Former Xbox exclusive Pentiment currently runs smoother on PlayStation 5 than on Xbox Series X/S, fans have realised - prompting the game's director to blame the situation on a "bug".

Social media user PeterOvo shared a screenshot from a video comparison capturing the frames per second performance between Pentiment on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The former was running at 120fps, while the Xbox version was running at a mere 60fps.

This inconsistency was subsequently brought to the attention of Pentiment's director, Josh Sawyer. The developer replied to assure players that 120fps will be enabled for Xbox "in the next patch".

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Xbox has announced a PlayStation release date for Sea of Thieves, its popular pirate live service game from British studio Rare.

PlayStation 5 players will be able to wishlist the game beginning tomorrow, 22nd February, ahead of its launch on Sony's console on 30th April.

A blog post from Microsoft tonight also confirms PlayStation dates for Pentiment (tomorrow, 22nd February) and Grounded (16th April) - the same as the dates confirmed for Switch in the Nintendo Direct earlier.

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Following last week's long-rumoured announcement Microsoft is bringing four of its previously Xbox-exclusive first-party games to Switch and PlayStation 5, we've finally got official confirmation of the first two games making that multiplatform leap: Obsidian's historical narrative adventure Pentiment comes to Switch tomorrow, 22nd February, while inch-high garden adventure Grounded arrives 16th April on Nintendo's platform.

Starting with Pentiment, it cast players as Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself embroiled in murders, scandals, and intrigue over a period of five years in 16th century Bavaria. It's fantastic stuff - Eurogamer's Christian Donlan called it a "brilliant narrative adventure that is filled with intelligence and heart" in his Recommended review back in November 2022 - and the choice-driven adventure is paired with a striking art style, inspired by the great manuscripts and the earliest printed books of the time.

As for Grounded, Microsoft's second Switch-bound Xbox title, it's a wonderful co-op-imbued survival and crafting adventure with a distinctly 80s twist, taking a leaf out of cinema favourite Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. As in that movie, Grounded's four protagonists are miniaturised and left to fend for themselves in a sprawling backyard garden, building bases and crafting armour to forge ahead against deadly bugs, fish, and other wildlife.

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Five of the Best is a weekly series for supporters of Eurogamer. It's a series that highlights some of the features in games that are often overlooked. It's also about having your say, so don't be shy, use the comments below and join in!

Oh and if you want to read more, you can - you can find our entire Five of the Best archive elsewhere on the site.

Games have always struggled a bit with the fundamental truth that we, as humans, need to eat in order to survive. The problem is that cooking and eating slow us down and take us out of the action, because theytake time. It wouldn't do for Nathan Drake to hang about making a sandwich before exploring a Nepalese temple, now, would it?

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This week on the Eurogamer Newscast, we discuss Microsoft's business update that brought us confirmation Xbox will launch four console exclusives - for now - on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

But why did Microsoft choose not to name those four games (even though Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Grounded and Sea of Thieves were immediately reported to be the titles in question)? What happened to the previously-reported plans to include larger games such as Starfield? And where will Microsoft draw the line for what to launch elsewhere? Right now, these four feel like something of a soft launch for Microsoft's multiplatform strategy,

As well as all that, we also discuss the news nuggets Microsoft dropped for the Xbox faithful - including mention of new Xbox console hardware this year and the proper next-gen Xbox that's still years away. With me this week are Eurogamer's Ed Nightingale, Victoria Kennedy and Liv Ngan.

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Following mounting reports Xbox is preparing for some kind of multiplatform future, Microsoft has confirmed it'll be bringing four previously Xbox-exclusive first-party titles to PlayStation 5 and Switch later this year, with more likely to come in the future.

Reports that Microsoft was preparing to release a number of first-party games on competing consoles - namely Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush - first surfaced at the start of this year, but it wasn't until last week's claims high-profile exclusives such as Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would also be going multiplatform that Microsoft broke its silence, promising to reveal more in a podcast this week.

