Xbox Series S graphics are about to get noticeably better

Microsoft has confirmed that optimizations for the Xbox Series S console could see a significant improvement in graphics performance.

If you’ve noticed some games looking a little better lately, it’s likely due to the launch of the June Game Developers SDK. In a video explaining the optimizations spotted by The Verge, Microsoft said it was able to free up substantial amounts of memory, which can be used by Xbox games.

“Hundreds of additional megabytes of memory are now available to Xbox Series S developers,” the video voiceover explains. “This gives developers more control over memory, which can improve graphics performance under tight memory conditions.”

This could settle some complaints about Microsoft’s secondary console – which sits below the Xbox Series X – with games often struggling to hit the advertised best visuals of 1440p/120fps.

The Series S has 10 GB of advertised memory compared to the 16 GB offered in the Series X. Considering that Microsoft itself reserves 2 GB for system tasks, which leaves 8 GB for some of the most power-hungry games. . Now Microsoft has found a way to return some of that memory to developers.

Elsewhere, Microsoft is touting “improved performance for graphics conditions” that can make better use of freed up memory.

Microsoft claims this fixes an “issue where graphical virtual addresses were being allocated considerably slower than non-graphical virtual addresses. This improves the speed of assigning graphic virtual addresses. Titles can now better take advantage of recent memory management improvements that have negatively impacted graphics performance.

The Xbox Series S launched alongside the Series X in late 2020, but was much easier to get than its high-end counterpart. Supply chain issues are starting to ease now, so players have a legitimate choice. This news may help push some gamers towards the more affordable Series S.