Xbox Series X performance could be a huge letdown

assassins creed valhalla
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Despite its 12 teraflops of power, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X might only be able to run Assassin’s Creed Valhalla at 30 frames per second at 4K resolution. But the game will benefit from the speedy load times of the console’s SSD. 

“Currently, we can guarantee that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will run at least 30 FPS. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will benefit from faster loading times, allowing players to immerse themselves in history and the world without friction,” Ubisoft told Eurogamer Portugal

"Finally Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will benefit from improved graphics made possible by the Xbox Series X, and we can’t wait to see the beautiful world we’re creating in stunning 4K resolution," the company continued.

Ubisoft did note that 30fps will be a minimum target for Assassin’s Creed Vahalla performance on the Xbox Series X. But for some Xbox fans eagerly awaiting the console’s launch later this year, that information might come as a disappointment. 

Microsoft has previously touted that the Xbox Series X will aim to hit the sweet spot of 4K at 60fps for a suite of games, and potentially hit 120fps for other titles and even support up to 8K resolution. With that in mind, seeing Assassin's Creed Valhalla run at 60fps may disappoint some fans. 

Of course, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla could be a very demanding game with lots of detail and large spaces for players to explore, which could put a powerful console under strain. But the Xbox One X managed to run the very demanding Red Dead Redemption 2 at a native 4K resolution with a reasonably steady 30fps. So Xbox fans might expect a little more from the Xbox Series X given it’s twice as fast as the Xbox One X. 

However, Ubisoft is likely still optimizing its new game for Xbox Series X. So there’s still a decent chance that more performance could be eeked out of the console and allow the next Assassin's Creed game to run at a smoother 60fps. 

But this could be a sign of what to expect in terms of game performance on the Xbox Series X, at least when it launches. As a console generation matures, developers tend to get more out of the hardware. Still, we'd like to see a spectacular looking game running at 4K and 60fps minimum to really feel like a new console generation has arrived. 

Halo Infinite on target  

If you’re an Xbox fan who’s had the wind taken out of your sails at that revelation, we have some better news for you. Halo Infinite is on track and ready to be a launch game for the Xbox Series X. 

Xbox executive Aaron Greenberg took to Twitter to reassure fans that despite the coronavirus pandemic and the challenges of working from home, Halo Infinite remains on schedule to be a launch title for Microsoft’s next-generation console. 

So far, we’ve only seen two brief trailers for Halo Infinite, neither of which give us much of a clue as to how it’ll play like or what the overarching story might be. But Greenberg tweeted that the 343 Industries team is “cooking up some fire.”

That suggests the game is in a good condition, and we’d expect to see proper  footage for Halo Infinite in Microsoft’s July exclusives event.

Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face. 

  • The weasel
    Who wrote this ? Cryteks tea boy at it again ? Ubi make the game , if there lazy I won’t buy it , especially with there poor answer to smart delivery
    Reply
  • Sentinel Phoenix
    I can't recall any Ubisoft open world games running at 60fps on console. Series X is powerful but we can't expect some voodoo magic 8k 120fps box that also costs $400. It has 12 teraflops of power which is about the same as a GTX 1080 and that can only do 1440p/60fps on Oddesey. It also cost me $500 when it was new.
    Reply
  • Sentinel Phoenix
    Here's how I think Series X will perform for most games.

    Cost will be $450-500

    You'll have the choice of:
    -Dynamic 8k at an unstable 30fps
    -4k at 60 fps (FPSs and less demanding titles)
    -4k at 30fps (open world type games)
    -1080p at up to 120fps option for some titles but who is going to use this one really.

    In summary: It will be fine.
    Reply
  • Alfakennyone
    This sounds more like a Ubisoft issue than anything lmao

    Article is garb.
    Reply