The hype train has very much left the station for the Xbox Series X, but you might be wondering what the much-hyped feature of Xbox Series X Smart Delivery actually is.
This particular Xbox Series X feature could save us from a common pratfall of being an early adopter of a new console.
READ MORE:PS5 Smart Delivery: Will the PlayStation 5 have Smart Delivery like the Xbox Series X?
Having to buy the same game twice, just because you want to play it on your old hardware AND your shiny new console, can be very frustrating for gamers.
With Xbox Series X games on the way, you'll be glad to know that Microsoft has found a solution for the 'buying a game twice' problem. It's called Smart Delivery, and this is what you need to know about it...
Xbox Series X Smart Delivery explained
Microsoft explained Smart Delivery on the official Xbox Wire website like so:
"This technology empowers you to buy a game once and know that ā whether you are playing it on Xbox One or Xbox Series X ā you are getting the right version of that game on whatever Xbox youāre playing on.
"Weāre making the commitment to use Smart Delivery on all our exclusive Xbox Game Studios titles, includingĀ Halo Infinite, ensuring you only have to purchase a title once in order to play the best available version for whichever Xbox console they choose to play on.
"This technology is available for all developers and publishers, and they can choose to use it for titles that will be release on Xbox One first and come to the Xbox Series X later."
Basically, Smart Delivery will allow you to buy a game once and play it on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X, and you'll get the right graphical performance for the hardware of your choice.
You'll also be able to jump back and forth between Xbox One and Xbox Series X, playing the same game across generations - handy if your living room TV is hotly contested!
Xbox Series X Smart Delivery games confirmed
So far, these major games have been confirmed for Xbox Series X Smart Delivery:
- Halo Infinite
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Gears 5
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Call of the Sea
- Chorus
- Hellblade 2
- Dirt 5
- Scarlet Nexus
- Second Extinction
- The Ascent
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
Microsoft also mentioned that Xbox Game Studios games will have this feature, which suggests that Microsoft-owned companies like Obsidian will use Smart Delivery on their titles like The Outer Worlds - but that exact game is yet to be confirmed for Smart Delivery.
Loads of indie games were announced during the recent Inside Xbox live-stream, and it sounds like a lot of them will have Smart Delivery too!
While EA is not using Xbox's Smart Delivery service, their own bespoke Dual Entitlement service essentially does the same thing, allowing players to upgrade their FIFA 21or Madden 21games from the Xbox One to Series X for free.