PUBG Is Getting An Overhaul For PS5 And Xbox Series X
Do you hear that? It's the winds of change coming to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. With PUBG being a little slower on the uptake in terms of content when compared to something like Apex Legends or Fortnite, it's easy to forget that many hold it as the OG battle royale game. Even if PUBG doesn't have the same evolving story and colourful characters of its biggest rivals, that doesn't mean there isn't a loyal fanbase that loves shooting it up on Erangel, Sanhook, and Miramar.
As it stands, PUBG doesn't have a specific next-gen version. The developers are hard at work providing backward compatibility as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S players continue to ask for their own dedicated world to jump into. With both PS5 and Xbox Series owners shelling out on their consoles and enjoying a wholly new gaming experience, it makes sense that they want to see these capabilities utilised to their full potential when it comes to their favourite titles. Namely, this is a chance for PUBG to leapfrog the competition.
Players have already floated the idea of higher frame rates and a general boost to graphics, and by the sounds of it, they're coming in 2021. In particular, the Xbox Series S uses the old PUBG version that also runs on the Xbox One S - this means that any tweak to one would directly affect the other. PUBG Corp has found a clever workaround that will allow the game to be run at 60 FPS on next-gen. The update 9.2 will let you change settings for a specific device.
Joon H. Choi is the Lead Project Manager for PUBG’s console versions and has promised some vast improvements. In a new blog post, Choi said the latest discovery would allow the company to also improve older versions of the game, however, it won't happen. Choi explained, "This is where we cross the line between backwards-compatibility and native support".
He continued, "Every time we add enhancements that are unique to Xbox Series X|S and PS5 consoles, each one becomes a risk that our teams have to be mindful of. If an update brings a stability issue and if there are too many variables between last-generation and the new current-generation settings, the dev team will have many more potential causes to consider".
Choon added how there are "discussions" about giving players more control when it comes to resolution, V-Sync, and frame cap limits. As more and more fans boot up their next-gen consoles, there are increased calls for the above to be tackled. PUBG Corp is hoping to deliver at least some of these in the first quarter of 2021. Elsewhere, we've previously covered how 9.2 will add dirt bikes and driver shooting to the game, making it one of the biggest updates we've seen in a while.
More and more games have found themselves in this tricky predicament, with Epic Games recently rolling out a patch to make sure Fortnite is ready for the future of consoles. It's a blow for those with previous-gen consoles, who look like they'll soon be left in the dust with PUBG. Still, it's great news if you've got a shiny new PS5 or Xbox Series console already in your home or under the Christmas tree.
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Images via PUBG Corp
