Xbox Series X Smart Delivery Could Revolutionize Buying Games

Regardless of platform preference, you have to recognize the strides Microsoft has made with consumer-friendly approaches to the Xbox platform. Alongside things like Xbox Game Pass and the vast library of enhanced backward compatible games, Xbox Series X will introduce Smart Delivery--you buy an Xbox game once and it'll work across the two different console generations. (Check out our full list of Xbox Series X Smart Delivery games.) Smart Delivery was revealed last month, but in talking with Xbox's director of program management Jason Ronald, we have more detail on how it works and how games will be tuned for specific console hardware specs.

Ronald explained to us, "Smart Delivery is a new technology introduced with Xbox Series X that will ensure that players are always playing the best version of the games on whatever console they're choosing to play them on." He then gave examples of how this plays out in practice, saying, "If I bought a game for Xbox One X and the developer has gone back and chose to optimize it for Xbox Series X, and if it's a Smart Delivery title, as soon as I download and boot that title on an Xbox Series X, I will get the version that's been optimized for that console."

The key thing to remember there is that games need to have Smart Delivery implemented, and as we understand, it's up to developers and/or publishers to adopt the program. It's looking promising though as we know major third-party games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Dirt 5, Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, and Chorus will feature Smart Delivery. Ronald also reiterated that every single first-party Xbox Game Studios title out and currently in the works will have Smart Delivery, playable and tuned for the Series X and any of the Xbox One consoles.