Fans of Overwatch have been starving for new information regarding Overwatch 2 ever since its announcement in 2019. While we did receive some new info last month during Blizzard’s virtual BlizzCon, fans are still clamoring for more updates to Overwatch 1 while they wait for the sequel to launch. We’re currently in the midst of a limited-time event called the Pachimarchi Challenge, but those who play on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S received a nice surprise when they downloaded yesterday’s patch: Overwatch is now optimized for the new Xbox platforms.
The new-gen consoles already drastically improved loading times and made characters play smoother, but once you download the new 1.58 patch to your Xbox Series X/S, you’ll receive a new “Preferred Mode” graphics option. Here, you can switch between three different presets that dictate what the new, more powerful console hardware will prioritize. You can choose to prioritize resolution or frame rate, or go with a balanced option that boosts the overall visual quality.
Of course, since the Xbox Series X is more powerful than the Xbox Series S, owners of Microsoft’s current flagship console receive more benefits from these optimizations and options. Resolution mode prioritizes higher-resolution over image quality and frame rate, giving Series X players 4K resolution at 60Hz, while Series S players get 1440p resolution at 60Hz. Balanced mode improves image quality at the cost of resolution, giving Series X owners 1440p at 60Hz and Series S owners 1080p at 60Hz. Finally, Framerate mode delivers 120 frames per second, but downgrades both image quality and resolution. Using Framerate mode, the Series X delivers 1440p resolution at 120Hz and the Series S drops to 1080p at 120Hz. To fully take advantage of Framerate mode, you must have a television or monitor that supports 120Hz or variable refresh rate.
The patch is available for all Xbox Series X/S owners to download now. There is currently no word on if PlayStation 5 will receive similar optimization options in the future. Even if you’re not playing on Xbox Series X/S, a new patch is available for your platform to kick off the Pachimarchi Challenge and deliver various bug fixes to the game, its heroes, and the maps they inhabit.
[Source: Blizzard via Video Games Chronicle]