Delayed Console Release of Cities: Skylines II: What to Expect
When Paradox Interactive announced the highly anticipated Cities: Skylines II in March 2023, fans were excited about the promise of a simultaneous launch across all platforms, including consoles. However, the rollout for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 has faced multiple delays, extending beyond a year without a definitive release date.
Insights from the Development Team
In its recent developer update blog, Colossal Order shed light on the challenges hindering the console launch. They stated, “While we do not have a new release date for the console version yet, we want to keep you up to date on our progress and our challenges.”
Technical Challenges Explained
According to the developers, the delays stem from “hardware limitations of consoles” , which are impacting both the performance of the simulation (CPU) and graphical elements (GPU). The complexity of large buildings, which includes numerous entities, has made it particularly challenging for the current console technology to manage the extensive data load. As Colossal Order noted, “During the calculation process (e.g., checking if there’s enough space or if any entities overlap with existing assets), performance bottlenecks arise, resulting in these noticeable issues.”
The Quest for Stability
While the developer confirms that the current console build is stable, achieving this stability required significant sacrifices in graphical quality. Colossal Order emphasized their commitment to delivering an optimized experience, stating their desire to avoid launching a downgraded version of the game on consoles. “Until these issues are resolved, we cannot provide a release estimate to avoid premature and misleading information,” they added. This commitment highlights the studio’s dedication to quality as they work closely with experts to develop viable solutions.
Future Updates and Community Contributions
Alongside the ongoing console development, the team has released the Cities: Skylines II UK Region Pack for free—a collection of user-created assets. Fans can look forward to more creator packs and radio stations in the future, along with necessary bug-fixing updates. However, the release dates for the upcoming expansions slated for 2025 remain unspecified.
The console version of Cities: Skylines II remains a primary focus for Colossal Order, who are determined to bring the game to Xbox and PlayStation audiences as soon as possible. For now, players will have to stay tuned for further announcements as the developers continue to tackle these technical hurdles.
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