With the Xbox Series X coming ever closer to its release date at the tail-end of this year, Microsoft is slowly but surely revealing some of the biggest features coming to the console. These include superior loading times, the ability to switch between games at the press of a button, and a new feature called "Velocity Architecture" which it recently showed off in a brand new demo. Another recently announced system that will be available on the Series X is Smart Delivery, which Microsoft confirmed will launch with a souped-up version of Gears 5 that will be available for early-adopters at launch.
Announced by Coalition tech director Mike Raynor in an interview with Eurogamer's Digital Foundry, it appears the company has set about optimizing the latest entry in the Gears of War franchise for a big debut on the Xbox Series X, with the industry figure claiming the game will have a number of major technological advancements. These include upping the game's visuals to that of the PC's ultra presets, adding software-based ray tracing, implementing, improved contact shadows, and ensuring all the game's cutscenes run at 60 fps.
Speaking on the additions to the game, Raynor claimed: "The title will support Smart Delivery, so if you already have the title in whatever form you'll be able to get it on Series X for free," also clarifying that the update would be "available at launch on Xbox Series X." Supposedly this ambitious Smart Delivery system will look to be a big part of Microsoft's upcoming plans, with certain games like Gears 5 allegedly being "forward compatible," allowing users to experience their favorite games with better visuals and technological advancements when they upgrade to the Xbox Series X.
It's undeniably a very strong move from Microsoft, allowing early-adopters to sidestep the growing pains of the console's launch library when it first releases by offering some of the Xbox One's biggest games with brand new visuals and advancements. Although there's no word on what other games could appear on the Smart Delivery service, it appears adapting a game to meet the Xbox Series X's standards isn't as difficult as you may think, with Raynor admitting that it only took a fortnight for The Coalition to make these sweeping changes to Gears 5.
Alongside the news that Gears 5 will be getting a significant upgrade on the Xbox Series X, Microsoft has also shown off a ton of new features recently relating to its next-generation hardware. A recent demo showed off the console's exceptional load times compared to those of the Xbox One's, while another highlighted how players can jump between suspended gameplay sessions at the touch of a button. It well and truly seems like the Xbox Series X is shaping up to be something special.
Gears 5 is available now on Xbox One and PC, with an updated version coming to Xbox Series X this fall.
Source: Eurogamer