Xbox Roasted For Saying Gameplay Is Priority Despite Releasing 30FPS Games

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Abdullah Waseem

At T4G, my task is to cover the latest news around the gaming globe ASAP and with the utmost precision. I adore all the games and respect all the devs behind the amazing games that we get all year. So, whether it’s a PC or a Console game, I got it all covered. 

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In a weird move, Xbox posted on Twitter that how a game plays is more important than how a game looks. While we agree with this stance, this comes at a very poor time since Ninja Theory announced that its flagship title, Hellblade 2, will run at 30FPS on the Xbox Series S|X. 

Why it matters: This statement is strange coming from a company that often seems to be doing the opposite.

How a game plays > how a game looks

— Xbox (@Xbox) April 7, 2024

The Tweet garnered the attention of various influential personalities.

As expected, people like the former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra are calling Xbox out, stating that the option should always be there. This is likely in reference to Hellblade 2’s focus on visuals, which led to a 30FPS cap on consoles.

Last year, Redfall launched without a 60FPS mode. Similarly, Starfield was capped at 30FPS on Xbox Series S|X. Hellblade 2 is the third major example of a game where Xbox prioritizes the looks more than the gameplay, making this tweet a bit bizarre.

Meanwhile, PlayStation has been quite consistent with 60FPS options. Almost all of its major releases have come with performance and fidelity modes.

One could argue that Hellblade 2 has taken graphics to a groundbreaking cinematic level. Still, the game is rather linear and has a smaller map, which could’ve been optimized for 60FPS.

As fans of Ninja Theory’s work, we are still excited about the game. However, the lack of 30FPS makes the PC platform more compelling as an option. If this tweet proves anything, it’s that Xbox should focus more on the gameplay moving forward.

Horizon Forbidden West is a great example of a game that looks and plays great.

The title has breathtaking visuals and supports up to 120FPS on PS5. If PlayStation can do it, we expect the same from Microsoft, especially considering the Xbox Series X is quite a bit more powerful than the PS5.

Abdullah Waseem

News Reporter

Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.