Dune Awakening on Xbox Series S a “Challenge,” Funcom Says

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I must say that I’ve seen my fair share of development struggles, especially when it comes to cross-platform releases. The recent revelation about Dune: Awakening’s challenges on Xbox Series S doesn’t surprise me one bit. It seems like the Xbox is becoming a bit of a black hole for games these days.

It appears that Xbox has been facing a series of setbacks recently, as many developers have openly expressed their struggles with the company’s hardware and limitations. The status of Black Myth: Wukong on Xbox remains unclear, with numerous whispers about the reasons behind the delay. Now, Funcom has admitted they are encountering difficulties in bringing Dune: Awakening to the Xbox Series S, describing it as a “challenge.”

Regarding the challenges faced during Dune: Awakening’s development for the Xbox Series S, Scott Junor, the chief product officer, mentioned at Gamescom last month (as reported by VG247) that while the game will be available on PC and PlayStation 5 simultaneously upon release, it won’t be launching on Xbox Day One due to the Xbox Series S proving to be a difficult platform to work with.

One reason for our initial launch on PC is that there are numerous optimizations required before we can release on Xbox. The Xbox Series S presents a particular challenge in this regard.
Unreal Engine takes care of much of the heavy lifting for us in certain aspects. Our primary focus is on optimizing assets and employing diverse technologies such as FSR or others to generate frames. We aim to make the game visually impressive on high-end systems, whether you’re using a 3070 or a 4090. However, we also want it to look good for those with lower-end systems, though they might not be able to access all the ultra-spec options. Graphics cards from a few years ago should still be capable of running the game smoothly, and it will maintain an attractive appearance. (As of now, our minimum system requirements have not been disclosed yet.)

For those unaware, Dune: Awakening immerses players into Frank Herbert’s intricately crafted universe on an expansive scale. It’s a multiplayer online survival game that allows you to scavenge, create, and fight over the sands of Arrakis as you vie for dominance and spice. Over time, you can establish a House and amplify your power.

As a passionate gamer and fan, I can understand why Funcom might find crafting their vision for a game on the more compact Xbox Series S a “challenge.” With such a grand endeavor at hand, they aim to deliver high-quality content without any compromise, making it necessary to tread carefully with the lesser hardware.

What’s your take on “Dune: Awakening”? Do you believe it holds promise? If you haven’t seen the latest gameplay showcased at Gamescom recently, feel free to explore its concept on your own!

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam.