Summary

• Palworld is currently only available on Xbox Series X/S and PC, with no confirmation of releases on PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch.
• The Steam version of Palworld is considered superior to the Xbox/Game release due to faster updates, but the latter is also missing features.
• The lack of parity between versions is an issue due to Palworld being in early access. Delays in delivering updates can be frustrating, especially for critical bugs.

Jumping into Palworld for the first time might seem like a straightforward affair, but it's surprisingly easy to end up playing an inferior version of the game. Unlike Pokémon, Palworld doesn't feature any intentional version split, and all the creatures currently in the game can simply be accessed by buying the title. However, things aren't actually as simple as they appear. Despite the fact that Palworld only appears to have one basic release, not all copies of the game are created equal.

It didn't take long at all for Palworld to shoot up near the top of sales charts, but it's currently not available on all major platforms. At the moment, Palworld can be played on Xbox Series X/S and PC, with no confirmation of PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch releases in the near future. This isn't due to any ironclad exclusivity, although there may be a timing agreement thanks to its inclusion on the subscription service Xbox Game . On PC, Palworld can consequently be purchased through either the Xbox Store or Steam in addition to being accessed through Game .

Palworld Is Better On Steam Than On Game

Interestingly, the Steam version of Palworld is superior to the Xbox/Game release, and the primary issue doesn't have anything to do with the differences between console hardware and the possibilities of high-end PCs. Even when playing on PC, choosing to the game through Steam will yield objectively better results, which is definitely something worth knowing before committing to a purchase. The main issue comes down to the speed of updates, as features can get pushed live to the Steam version first before they make their way into the version of the game that's available directly through Microsoft.

As reported by Windows Central, Palworld's community manager, Bucky, has referenced this issue in the Discord server of developer Pocketpair. Patches that apply quickly on Steam can apparently wait for multiple days in Microsoft's certification queue, a slowdown that Pocketpair is "desperately trying" to accelerate. Considering the popularity of Palworld, Microsoft might start making the certification more of a priority, but there's no guarantee that the version will ever keep up entirely with the pace of updates on the Steam release of the game.

Palworld's Version Numbers Aren't Proof Of The Issue

One clue that led many to suspect the lack of parity between versions was the difference in version numbers, which implied that the Xbox version of Palworld was on an older build. This apparently isn't directly relevant to the problem of istering hotfixes at the same speed, as Bucky refers to different architecture and the lack of crossplay as indication that there's no real reason the numbers would be the same. The builds that went live at launch were consequently intended to have parity, and the problem has been something that's mostly arisen in the process of applying post-launch fixes.

The two versions clearly weren't exactly equal even at launch, with the lack of an exit button in the Game release comparing rather awkwardly to the more normal process of closing the Steam version. This is apparently likewise the result of separate builds rather than a specifically outdated one, although that knowledge doesn't do all that much to justify the omission. It's not the only basic feature that was lacking at launch, with the Steam version having options like renaming that were likewise missing from the Xbox release.

The exit button issue has been fixed since the launch of Palworld, but a variety of other problems persist in the game at the time of writing.

The Lack Of Palworld Parity Is An Early Access Problem

If Palworld was already in a mostly finished state, minor delays in delivering updates might not be a big issue. As an early access title, however, Palworld is in the midst of ongoing development, and that can make it frustrating when critical bugs arise and don't receive quickly deployed fixes. The enormous popularity of the game should make it easier for the developers to respond to issues without delays, but if the certification on Microsoft platforms regularly delays things by a few days, much of that potential advantage will be thrown away for some of the player base.

Steam was a major part of popularizing the idea of early access releases in the first place, so it makes sense that it's easier to implement quick hotfixes on the platform that championed the cause. As the idea has become more widely embraced in the general gaming sphere, the sometimes stricter or simply slower certification processes for other platforms have become more of a problem. Whether early access releases are ultimately a good thing can be subject to some debate, but the current situation isn't optimal from either perspective.

The current state of Palworld has still managed to impress a large portion of its playerbase, as it's undoubtedly more feature-rich than many ambitious projects are when they first hit early access. Pokémon itself also isn't known for launching with the level of polish that is generally expected of games published by Nintendo, with aggressive production cycles and hard release dates related to the overall Pokémon merchandising schemes likely causing development challenges. At the same time, Palworld can feel unfinished in a lot of basic ways, like limited animations and a hodgepodge of aesthetic elements obviously inspired by different sources.

Regardless of any opinions on its overall state, the fact remains that the version of Palworld that's available on Xbox Game and Microsoft platforms just isn't up to snuff. If problems persist, it could prove somewhat damaging to the general appeal of Xbox Game , as getting new games through a subscription is somewhat less enticing if they're fundamentally compromised iterations. Ideally, the future of both versions of Palworld will bring them to overall synchronicity, but it's too early to be certain of just how things will play out.

Source: Windows Central