First glimpse at Apex Legends running on Xbox Series X

Calum Patterson
Apex Legends on Xbox Series X

As preview editions of the Xbox Series X have been sent out, Microsoft has allowed a first look at some of the games running on the console, to test their load speed and other features – including Apex Legends.

Although Respawn and EA have been generally tight-lipped about Apex Legends on the next-gen consoles, we know that it will at least be playable. Whether there are any graphical or technical improvements to take advantage of the new hardware is another matter though.

Apex Legends is currently available on PS4, Xbox One and PC (through Origin). It’s also due to release on Steam and Nintendo Switch later in 2020, and similarly on the PS5 and Series X/S.

But, we already have our first glimpse of Apex running on a next-gen console, courtesy of the Verge’s Tom Warren.

Xbox Series X and S green background
The Series X and S release in November.

Microsoft unlocked nearly 200 games on the preview units of the Xbox Series X for the weekend October 3-4. With a preview unit in hand, Warren tested a handful of games, including Forza and Apex Legends.

His findings on load times were solid, but not mindblowing, with Forza Motorsport 7 loading in approximately 29 seconds, and Apex a hair faster at 28 seconds.

In addition, Warren also provided a glimpse at both games running simultaneously, taking advantage of the Series X’s quick resume function. This allows an application to be suspended, and then returned to after moving to another application.

Unfortunately, as this is just a quick glimpse presumably taken on a mobile device, it’s impossible to see if the Apex Legends lobby screen looks any crisper than its current-gen counterpart.

That being said, if you’re coming from a base PS4 or Xbox One, you’ll immediately see the difference if you can take advantage of the 4K output on next-gen. Of course, PS4 Pro or One X owners already have access to this level of resolution.

For more details about how exactly Apex Legends will be optimized on the next-gen systems, we’ll likely have to wait until Respawn are ready to talk about their plans.

About The Author

Calum is Dexerto's Managing Editor, based in Scotland. Joining Dexerto in 2017, Calum has years of experience covering esports, gaming and online entertainment, and now leads the team to deliver the best coverage in these areas. An expert on all things Twitch and gaming influencers, he's also an expert in popular shooters like Apex Legends, CS2 and Call of Duty. You can contact Calum at calum.patterson@dexerto.com.