The Medium has long been in the works over at developer Bloober Team, having existed in some form since 2012. As the game has moved on through the years, so has the tech powering it. So much so that on partnering with Microsoft, the developer ditched last gen hardware in favor of powerful PC builds and Xbox Series consoles. In a new interview with VG247, the team discusses its new collaboration, and the reason behind its high-end PC requirements for The Medium.
About a week ago, we reported on all of the PC requirements for The Medium. One notable requirement is that the game needs an SSD storage device for almost every setting. In fact, only the lowest available pre-set says a HDD is usable, and even that setting recommends an SSD where possible. In the interview, the developer goes into some of the reason why.
Essentially, Bloober Team is overcompensating for when the game has to render two worlds. Where a certain setup may be running the game smoothly to begin with, performance could then tank during dual reality gameplay. “We have to put the specs for the most power-demanding situation and that’s why the requirements are high,” the Bloober Team said.
It seems like the game’s extended development period has also helped in a multiplatform sense. Both the Xbox Series S and Series X contain the same CPU power, and the fact that they’re closer to the PC space in regards to performance, has only helped. Porting between platforms was a “really pleasant experience, mostly.”
Game Pass growth
The developer also discussed how the game came to be another Game Pass launch title. The team says that each of their games has led to some interesting opportunities, right up to Blair Witch in 2019. That one launched on the Game Pass library on release day too, and effectively opened up the door for future Microsoft collaborations. As it turns out, Microsoft thought The Medium covered a nice gap in its portfolio, and here we are.
The Medium finally launches this week, January 28, on PC and Xbox Series consoles.
