Dune game dev: Xbox Series S is a 'challenge'

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Funcom's chief product officer Scott Junior is the latest game developer to acknowledge the Xbox Series S' challenging power profile.

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Gen 9 consoles introduced an interesting fracture point for Xbox. In a bid to secure more players and fill out console install bases, Microsoft opted to split its new console lineup into two parts: The budget-friendly $299 Xbox Series S, and the powerhouse $499 Xbox Series X. This price disparity also comes with a hefty spec difference, though; the Series S is markedly weaker than the Series X, with 37% less RAM (10GB vs the Series X's 16GB) and a GPU with 60% less Compute Units (CUs).

Despite this disparity in specifications, multiple developers and publishers have gotten big-name games to work on both systems. But it doesn't mean it's necessarily easy. Funcom, who is making the new Dune: Awakening game, acknowledges that the Series S will be a challenge for the team.

"So, it's one of the reasons we're coming out on PC first. There's a lot of optimisations we need to do before we release on the Xbox. But yeah, Xbox Series S is a challenge," Funcom exec Scott Junior said in a recent interview with VG247.

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Funcom will indeed have the game running on the Series S, though, as well as old-spec PCs. For Funcom, who creates live service-oriented titles, the real name of the game is widespread releases on as many systems as possible.

"...[Dune Awakening] will still perform well on hardware that's years and years old. We'll be able to do it!"

Dune: Awakening's first open beta will go live in 2025, and until then, Funcom will continue optimizing their open-world MMORPG across the board.