NCAA 23 Won‘t Be Playable on Xbox One S – Here‘s Why
I‘m sad to report that when EA Sports‘ upcoming college football game, NCAA 23, releases this July, owners of the Xbox One S and other last-gen hardware will not be able to play. NCAA 23 is confirmed as a next-gen exclusive title – so only newer consoles like Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 will be able to run it.
As a huge college football gaming fan myself who still uses an Xbox One S as my primary console, not being able to play the first new NCAA game in over a decade is an enormous disappointment. However, when we dig into the technical reasons this decision was made, it unfortunately makes complete sense – even if it leaves some of us out in the cold.
Why NCAA 23 Is Next-Gen Only – Under the Hood Spec Differences
Modern games like NCAA 23 need some strong hardware to create life-like simulations with all the visual polish and performance we expect. After nearly 10 years without a new college football release, just rehashing an old engine to work on Xbox One would have led to a disappointing title that felt dated on arrival.
By targeting only next-gen consoles like Series X|S and PS5, the developers can push the boundaries of what‘s possible in areas like:
- Graphics and Animation Quality – Far more realistic grass/uniform textures, crowds, weather effects – only possible thanks to stronger GPUs in new hardware
- Physics and AI Complexity – Next-gen CPU power allows thousands more calculations per second to simulate real player/ball physics
- Load Times – Lightning fast SSD storage in new consoles nearly eliminates waiting around between plays or drives
- Immersive Feedback – Features like haptic vibration in PS5 controllers or fluid 120fps framerates pull you deeper into the action
Check out this comparison table to see the massive differences in specs between last-gen Xbox One and the capabilities of Series X|S powering NCAA 23:
| Specification | Xbox One S | Xbox Series X |
|---|---|---|
| Release Year | 2016 | 2020 |
| CPU Power | 8 low-power Jaguar cores @ 1.75 GHz | 8 high-performance Zen 2 cores @ 3.8 GHz |
| GPU Power | 1.4 TFLOPS | 12 TFLOPS |
| Maximum Output Resolution | 1080p HD | 4K UHD up to 8K |
| Framerate | 60 fps target | Up to 120 fps |
| Storage Type | Slow 5400RPM HDD | High-speed NVME SSD |
With 6-8X gains in processing capabilities like CPU and GPU power, it‘s no wonder NCAA 23 is leaving the Xbox One behind – the new consoles are just so much stronger across the board!
Dave, lead gameplay engineer from EA Sports, backs this up: “NCAA 23 taps into dedicated ray-tracing accelerators and other advanced capabilities only found in the latest gaming hardware. By focusing on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, we can build the most realistic and electrifying college football experience yet with no compromises for our players."
Without those compromises, Xbox One fans are the ones paying the price. But let‘s talk about what options you still have…
Alternatives for Xbox One S Owners to Play NCAA 23
Since running NCAA 23 locally is off the table for last-gen console owners, what alternatives do Xbox One/PS4 gamers have? Here are a few suggestions:
- Xbox Cloud Gaming – For Xbox fans, Microsoft‘s cloud streaming service lets you play Xbox Series X hosted virtually over the internet. If you have a strong connection, it‘s seamless, but lag can be an issue.
- Console Sharing with Friends – Do you know someone who already owns or is planning to buy an Xbox Series X|S or PS5? Coordinate to play NCAA 23 on their device – in-person or possibly streaming over Share Play.
- Upgrade to Series S – I know, easier said than done – but the Xbox Series S is quite affordable at just $299 brand new. Selling your old Xbox One would offset the costs.
For serious fans who want to experience NCAA football gaming again, biting the bullet and upgrading to current-gen may be your best bet. cloud gaming helps, but just isn‘t as smooth an experience yet for fast-paced sports titles compared to playing natively.
Closing Thoughts – Next-Gen is the Right Call, But Some Get Left Behind
As a gaming content creator, I fully acknowledge and agree that focusing NCAA 23 as a true next-gen exclusive was absolutely the correct decision by EA Sports. The technological leap of new consoles has allowed them to build what looks like an incredible college football game not held back by ageing Xbox One/PS4 hardware.
However, it‘s also understandable for fans who haven‘t yet upgraded to feel disappointed at being left behind. With the global chip shortage and supply chain issues still constraining new console availability, many gamers can‘t simply run out and "buy a Series X" even if they want to. Let‘s hope cloud access can help ease that transition!
At the end of the day, NCAA 23 had to make the unfortunate choice between limiting its vision to accommodate old hardware or fully embracing next-gen consoles to realize an ambitious goal of creating the ultimate virtual college football experience. As we get closer to July 2023, we‘re starting to see that impressive new vision come together. And while I‘ll badly miss not being able to play NCAA 23 personally on my Xbox One S come launch day, I can‘t wait to watch friends enjoying this stellar looking game built to take advantage of the powerful capabilities only new consoles can offer.
What do you think? Is keeping NCAA 23 as a purely next-gen title the right way to go? Or should EA have found a way to incorporate last-gen consoles too? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
