Despite having seemingly made statements to the contrary in the run up to release, Star Wars Squadrons is being updated to take advantage of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, boosting resolutions, improving visual quality, and offering 120fps modes for those with compatible TVs and monitors.
They go into more detail over the Xbox Series X|S updates, with a choice of two visual modes. On Xbox Series X, it will have 2160p at 60fps, while Xbox Series S will have 1440p at 60fps. You’ll have the option of toggling a performance mode which keeps the same resolution targets but doubles the frame rate to 120fps. Presumably they’ll be dropping the visual quality to hit that target, but the game will also support Variable Refresh Rates to smooth out any performance dips that do occur.
Over on the PlayStation side of things, the PS5 will offer improved lighting, but will be stuck at the same resolution and frame rate as the PlayStation 4 Pro. There’s no word on 120fps or VRR support here.
When asked if the games might be made forward compatible back in July, Star Wars: Squadrons Creative Director on Ian S. Frazier said, “We’re not planning a separate version of the game for the next-gen consoles, but yes, the backwards compatibility should work.” Clearly he wasn’t fibbing too much, but playing coy as they presumably worked to nail down what they would end up doing.
EA also ran through their other titles, such as Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered, The Sims 4, their various sports titles, all of which will see the Xbox Series X run like and Xbox One X, Xbox Series S like a Series S and PlayStation 5 like a PlayStation 4 Pro.
Apex Legends will see a more solid lock to 1440p with more meaningful updates in 2021, and there’s the fully next-gen version of FIFA 21 and Madden NFL 21 coming out with free Dual Entitlement upgrades on 4th December.
Source: EA
MrYd
I’m getting confused by all these different options for PS4 games now. They can either have a native PS5 version, the PS4 version in BC mode, the PS4 version in BC mode with whatever Pro upgrade there was, and possibly some sort of weird PS4 version in BC mode but using the extra PS5 power. But for some reason, EA don’t want to use the extra power (I’m guessing a big bag of MS money?).
Squadrons is enormous fun, but it could benefit from that extra power in PSVR mode. Except if they did use the extra power, they’d spend it all on making Baby Yoda bounce about more. (He’s sooooo cute, but distracting)