While both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles support ray-tracing, the lower-end S console won't necessarily benefit from that as often as the higher-end Series X. We are already starting to see this be the case, as Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition will no longer have ray-traced lighting on the Series S.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Capcom clarified the features we can expect from the Special Edition on next-gen consoles. One of the key differences between the Series X and Series S versions will be in removal of ray-tracing on the series S.
An update on ray tracing for #DevilMayCry 5 Special Edition on Xbox Series X|S. pic.twitter.com/OCRcGRw5bl
— Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (@DevilMayCry) October 27, 2020
While the Series S will miss out on ray-tracing in Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, it will still get enhanced audio, reduced loading times, a 120 frames per second gameplay option as well as new content like Turbo Mode, Legendary Dark Knight difficulty and the new playable character Vergil.
Capcom did not elaborate on exactly why ray-traced lighting had to be removed from the Series S version, but it did try to smooth things over by saying that both the Series X and Series S “deliver amazing next generation speed and performance”, adding that they are “just scratching the surface of what they can do”.
KitGuru Says: Perhaps there just wasn't enough development time left to spend optimising the Series S version for ray-tracing. Although I do expect we'll see graphical features like that sacrificed more often on the Series S compared to the PS5 and Series X. Either way, it will be interesting to see how developers handle the two different console SKUs over the course of this generation.