Square Enix has released NieR Automata on Xbox Gamepass and from the looks of it, this version is better than the original Steam version. From what we can see, the Gamepass version is based on the “Become as Gods Edition”, whereas the Steam version is based on the “Game of the YoRHa Edition”.
According to initial reports, the Gamepass version does not suffer from all of the issues that plague the Steam version. In short, Square Enix has actually fixed and improved things on this latest PC version of the game. However, there is no word on whether these fixes will come to the Steam version.
In case you are wondering, here are all the issues that are currently present in the Steam version of NieR Automata:
- Blurry visuals/graphics in fullscreen mode
- Choppy pre-rendered cutscenes
- Bloom and AO effects shimmering
- 60FPS lock
- Bad keyboard and mouse controls
The Xbox Gamepass version offers proper fullscreen and resolution modes, resulting in a sharper image. Furthermore, it appears to be running smoother than the Steam version, and does not suffer from the choppy pre-rendered cut-scenes. However, there is still a 60fps lock (and there is no word yet on whether the K&M controls are better).
Given Square Enix’s history, I don’t really expect to offer the “Become as Gods Edition” to Steam owners as a free upgrade. Instead, the team may replace the original Steam version with this new one in the future.
All in all, the Xbox Gamepass version of NieR Automata runs better than the Steam version!
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
Contact: Email