Console Update

[de_richleau]

It had looked increasingly likely to me for some time that getting Odyssey to run properly on last gen consoles was going to be impossible, given 10 months from release it can still struggle a bit on even high end pcs - and it would in any event be work with diminishing returns for Frontier likely given people will be upgrading to the new ones over time as a matter of course.

It's a sickener for all the console players though and they must be feeling very let down today. As others have said there should be a mechanism for console players to transfer their commanders intact across to the PC so they can move on to Odyssey if they wish, and I hope something is done about this.

 

[CorvenDallas]

And who's gonna pay the other company?

(yelling) GHOSTBUSTERS!!!!

 

[CDRDickenson]

Please, give a free Odyssey to console players!

(I'm a PC gamer and already bought Odyssey, I just care for our console friends)

I'm also a PC player. Something I'd like to see is FDev working with some of their PC hardware vendor friends to get the ED console players some discounts on new hardware. That would be a really nice thing to do.

So sorry console Cmdrs.

 

[CMDR_Randy]

Greetings Commanders,

Elite Dangerous is a game close to my heart.

It’s no secret that Odyssey’s launch was less than ideal, including the need to split the PC/console player base to focus on a PC-only launch. Since Odyssey’s release in May 2021, we have worked tirelessly to improve the Odyssey experience on PC, and whilst we have made great progress there is still more to be done. We have been supporting the pre-Odyssey and post-Odyssey codebases since.

Over the last several months, we have been wrestling with the best way to move forward, and it is with a heavy heart we have decided to cancel all console development. We need to be able to move forward with the story of the game, and in order for us to do this we need to focus on a single codebase. Elite Dangerous will continue on console as it is now together with critical updates, but we will focus on new content updates on PC on the post-Odyssey codebase.

We appreciate this news is not what our console community were hoping for. This was not an easy decision to make, but it was made with the long-term future of Elite

I am sad. I have spent countless hours grinding this game, role playing, and making friends and enemies through the squadron system.But I am not a rich person. I cannot afford a personal computer. I made so many friends through and had countless experiences on this game and I am depressed to see it end like this. However, I cannot be mad at frontier development. When you look at the Triple A games industry and compare their dev teams to Fdev, there is no contest. This has been one of the best games I have ever played, but I think it is time for me to leave, at least until I am at the financial situation to afford a pc. o7 for the last time, commanders.

 

[Anoobviaa]

At the risk of sounding "PC privileged", it's so odd to me how people don't own a PC that's even moderately capable of playing games. I read comments like "A free EDO license is not the point if I have to buy a gaming PC at first." and I'm gobsmacked that folks are gamers and don't have even an average gaming computer. Folks are really out here in the gaming world raw-d0gging it with no PC?

I'm not talking about a $3000 behemoth with a 55" OLED or something. You can build a 1080p gaming computer at a reasonable budget. Console gamers are already sitting on big TVs ($400-$1500) and $300-500 consoles with $60 controllers and $75 headsets and maybe even extra peripherals like a keyboard and mouse (+$$). So complaints about "oh a gaming PC is just too much" is a weak argument.

It's just... so odd to me. I refuse to believe that folks in 2022 don't have a PC of any sort. Is it just a Chromebook?

Re-reading this, yeah I guess I am "PC privileged" and this will be a wildly unpopular post. Anyway, o7 console gamers. Hope FDev can port your stuff over to PC.

You know people are still struggling to run Odyssey with a 3070? Right?

 

[SlouchMonster]

What FD have abandoned another feature after misleading the community and leading them on, no, never .

 

[Chris Cuttner]

not much will change for pc players, or do you really think frontier was working on a console version at the same time?
frontier said very clearly: we'll focus on pc first and then we'll do console. that means they haven't started yet.
now only one platform remains - the question is: how long until it will be black forever?

 

[yianniv]

Sad news, but working on and supporting two codebases of a single product must be hell for a dev team.
Hopefully, we will see faster and better quality development on the PC version.
In the end, Its better to have a great game for a single platform, than mediocre and slowly developing one on a few platforms...
PS: Better transfer options will be a must-have IMHO. There are a lot of console players with years of experience out there in the black.

I don't believe that miraculously next PC update will fix the low framerate in settlements, just because consoles have been cut off. The grass is greener in F1 pastures, apparently.

 

[JT442]

<redacted>

 

[JSteel]

Why is everyone saying that "This is the correct decision", "It was hard, but it's best for everyone"? Do people not realise that Arx is a thing on consoles and people spent money on there? They lose all of this not to mention the revenue for consoles is now gone completely as well as another big chunk of the player base, some of which already posting about leaving already IN THIS VERY THREAD. THIS HURTS PC TOO. For the love of god please stop with the half-baked sympathy posts and replace them with a post about a transfer from PC to consoles. After all the stuff they've been through don't you think they at least deserve that at the bare minimum? "The promise of it launching on consoles in Autumn 2021", then get left for nearly a year without any information, now this bombshell today. When Odyssey finally merges with Horizons, what even happens to Elite on consoles? Is there no information about that?

I'd be willing to bet that there will be no merger now, between Horizons and ED:O, precisely for the reasons you mention above. Your ARX purchases can still be enjoyed.

I interpreted Braben's post as ALL Horizon's development is halted, except critical updates.

