Success isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be and Pocketpair, while reveling in the record-setting numbers posted by their Pokémon-like title, Palworld, on Steam alone, is finding out quickly just how much faster the backlash can come when your game is played by, literally, millions all across the globe.
With four million in sales (and counting) barely three days into its Xbox-exclusive launch, Pocketpair is scrambling to keep up with the demand and its servers are buckling under the digital weight of the sheer number of players trying to enjoy the game all at the same time.
For what it’s worth, Pocketpair is trying its best to accomodate inquiries and address issues immediately. Unfortunately, it finds its hands tied as far as the Xbox version goes.
As explained by Pocketpair’s community manager, updates for Xbox games go through Microsoft’s certification queue, which can delay the release of new features and fixes compared to Steam, where updates can be applied more swiftly if not instantly. This certification process involves thorough testing to ensure that games meet a set of standards, which is time-consuming and lead to differences in the version numbers and content between platforms.
Two differences between the Xbox and Steam versions of Palworld are stability and performance. The Xbox version is less stable for us, and that appears to be the consensus on the internet too, with more frequent crashes and issues such as stuttering and problems with game loading. Many players have experienced significant differences in gameplay elements, such as the materials required for crafting items and the progression system, which aren’t consistent with the Steam version.
Another critical aspect where the Xbox version falls short is the lack of dedicated servers, which are currently available for Steam players. Dedicated servers are crucial for games in the survival genre, providing a more stable and controlled multiplayer environment. This absence on the Xbox platform has led to frustration among players who expected a similar multiplayer experience as Steam users.
The situation with Palworld is reminiscent of similar issues faced by several other games in the past and it will continue to be a problem unless Pocketpaid gets the “red carpet” rapid update treatment certain AAA developers get for their games. This pattern highlights the challenges developers face when ensuring parity across different gaming platforms, especially when dealing with the complexities of console certification processes. It would also explain why most, like Larian Studios, for example, prefer to keep their games exclusive to PC in their earliest stages.
With that said, players on Xbox have and will likely not stop expressing their disappointment with the current state of Palworld anytime soon, much to Microsoft’s detriment. The lack of dedicated servers, slower crafting, and the missing features like the ability to name characters and Pals, higher quality audio, and an exit button to close the game are significant drawbacks for Xbox users.
Palworld’s success means players won’t give up on playing it entirely, though. Instead, those dedicated enough will buy the Steam version for a more complete experience. For Xbox players, the hope is that Pocketpair can address these discrepancies and bring the Xbox version of Palworld in line with its Steam counterpart as soon as possible.