And now, as reported by The Verge - which was pre-briefed by Microsoft ahead of tonight's reveal - Xbox gaming boss Phil Spencer has confirmed the company has "made the decision that we're going to take four games to the other consoles". Bafflingly, Spencer does not name the games directly, only saying two are community-driven titles and two are smaller games.

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Welcome to our live coverage of the big Xbox business update, where Microsoft laid out its plan to launch four first-party Xbox games on Nintendo and PlayStation platforms.

Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer, Xbox president Sarah Bond and head of Xbox game studios Matt Booty - the company's Triforce of gaming top brass - stopped short of officially confirming the quartet of titles set to go multiplatform, but reports online suggest those titles will be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves and Grounded.

The podcast also included a brief mention of new Xbox hardware launching later this year, and a tease for the proper next-gen Xbox - you can read all of that below.

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Xbox president Sarah Bond reportedly told staff that "every screen is an Xbox". These words come ahead of Microsoft's business update later today, in which the company is expected to lay out its plans to publish some Xbox games on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms.

Bond was speaking at an internal town hall meeting, with several sources telling Inverse the exec went on to discuss Xbox's strategy of existing on multiple devices. She also spoke more on the company's ambitions to become the number one cross-platform gaming company, the sources said.

To illustrate this point, staff were shown images of this year's breakout hit Palworld across multiple screens. This included "tablets, TV screens, monitors, and handheld devices", the publication said.

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At Xbox, we strive to create games that inspire, entertain, and connect players from around the world. As a publisher and platform we are committed to meeting players where they are, by bringing more games, to more people, and on more devices. And at the heart of all we do are our players, and the vibrant communities that they build around the games they love. 

Today we are announcing that four fan-favorite Xbox games will be coming to Nintendo Switch and Sony platforms this spring. The studios that built these celebrated games have drawn on their multi-platform experience to open the worlds they created to even more players and communities.  

• Pentiment from Obsidian Entertainment, a truly unique, critically acclaimed, and award-winning narrative adventure game with a striking visual style inspired by history itself will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on February 22.   

• Hi-Fi RUSH, the award-winning and beloved rhythm-based action game where the world syncs to the music from Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks will be coming to PlayStation 5 on March 19 at midnight UTC, with pre-purchase available on PlayStation 5 digital storefronts on February 22.  

• Grounded – also from Obsidian Entertainment – a co-op survival adventure phenomenon that has welcomed 20 million players into the backyard, will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on April 16. Cross play will be supported across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.   

• Sea of Thieves, the shared world adventure game from Rare, will be coming to PlayStation 5 on April 30 – and will be available to wishlist by PlayStation 5 players starting tomorrow, February 22. Having built a passionate community of more than 35 million players from around the world, the support of cross play for Xbox, PlayStation and PC will allow players to experience epic pirate adventures with friends on more platforms. 

These titles join franchises like Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Diablo – which already reach players and fans on multiple platforms – and we’re excited for more players to experience these worlds and stories on more platforms.   

Whether it’s Nintendo Switch and PlayStation players surviving in the backyard together in Grounded, or PlayStation players getting to live a pirate’s life in Sea of Thieves, with cross-play, these multiplayer titles available will bring more people together and continue to grow their communities of players.  

Last week on The Official Xbox Podcast, we also discussed how our Xbox consoles will continue to provide a flagship experience for players. This is what it means to be a part of Xbox: 

• The biggest games in the world will be on Xbox.    
• Our first party games will come to Game Pass day one.  
• A robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap. 
• Compatibility with your library is a priority, inclusive of cross-play, cross-save, and robust cloud features.   
• Xbox will continue to help game creators find the biggest audience possible. 

And as we shared at Developer_Direct, earlier this year, players can look forward to Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and more on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass this year.  

There’s never been a better time to play, and we can’t wait for more players to experience these great games.  

The post New Platforms, New Players: Four Fan-Favorite Xbox Games Coming to Nintendo Switch and Sony Platforms appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Physical media still matters!