 

[JT442]

At the risk of sounding "PC privileged", it's so odd to me how people don't own a PC that's even moderately capable of playing games. I read comments like "A free EDO license is not the point if I have to buy a gaming PC at first." and I'm gobsmacked that folks are gamers and don't have even an average gaming computer. Folks are really out here in the gaming world raw-d0gging it with no PC?

I'm not talking about a $3000 behemoth with a 55" OLED or something. You can build a 1080p gaming computer at a reasonable budget. Console gamers are already sitting on big TVs ($400-$1500) and $300-500 consoles with $60 controllers and $75 headsets and maybe even extra peripherals like a keyboard and mouse (+$$). So complaints about "oh a gaming PC is just too much" is a weak argument.

It's just... so odd to me. I refuse to believe that folks in 2022 don't have a PC of any sort. Is it just a Chromebook?

Re-reading this, yeah I guess I am "PC privileged" and this will be a wildly unpopular post. Anyway, o7 console gamers. Hope FDev can port your stuff over to PC.

thats why we have consoles.... 4 of them in my household because I have children... I don't own a PC - don't need one. I have a phone for internet, and the missus has a laptop for her work. GAming is on console.

I hope that makes you understand why we all dont have £1500 gaming rigs...

 

[derekdjons]

At the risk of sounding "PC privileged", it's so odd to me how people don't own a PC that's even moderately capable of playing games. I read comments like "A free EDO license is not the point if I have to buy a gaming PC at first." and I'm gobsmacked that folks are gamers and don't have even an average gaming computer. Folks are really out here in the gaming world raw-d0gging it with no PC?

I'm not talking about a $3000 behemoth with a 55" OLED or something. You can build a 1080p gaming computer at a reasonable budget. Console gamers are already sitting on big TVs ($400-$1500) and $300-500 consoles with $60 controllers and $75 headsets and maybe even extra peripherals like a keyboard and mouse (+$$). So complaints about "oh a gaming PC is just too much" is a weak argument.

It's just... so odd to me. I refuse to believe that folks in 2022 don't have a PC of any sort. Is it just a Chromebook?

Re-reading this, yeah I guess I am "PC privileged" and this will be a wildly unpopular post. Anyway, o7 console gamers. Hope FDev can port your stuff over to PC.

Allow me to make it even a bit more complicated or simpler.
I don't even think in terms of console gaming / pc gaming. I own both, period.

There is nothing more satisfying than coming home, kicking off your shoes and lie down on the couch. The only time you frown your eyebrow is when a new console gets released.
PC... You have to build / buy it. Learn to setup up bios / efi proper. Download drivers. Enable unknown and hidden features of graphics card through drivers and 3rd party video graphics apps, run windows update... and so on.

That's why I for instance play simulators on PC. I'm fine dealing with all of that.
When you just want some hours of fun, console is really easy to use and even for your friend who just popped in.

 

[mephisto9466]

I demand a full refund, as should every other person that bought into your .

and what they should offer, because they will not give you a refund, is to transfer your account to PC and give you something to activate the game through steam on PC so you dont have to pay for it again.

 

[Frode8228]

I play Odyssey just fine on my original Xbox One, using GeForce Now streaming. Microsoft offer a similar option for me to play MSFS on my original Xbox One. In a couple of years we don't need massive gaming PCs, as long as we have a good internet connection.

 

[redthorne]

I am interested in learning what development lessons FDev is going to take away from this, as we move to the future. This whole console debacle is an indicator of larger issues originating from within the management of the company. Do not direct hate at the devs themselves. They do what their management tells them to do.

As a community, we've lost three promised goals: Mac, VR, Console.
The promised "included communication" from the CEO himself lasted a few months, now really nothing.
The Odyssey release was a dumpster fire, most likely because unrealistic promises were made to the cash cows and community, again probably from the CEO/Board.

I think FDev needs to have a civil, honest sit-down with the community and tell us what has happened, why, and how this will shape the future of how the company interacts with the playerbase. Less overpromising would probably be good for starters. Fans need to stop holding Mr. Braben in this godly light; he needs to step in and have a frank talk with the people who support the game and the company. And by "frank," I do not mean corporate rhetoric which is saying nothing by saying a lot.

We love this game and we want to see it flourish, all of us.

 

[gazorange01]

OUCH !! Thats gonna hurt, BUT its the way ahead. maybe the console users (given a way to transfer to PC FAST) some may come across.

 

[JesusRocks1988]

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting treatment of your player base.

We asked and asked and asked. You lot kept holding out hope for months by telling us the plan was still on track to fix Odyssey before bringing it to console.

I even said, over in the console forum months ago, that it felt like you were going to do this. That you were going to treat us like you treated Mac players.

I've never been more disappointed to be proven right.

Good luck with the future of Elite Dangerous. I'm sad I can no longer be part of it.

 

[amigacooke]

frontier said very clearly: we'll focus on pc first and then we'll do console.

As ever, plans may change.

Don't rely on what Frontier say, only on what they deliver.

 

[Fizzatron]

Honestly: we have so few informations about anything in the game that it's really hard to stick around.

If you go by the 'unless something changes, the plan goes forward as stated' method, what I said is the logical next step. Though I agree that communication is key, but at this point I think it's right to let everyone digest this single situation before adding anything more to it, so I suspect next weeks' streams will address many of these questions.

 

[Bottom Hat]

It is what it is, look forward to seeing all the cool things they bring to EDO and maybe things can progress at some point for them to bring it back to console some day

Definitely agree with you mate. I hope there is a future for console players, beyond still being supported iykwim