Why Stellar Blade Getting A PC Release But Xbox Series X?

Stellar Blade for PlayStation 5 was a smash hit for the South Korean developer Shift Up Corporation. The game may not have taken home many rewards from The Game Awards other than NoobFeed's Best Role-Playing Games of 2024, but it certainly captured the hearts of its players. The expectation for the PC version has increased dramatically after the Stellar Blade: Nier Automata DLC release last November. Stellar Blade is reported to be in the final phases of production for PC release via Steam and Epic Games, according to Shift Up. However, one thing remains uncertain: Will Stellar Blade be released on Xbox?

According to SHIFT UP's 3Q 2024 Financial Report, the PC port was supposed to be launched in 2025, and now it is finally occurring. The latest update on Stellar Blade, an interesting forthcoming game for both PlayStation and PC, states that the PC release will take place later this year, with a heavy emphasis on Steam Deck optimization. While an official trailer has yet to be released, it has been confirmed that the game will be available on PC, which is a significant milestone for fans who want to play it on their favorite platform.

Shift Up has announced that the PC version of Stellar Blade will outperform the console version, aiming to provide an even greater experience. This version features higher resolutions, faster frame rates, and improved visual fidelity beyond the capabilities of the PlayStation 5. Shift Up has also indicated "Supplemental content" for the PC version of Stellar Blade, which might include new features or upgrades to encourage gamers to buy the game on that platform.

While some are concerned about the possibility of PC-exclusive content, Shift Up has been generous with free content for the PS5 version, and it appears doubtful that they will restrict content to a single platform. While PS5 users have always appreciated this genericity from the studio, Xbox Series X|S users are highly concerned as to why there hasn't been any official confirmation of an Xbox release yet. They were hoping to see Stellar Blade making its way to both PC and Xbox at the same time since these two platforms have several similarities.

This issue takes us to Baldur's Gate 3, Black Myth: Wukong, or possibly farther back in time. When Baldur's Gate 3 was first teased as not being available on current-gen Xbox systems, Larian Studios implied that optimization difficulties on the less capable Xbox Series S were to reason. This led to the Xbox release being delayed. Game Science raised the same concern with Black Myth: Wukong while it was still in development for the Xbox Series. It was Xbox's policy that mandated concurrent releases for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Hence, the fault was with them and not the game's developers.

Xbox probably would've been OK with a few games, but hey, it was Baldur's Gate 3. They finally loosened up and allowed Larian Studios to release the game on Xbox Series X four months after it was released on PC. Although the game followed up with the Xbox Series S release, the problem remained that developers faced difficulties when attempting to create a game that supports both Xbox Series consoles. And that's exactly what held the Black Myth: Wukong's Xbox release.

Xbox has not yet granted Game Science the green light to release their game exclusively on Xbox Series X, in contrast to what they did for Larian Studios. That much is known at this time. Shift Up has been mum about or hasn't provided any updates on Stellar Blade's Xbox release, and you now know why. It's clear that they're also tackling the same problem with Xbox.

In terms of performance, Stellar Blade is well-suited for PC. The game's well-designed action RPG features, paired with its engaging character design, make it a simple title to promote. As a new IP, it's seen as a perfect example of a game that doesn't require risk-taking to succeed—its strong base and appeal are sufficient to secure success, even with minimal promotional efforts.

Stellar Blade, with its excellent optimization plans and impressive gameplay, is expected to become a huge hit on PC. If the game follows in the footsteps of prior successful console-to-PC conversions and takes advantage of its organic growth, it has the potential to exceed expectations and thrive wonderfully on the platform.

Thus, Xbox is essentially confined by its own policies, and unless a significant change is made, Xbox users will be deprived of several new games that developers from South Korea and China are getting ready to release. You won't have to search very hard to find it. In March, SenseGames, a Chinese developer, will release AI LIMIT for PC and PlayStation 5, but not on Xbox Series X or S. You guessed it!