Ubisoft is preparing for another generation of consoles with the launch of Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Its pipeline of games including Watch Dogs Legion and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are also at the starting line for each next-gen console as they come out on November 2020. For the studio, its latest article detailed how it would optimize their biggest games going forward.
Starting with Watch Dogs: Legion, the anticipated open-world action adventure sequel would specifically focus on ray tracing on the Series X and PS5. Buildings, NPCs and other textures in the game would receive a natural diffusion of light from fixed sources, with players being able to tell lights coming from certain objects. This also adds to the photorealism of its latest engine which would be shared across other games, with London being one of Ubisoft’s first locations to receive the feature.
Legion will also be tailored to each console according to its own features. The Xbox Series X’s DirectStorage provides “massively reduced” load times for fast travel and cutscene-to-gameplay transitions. The PS5’s upgraded SSD will serve as its equivalent for fast load times for “seamless” changes in scenery. There are also added hardware features for 3D audio, immersing PS5 players with London’s attention to detail as a living city. The DualSense controller makes use of the adaptive triggers for minigames and other “hand-tuned responses” for certain actions. Both next-gen versions of Legion will include free upgrades for current gen buyers.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla releases as part of the launch lineup for Xbox Series X and PS5, running at a solid 60 frames per second at 4K resolution across both consoles. Like Legion, the open world epic will come with direct throttling from the Xbox Velocity Architecture and built-in API for faster loading speeds over current gen systems. This renders out the game’s vast seas across Norway, while players can jump into ninth-century England much faster with less texture pop-ins and other missing issues which plagued past consoles. For Valhalla‘s cutscenes, it also throws players into fully-loaded battles in large medieval locations without compromises in rendering over textures and weather effects. Ubisoft continues reinforcing its upgrades with Smart Delivery and cross saving intact for a seamless jump across new consoles.
Greek action RPG Immortals: Fenyx Rising uses HDR across all next-gen boards for deeper blending of colours in its unique animated art style. The game, surrounding a demigod unifying others for a war, spans across ancient Greece with vivid territories all themed after notable mythological characters. This is where players can navigate the world seamlessly, with a tunneling level design similar to The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. Of course, cinematic moments load to gameplay much sooner over the PS4, Xbox One and Switch using next gen processors custom-built by AMD. The Xbox Series X and PS5 versions of Immortals: Fenyx Rising also keep a steady 60 frames with 4K resolution at launch. Free upgrades from current-to-next gen are also confirmed by Ubisoft.
Far Cry 6 comes just three years after its predecessor, packing a consistent 60fps at 4K performance over frantic gunfights. Its tropical setting of Yara blooms with natural sunlight over raytraced surfaces and molotov fires alike. Trees also bleed rays of light through to crispy surfaces as they render over the Xbox Series X and PS5 GPU. Little details were shared by Ubisoft over Far Cry 6 ahead of its release in 2021, just a few months after the next-gen launch. This is also set for a free upgrade for players holding off on pulling the next-gen trigger.
Though newer Ubisoft games are being geared towards the Xbox Series X and PS5, Ubisoft is also porting existing games including Rainbow Six Siege and For Honor with upgrades as well. This opens its already-expansive player base up for free upgrades right away. By launch, Siege would have included Sam Fisher as an operator to use in its five-person team (as part of Season 3). This includes crossplay between current and next-gen owners, with the latter getting 4K resolutions at 120 frames per second for PS5 and Xbox Series X. For Honor receives a much-needed 60 frames for its inclusion with the PS5 and Xbox Series X, giving its melee skirmishes a buttery-smooth performance. The next-gen hardware also lightens the load over processing hordes or enemies and allies in a single map and adds additional sharpening over textures via. “the highest level of graphical enhancements that the game has to offer.”
The Xbox Series X launches first on November 10, 2020 worldwide followed by the PlayStation 5 on November 12, 2020. Both are available to pre-order if possible at select retailers.
