending up benefitting the rest of development. STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl developer GSC Game World previously opined on the Xbox Series S, with the team saying that they had to "squeeze up every megabyte from every piece of system content we could," with the results paying off in making the PC build more optimized.
I haven't played Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 myself, but many of my colleagues are loving it, including contributor Brendan Lowry, who wrote in his review of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 that "Between the immersive reactivity of its huge open world, countless varied quests to fill up your journal with, its engaging well-balanced combat, a gripping story, and immaculate presentation, it's got everything a Kingdom Come fan could want and more."
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is currently available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5.
