Update: The Outer Worlds Will Have PS4 Pro and Xbox One X Enhancements

Private Division has offered an update regarding 4K implementation in Outer World. Contrary to previous reports, Private Division confirmed on Twitter that Outer Worlds will indeed have 4K resolution on PlayStation 4 Pro, not just Xbox One X. While the Xbox One X version of Outer Worlds will include native 4K resolution and textures, the PlayStation 4 Pro will upsample the game to 4K from 1440p.

This is a similar technique many 4K capable games use on the PlayStation 4 Pro, which utilizes a checkerboard rendering technique as opposed to native 4K resolutions found on the Xbox One X. Several 4K-capable games on the PS4 Pro like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey utilize this technique for Sony’s console.

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The Outer Worlds, Obsidian’s upcoming sci-fi RPG, will only feature 4K enhancements on the Xbox One X. The PS4 Pro version of the game won’t get any extra licks of paint.

Given that most games available on both Sony and Microsoft’s beefed-up consoles get some sort of enhancement, this is a surprising move. The PS4 Pro will be capped at 1080p resolution, while the Xbox One X will be able to play Outer Worlds in 4K.

Publisher Private Division confirmed the news in a short statement to Windows Central, saying there’d be “no enhancements for PS4 Pro.” No official reasoning has been given for the imbalance, but it may be worth noting that Obsidian is now a Microsoft-owned company following an acquisition last year.

Obsidian has joined the 15 studios that make up ‘Xbox Game Studios,’ Microsoft’s collection of first-party companies that operate in a similar fashion to Sony’s SIE Worldwide Studios. While Xbox Game Studios have creative freedom, ultimately Microsoft has the power to influence strategic direction. It’s unconfirmed as to whether this played a part in the decision to keep enhancements Xbox One X exclusive, but provides some context as to Obsidian’s favoured relationship with Microsoft.

For a flavour of Outer Worlds at its best, check out this footage of it running in 4K.

The Outer Worlds is set across several planets in an alternate future where mega corporations wield immense power creating new colonies on distant worlds. Given that Obsidian’s founders worked on the Fallout series, including Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds has a strong backbone of RPG developers experienced in alternative future story lines.

The game launches on October 25 on Xbox, PS4, and PC, with a Switch version slated for later down the line.