Polish game developer CD Projekt Red recently stated that achieving 60 frames per second (FPS) for its highly anticipated new title, "The Witcher 4," on the Xbox Series S will be "an extremely challenging task." This admission has once again sparked industry discussion about the performance limitations of Microsoft's entry-level console.
Earlier this month, CDPR released a tech demo for "The Witcher 4." While not actual gameplay footage, the studio indicated that the video represents the potential visual quality of the new title on PlayStation 5. The demo showcased the development team's collaboration with Epic Games, utilizing Unreal Engine 5 to build a new technical foundation, signaling the game's ambition to reach new heights in open-world design.
However, Microsoft's current policy mandates that all Xbox games must support both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. CDPR's VP of Technology, Charles Tremblay, admitted in an interview with Digital Foundry that achieving 60FPS on the Xbox Series S "is going to be very difficult" and "is a problem we need to solve." 
This isn't the first time developers have voiced concerns about the technical limitations of the Xbox Series S. In late 2023, "Baldur's Gate 3" saw its Xbox release delayed because the game's split-screen co-op mode couldn't be smoothly implemented on the Xbox Series S. Ultimately, Microsoft made a special concession, allowing developer Larian Studios to bypass that feature for the game's successful launch.