Entertainment · Gaming · 9 hrs ago
Katsuhiro Harada says Xbox Series S is difficult for developers
Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada criticized the Xbox Series S at a game developers’ event in Seoul.
He said its limited memory and lower performance make games harder to develop than for the more powerful Xbox Series X. Harada also said developers cannot ignore the Series S because it has more users than the Series X in the United States.
CD Projekt Red’s Paweł Sasko said the console forces careful optimization, which can be challenging for development teams.
He added that improvements made for lower-powered systems can help games run better on other platforms, including PlayStation 5 and high-end PCs.
The Series S’s lower price makes gaming accessible to more people, Sasko said.
Harada joked that Microsoft might take the positive response as encouragement to make a lower-powered successor, but no such plan was announced.
Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada criticized the Xbox Series S as a difficult platform for game developers.
Speaking at a game developers’ conference in Seoul, he said its lower memory and performance create extra work compared with the Series X.
CD Projekt Red associate game director Paweł Sasko agreed that the console poses optimization challenges but said that work can improve games across platforms.
Sasko also said the Series S’s affordable price helps make games accessible to more players.
Harada warned jokingly that Microsoft might make a lower-spec successor for its next-generation Xbox.
- Who
- Katsuhiro Harada criticized the Xbox Series S. CD Projekt Red associate game director Paweł Sasko also discussed its development challenges.
- What
- Harada said the console’s lower memory and performance make development more difficult. Sasko said optimization can benefit games across platforms and the console’s price makes it accessible.
- When
- At a conference in Seoul a couple of days before PC Gamer published its article on November 11, 2026.
- Where
- The Console Game Developers Conference in Seoul.
- Why
- The developers were discussing the advantages and disadvantages of making games for consoles compared with PCs.
Katsuhiro Harada
Paweł Sasko
Development challenges
Katsuhiro Harada
Harada said the Series S’s lower memory and performance create extra work for developers.
Paweł Sasko
Sasko said the console creates challenges and requires careful optimization.
Value of the platform
Katsuhiro Harada
Harada criticized the console and joked about a possible lower-spec successor.
Paweł Sasko
Sasko said optimization benefits games across platforms and the Series S’s affordable price helps reach more players.
Developers discussed console and PC development at a conference in Seoul.
Harada criticized the Xbox Series S’s memory and performance and said it created extra work for developers.
Sasko described the console’s optimization challenges and said the work could improve games across platforms.
Harada joked that Microsoft might release a lower-spec successor for its next-generation Xbox.
- Conference
- Console Game Developers Conference
- Location
- Seoul
- Harada’s role
- Tekken producer
- Sasko’s role
- CD Projekt Red associate game director
- Console discussed
- Xbox Series S
- Reported publication date
- November 11, 2026
3 sources
Ex-Tekken director savages Xbox Series S in front of senior Xbox staff: ‘feels like having to do extra work for a slightly weaker child’
Tekken Boss Katsuhiro Harada Says Developing For Xbox Series S ‘Feels Like Having To Do Extra Work For A Slightly Weaker Child’
Katsuhiro Harada says he wishes Xbox Series S didn’t exist, because it’s like doing ‘extra work for a slightly weaker child’
What people are saying
it feels like having to do extra work for a slightly weaker child.
I wish hardware like the 'Xbox Series S' wouldn't be released (laughs).
It constantly throws challenges at us and forces us to optimize our code very cleanly.
And the biggest advantage of Series S is that its affordable price makes it accessible.