Ex-Tekken Boss Harada Really Doesn't Like the Xbox Series S

Key Points:

• Tekken developer Katsuhiro Harada criticized the Xbox Series S for its "awkwardly lower performance," calling it a "weaker child" compared to the Series X during a game developers' conference in Korea.
• Harada highlighted challenges developers face due to Microsoft's policy requiring feature parity across Xbox Series consoles, which forces extra optimization work for the less powerful Series S.
• Paweł Sasko, associate game director of Cyberpunk 2077, acknowledged the difficulties posed by the Series S's limitations but noted its affordability helps reach a wider audience and that optimization efforts benefited all platforms.
• Harada expressed frustration that Series S users often blame developers for lower texture resolutions and performance issues instead of Microsoft, emphasizing the console's disproportionate market share in the U.S.
• Discussions about a potential next-gen lower-powered Xbox console, rumored for 2027 or 2028 with a high price point, remain speculative, with Harada jokingly warning Microsoft against releasing another "weaker" model.