By BF6 is abandoning last-gen, for valid reasons
Two giants of the FPS genre are set to debut on Xbox in the form of Battlefield 6 and Black Ops 7, but while BF6 removes last-gen assistance this time, BO7 continues to provide an Xbox One version in 2025 – and both teams have their explanations.
Recently, Call of Duty creator Treyarch conversed with Dexerto regarding the last-gen versions of Black Ops 7, amid worries they could impede the current-gen launches. Treyarch acknowledges the apprehension, but senior production director Yale Miller asserts that “a staggering number of players” still engage with the game on their eighth generation consoles.
“A staggering number of individuals actively play it, […] It was logical for us to pursue it, and we could do so. There are simply graphical characteristics and elements that you won’t observe, but we believe that doesn’t fundamentally disrupt the experience. Naturally, there’s performance and other factors that may not be as exceptional, but that’s it. It’s just users,”
While COD’s vast player community evidently still spans both generations of consoles, the scenario is somewhat different for Battlefield. 2042 had last-gen iterations, yet they were isolated from the current-gen due to diminished player counts – leading the team to conclude that it simply wasn’t beneficial to hold on to Xbox One this year.
In a recent discussion with PC Gamer, Battlefield 6’s technical director Christian Buhl articulated that abandoning last-gen was a genuine “magic trick” in unleashing the game’s capabilities:
“Perhaps the only magic trick is that we’re no longer on the PS4 or Xbox One, […] So we’ve effectively elevated the baseline of what we have regarding memory and CPU speed, and thus enhancing that baseline contributes to overall performance improvement. Since we’re not attempting to run the game on a PS4, for instance.
Apart from [elevating the baseline] it’s just a substantial amount of effort, […] It entails testing, testing destruction, and optimizing various segments.”
Thus, there you have it. COD possesses its justifications for maintaining compatibility with Xbox One (primarily a significant last-gen player base and less demanding technology), whereas BF6 believes that unlocking the game’s genuine potential is partially due to a concentration on more contemporary hardware. Two distinct methodologies, and we are eager to observe how the Call of Duty versus Battlefield narrative unfolds this holiday season.
What are your thoughts on these COD and BF comments? Share your insights on the two games below.
[source dexerto.com, via pcgamer.com]
Ben is a News Writer at Pure Xbox, and enjoys action, racing, and straightforward shooting in any Xbox title he can access. When he’s not gripping an Xbox controller like his life hinges on it, Ben occupies his time listening to music that’s far too vintage for him, watching football on TV, and likely dining somewhere.