Smart Delivery – What is it?
Xbox kicked off the first of their monthly Xbox 20/20 events, which will take a look at what is to come to Xbox in 2020, thus the name. One of the things that they wanted to highlight in the first episode was Xbox Series X games, which is all we saw, but there was one phrase that kept popping up, Smart Delivery, but just what is it?
In Essence, it boils down to a little piece of code that determines which console you play on and provides you with the assets, or version of the game that will give you the best gaming experience possible. What it means is that say you pick up a copy of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla when it releases this year for your Xbox One X, you install it and play and just have a great time, but come Easter 2021, you realise you want to get the Xbox Series X.
When you put the disc in for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla as the example, the Xbox will detect console you have put it in and download all the parts it needs, to make it the best version of the game for that specific console. If you have upgraded from the original Xbox One or the Xbox One S, to the more powerful Xbox One X, you will have already noticed this. Please enjoy this expertly crafted fake image, showing an idea of how the games might look on the different platforms.
Microsoft have announced that going forward, all first party titles will be using the feature, which means gamers will never have to worry about Halo or Forza. Studios like CD Projekt Red have announced support for updates, but not specifically called out using Smart Delivery, whereas Electronic Arts is going the most confusing route possible, see at the bottom for more details.
Gamers should never be forced to purchase the same game twice or pay for upgrades. Owners of #Cyberpunk2077 for Xbox One will receive the Xbox Series X upgrade for free when available. https://t.co/nfkfFLj85w
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) February 24, 2020
The games that are going to use Smart Delivery, so far are made up of the following:
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Call of the Sea
Chorus
Halo Infinite
Hellblade 2
Dirt 5
Scarlet Nexus
Second Extinction
The Ascent
Vampire: The Masquerade -- Bloodlines 2
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Smart Delivery is going to be nothing new for those who have been PC gaming for at least the last 10 years, but this is the first time that it will roll out on consoles. Previously, the only option to get an older game on new hardware, was either through a remaster, a collection or a virtual console type experience.
Now we have to talk EA, the company has, finally started to make good decisions again, after a few years where thing did not always seem the smoothest. Today we found out that there are still some strange thoughts and decisions that are being made there.
When Madden 21 was revealed, they promised you would feel next level on Xbox Series X, but where the other games mentioned Smart Delivery, EA told people to go to a website and doing so explains why. It turns out that they are not offering Smart Delivery, instead the have elected to go their own route, which will still get the Series X version of Madden 21, if you meet the exact requirements. Heck, even their tweet avoids using the phrase Smart Delivery.
Basically, if you purchase Madden 21 on Xbox One before December 31st, and then put that disc into a Xbox Series X console before March 31st, you will get the Xbox Series X version of the game for free. If you buy the game after that date, or insert it into the new console after the second date has past, you get nothing, in the immortal words of Willy Wonka, '“You lose sir!”
There is time for them to change this, or clarify it some more, but for now they seem to be doing Odd Delivery, trademark pending and honestly it is EA, so something was bound to go odd.
But, at the end of the day, Smart Delivery from Microsoft is meant to allow you to game on any Xbox device you can, knowing that your games will carry across to the future platforms, much like your games do on your PC or phone.