We learned earlier today that Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush, once console exclusives to Xbox, are two of four games releasing on other consoles in the coming months. Shortly after that, Obsidian and Bethesda announced that both games will receive a physical and digital release.

In

Obsidian games get the new era started.

Xbox games Pentiment and Grounded are confirmed to be coming to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation consoles.

Both Obsidian-developed games launched first on Xbox and PC, but arrive on Nintendo Switch as part of Microsoft’s new multiplatform push, signaled by Xbox boss Phil Spencer last week during …

Five of the Best is a weekly series for supporters of Eurogamer. It's a series that highlights some of the features in games that are often overlooked. It's also about having your say, so don't be shy, use the comments below and join in!

Oh and if you want to read more, you can - you can find our entire Five of the Best archive elsewhere on the site.

Games have always struggled a bit with the fundamental truth that we, as humans, need to eat in order to survive. The problem is that cooking and eating slow us down and take us out of the action, because theytake time. It wouldn't do for Nathan Drake to hang about making a sandwich before exploring a Nepalese temple, now, would it?

Read more

This week on the Eurogamer Newscast, we discuss Microsoft's business update that brought us confirmation Xbox will launch four console exclusives - for now - on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

But why did Microsoft choose not to name those four games (even though Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Grounded and Sea of Thieves were immediately reported to be the titles in question)? What happened to the previously-reported plans to include larger games such as Starfield? And where will Microsoft draw the line for what to launch elsewhere? Right now, these four feel like something of a soft launch for Microsoft's multiplatform strategy,

As well as all that, we also discuss the news nuggets Microsoft dropped for the Xbox faithful - including mention of new Xbox console hardware this year and the proper next-gen Xbox that's still years away. With me this week are Eurogamer's Ed Nightingale, Victoria Kennedy and Liv Ngan.

Read more

Following mounting reports Xbox is preparing for some kind of multiplatform future, Microsoft has confirmed it'll be bringing four previously Xbox-exclusive first-party titles to PlayStation 5 and Switch later this year, with more likely to come in the future.

Reports that Microsoft was preparing to release a number of first-party games on competing consoles - namely Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush - first surfaced at the start of this year, but it wasn't until last week's claims high-profile exclusives such as Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would also be going multiplatform that Microsoft broke its silence, promising to reveal more in a podcast this week.

And now, as reported by The Verge - which was pre-briefed by Microsoft ahead of tonight's reveal - Xbox gaming boss Phil Spencer has confirmed the company has "made the decision that we're going to take four games to the other consoles". Bafflingly, Spencer does not name the games directly, only saying two are community-driven titles and two are smaller games.

Read more

Welcome to our live coverage of the big Xbox business update, where Microsoft laid out its plan to launch four first-party Xbox games on Nintendo and PlayStation platforms.

Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer, Xbox president Sarah Bond and head of Xbox game studios Matt Booty - the company's Triforce of gaming top brass - stopped short of officially confirming the quartet of titles set to go multiplatform, but reports online suggest those titles will be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves and Grounded.

The podcast also included a brief mention of new Xbox hardware launching later this year, and a tease for the proper next-gen Xbox - you can read all of that below.

Read more

Xbox president Sarah Bond reportedly told staff that "every screen is an Xbox". These words come ahead of Microsoft's business update later today, in which the company is expected to lay out its plans to publish some Xbox games on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms.

Bond was speaking at an internal town hall meeting, with several sources telling Inverse the exec went on to discuss Xbox's strategy of existing on multiple devices. She also spoke more on the company's ambitions to become the number one cross-platform gaming company, the sources said.

To illustrate this point, staff were shown images of this year's breakout hit Palworld across multiple screens. This included "tablets, TV screens, monitors, and handheld devices", the publication said.

Read more

Here's everything we learned from Xbox's vision for the future.

Xbox revealed its "vision for the future" today in a podcast featuring executives Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty, who did their best to articulate the path forward for the platform amid reports of plans to embrace a third-party publishing strategy.

The business update confirmed that four …