Black Myth: Wukong made its debut earlier this week and has quickly ascended to the top of the Steam charts, becoming one of the most-played games on the platform. This action-RPG, developed by the Chinese studio Game Science, is currently available on PC and PlayStation, but an Xbox release has not yet occurred. The delay on the Xbox Series S/X platform has been attributed to a reported “tech issue,” although Microsoft hasn’t provided further details regarding the timeline.
Xbox Series S/X Launch Details
Forbes has reported that the postponement of Black Myth: Wukong’s Xbox launch is not due to any exclusivity arrangement with Sony. Instead, the game’s release on Microsoft’s consoles is being held back by a “tech issue” that remains unspecified.
While the nature of the technical issue has not been disclosed, it may relate to the challenge of optimizing the game for both the higher-spec Xbox Series X and the less capable Xbox Series S.
This year, Game Science addressed the Xbox Series S/X release delay in the FAQ section on the game’s official website. The developers noted, “PC and PS5 users can enjoy the full game starting August 20, 2024. We are currently optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards, so it won’t release simultaneously with other platforms. We apologize for the delay and aim to minimize the wait for Xbox users. We will announce the release date as soon as it meets our quality standards.”
Developed using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5, Black Myth: Wukong is a visually intensive title that may encounter challenges running smoothly on the Xbox Series S. This console has previously presented obstacles for new game launches; for example, Baldur’s Gate 3 was delayed on Xbox Series S/X after its debut on PC and PS5 due to difficulties with its split-screen co-op feature. The game ultimately launched on the Xbox without the split-screen mode.
Microsoft maintains a policy of ensuring gameplay feature parity across its current-generation consoles, emphasizing the desire for concurrent releases on both Xbox Series X and Series S.
Since its release on PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store) and PS5 on August 20, Black Myth: Wukong has become the second most-played title on Steam, trailing only PUBG: Battlegrounds, with a peak concurrent user count exceeding 2 million on Valve’s platform.
