Although Microsoft's upcoming flagship console, the Xbox One X, is still a few months away from release, developers are already announcing their plans to take advantage of the hardware going forward. With a significant increase in computational power, both existing and upcoming titles are set to leverage the additional resources.
In an interview with GameSpot, Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot shared his thoughts on the upcoming Xbox One X console, and what it means for the industry overall. Specifically touching on the benefits of having a more powerful console market, Guillemot emphasized such a move shows more promise than Microsoft's previous push for the ill-fated Kinect sensor.
We did a deal with Microsoft on Assassin's Creed: Origins, which is taking really good advantage of the power of the machine. We like very much what they are doing because instead of having a Kinect or something this time the industry went after more power for the machine, so more immersion, better AI, and overall better games.
Continuing, the Ubisoft CEO stressed that having more powerful console hardware available bodes well for the games industry going forward. Provided both Microsoft and developers are willing to support such hardware, the Xbox One X has potential to succeed on the market.
We like that because it means the industry will grow because the better the experiences, the more people want to have it. We think it has a good potential. If Microsoft is really behind it, it can do well."
Among major video games publishers, Ubisoft has been keen to promote its plans to support the Xbox One X. Assassin's Creed Origins, revealed at Microsoft's E3 2017 press conference, will take advantage of the hardware, running at checkerboard 4K resolution, at 30 frames per second (FPS). Other existing Ubisoft-published titles, such as Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands and For Honor will also be seeing enhancements, although details are yet to be specified.
While the success of the Xbox One X isn't guaranteed, the leap in hardware has been generally well-received by third-party developers. With nearly one hundred titles planning to support the console so far, the console's future already looks somewhat promising. Preorders are expected to go live soon, which should hopefully provide an idea of whether gamers are willing to lay down $499, to make the jump over to new hardware.
