Xbox has broken down its Smart Delivery system for their upcoming Xbox Series X console, stating it’s meant to bring over generations’ worth of gaming seamlessly through a shared online account.
The company’s latest news post explained that Smart Delivery works beyond giving certain Xbox One Games free Series X versions. But the feature only works if developers are willing to support it with their titles. Since the next generation console’s development kits were sent out to studios, Xbox game them full discretion in how current generation gamers transition to the Series X. In a nutshell, any existing game that gets a Series X version later on will come free of charge for players that already bought it before.
Smart Delivery also works with titles over the Xbox Game Pass subscription and every game made in-house by the company. For instance, an Xbox One player with Gears 5 on the Game Pass can upgrade to the next generation version with “a push of a button” once it’s available. They’ll get to enjoy the newer version, optimized in visuals and performance at launch for Series X.
Halo Infinite will also be getting the Smart Delivery at launch, with players only needing to pay one price for both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X versions.
“If you pick up Xbox Series X for your living room, Smart Delivery will recognize that and deliver you the Optimized version there,” the company wrote, adding it keeps track of how many systems players own as well.
“If you decide to move your existing Xbox One to a bedroom or the office, Smart Delivery will recognize that too and deliver that version when you’re playing on Xbox One.”
Players can also have seamless cross-saving from each system for Smart Delivery compatible games. This also makes migration simpler for pre-Series X games such as CyberPunk 2077, which will let players on the Xbox One upgrade their copies for free without starting over. They will also gain higher resolutions, graphical fidelity and frame rates supported by the Xbox Series X.
The cross saving even works for backwards compatible titles on the Xbox One, with the company stating earlier that most previous gen games are playable on Xbox Series X. This also suggests cloud saving is almost universal for Xbox-related titles “on day one.”
So far, a select number of titles were confirmed to support Smart Delivery for the Xbox Series X when it launches sometime on Holiday 2020:
Halo Infinite
Cyberpunk 2077
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Destiny 2
DiRT 5
Scarlet Nexus
Chorus
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
The Ascent
Call of the Sea
Gears 5
Second Extinction
Metal: Hellslinger
