No Rest for the Wicked Creator Blames Xbox Series S for Delayed Launch

Once again, unfortunately for Microsoft fans, the Xbox Series S and its power find themselves at the heart of controversy, as several significant titles have opted to bypass Xbox consoles during their initial releases, choosing instead platforms like the PlayStation 5 or the upcoming Switch 2. This trend has raised red flags within the gaming community, and now developers such as “No Rest for the Wicked” and experts from other prominent studios concur that the technical power of the Xbox Series S is comparable to a smartphone’s.

According to creatives themselves, these technical limitations are causing serious development issues and forcing delays on the platform, making this console a constant hurdle for developers who must limit their ideas from day one in order to ensure their games function adequately on it. This current situation is no secret to those closely following entertainment news, as highly anticipated games such as Silent Hill: Townfall have confirmed they will not be released on Microsoft’s console yet, as Tech4Gamers media reminds us. Meanwhile, industry surveys reveal that the majority of studios are focusing their development efforts on Sony’s console or Nintendo’s upcoming hardware.

Industry experts increasingly view the Xbox Series S as Microsoft’s most significant misstep of the current console generation, a flaw that not only tarnishes the brand but also imposes technical ceilings across the gaming landscape.

Thomas Mahler, the director of the highly anticipated action title No Rest for the Wicked, took to Discord to bluntly confirm that the Series S’s specifications are only marginally better than those of a modern smartphone. He cited this limitation as the reason the game will not launch simultaneously on Xbox and PlayStation 5, explaining that developing for such constrained hardware makes the process exceptionally challenging.

Mahler’s statement adds weight to his earlier concerns about declining Xbox ecosystem sales and echoes complaints from studios like Warhorse, who blamed the Series S’s restrictions for scaling back the ambition of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Despite these hurdles, No Rest for the Wicked will still reach Xbox players, albeit months after its October debut on PlayStation 5.

Frustration among developers is far from new. In 2023, the Series S was widely regarded as the weaker sibling of the new generation, often described by gamers and creators alike as a “bottleneck” to innovation. Our earlier coverage highlighted this sentiment, noting that respected industry figures such as Thomas Puha, Remedy Entertainment’s Communications Director, publicly voiced solidarity with Larian Studios as they struggled to get Baldur’s Gate 3 to run acceptably on the console, particularly in split‑screen co‑op mode.

Using his Twitter account to express empathy, Puha made it clear to his followers: “I feel Larian’s pain with the Series S. It’s not just about ‘optimizing at the end.’” He further elaborated on the realities of game development, stressing that technical constraints must be considered from the outset: “No, you have to account for limitations from the start of development. No one really wants to think about that when you begin making your game, when everything seems possible.”

In closing, it is evident that Microsoft faces a monumental challenge in the coming years if it hopes to fully restore developers’ confidence and move beyond the current technical constraints. Meanwhile, Xbox owners will need to exercise a bit more patience to enjoy some of the most spectacular and promising titles of this generation in their own homes.