A new demonstration of the power of the Xbox Series X shows off The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a massive open-world RPG that features detail in every corner of its environment, an traditionally that has meant the game takes a well-deserved several seconds to load into a new location once fast travel has been selected.
While much has been made about the PS5 SSD that's meant to be a game-changer for next-gen game design and development, the Xbox Series X boasts a similarly powerful piece of hardware that will also represent a major leap forward in loading times. Xbox Series X in particular is designed to be every bit the powerhouse that Sony's standard edition PS5 is described as, and consumers have been eager to see how the new Xbox Series X tech plays with older games. Given the barren nature of both next-gen consoles' launch lineups, it's an important question, too, as many early adopters will be left playing through old favorites rather than any games that truly take advantage of next-gen tech the way a Halo: Infinite might have.
A tweet from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Xbox Series X runs, showing off a player selecting a point on the map to fast travel to and the load time that follows. The Xbox Series X load time is so fast that the game doesn't even have a chance to bring up its fast travel loading screen, instead providing players with a brief graphical glitch that lasts a fraction of a second before Geralt appears at his intended destination. The map actually loads before the load screen, now.
It's an impressive display from Xbox Series X, and it's one that helps illustrate part of the appeal of these consoles beyond their capabilities in opening up possibilities for new games. Old titles benefit from these consoles a lot too in some circumstances, and deep, detailed games like The Witcher 3 stand to benefit most of all out of past titles - loading screens can be a huge barrier or burden to fans looking to replay a game, and eliminating them is a huge deal. That could easily make Xbox Series X (or PS5) a popular choice for players looking to build out a library of old games, too, thanks to both consoles' backward compability.
For fans of The Witcher 3, this is a particularly huge win, and it's one that's notable because of the popularity of The Witcher on Netflix. There was a big spike in players when the first season aired and there's a chance there could be when the second season airs, too - if there's a de facto best console to play it on, that could be a sneaky victory for whichever manufacturer holds that particular distinction. If nothing else, though, it's a clear demonstration of Xbox Series X power that's sure to tantalize fans even further ahead of its launch next week.
Source: Xbox News/Twitter
