Summary
- Apex Legends Season 20 introduces Performance Mode for current-gen consoles, allowing players to play at 120hz.
- Aim assist on consoles will be adjusted in Performance Mode to account for the differences in tick rate, potentially lowering its strength.
- The impact of these aim assist changes on gameplay remains to be seen, but it could help counteract the smoother experience of increased frames-per-second. Changes to Evo Shields and a new Legend upgrade system are also coming in Season 20.
With the release of Season 20 of Apex Legends right around the corner, a developer has revealed that a change to aim assist is coming with the upcoming Performance Mode for consoles. While Apex Legends fans have been clamoring for an update for current-gen systems to support 120hz, it seems there will be a trade-off.
As part of the upcoming Season 20, called Breakout, Respawn Entertainment is introducing Performance Mode for Apex Legends. This update will allow PS5 and Xbox Series X/S players to play the game at 120hz when using supported displays. Unsurprisingly, this news is a big deal for many console players, as current-gen systems have been capped at 60fps. Over the years, some have argued this frame cap puts console players at a disadvantage compared to PC users, as some computers can run the game at over 200fps. However, others claim that the higher aim assist value on consoles makes up for this less smooth experience. Regardless, the effects of aim assist appear to be changing for some in the near future.
Apex Legends S20 Interview: Devs Talk Legend Upgrades, Gameplay Changes, and More
The Best War Games speaks with the Apex Legends team about some of the changes coming with the release of Season 20: Breakout.
Responding to a question on Twitter, a Respawn Entertainment developer has revealed that changes are coming to aim assist on current-gen consoles in Season 20 of Apex Legends. Specifically, the dev noted that the new Performance Mode would adjust the normal aim assist strength value of.6 when enabled. According to the developer, this is being done "to accommodate for differences in tick rate." It should be mentioned that the developer did not note the new value for aim assist. However, it could be adjusted to.4, the aim assist value on PC.
It will be interesting to see the impact these aim assist changes will make on players’ gameplay on consoles. A frames-per-second increase on consoles should result in a smoother experience for players, which could make it easier to aim. With this in mind, dropping the strength of aim assist could help counteract that. However, it is hard to know what these changes will look like until players are able to test them out for themselves in Apex Legends' new and returning game modes for Season 20. Furthermore, players on older systems like Xbox One and PS4 might not see any changes since Performance mode is only for current-gen systems.
When Does Season 20 of Apex Legends Release?
- February 13, 2024
It is worth noting that Performance Mode is only one of the many alterations in Season 20 of Apex Legends. While the developer is not adding a new Legend in Breakout, significant changes are coming to Legend abilities and Evo Shields in Apex Legends. For example, body shields will no longer spawn as floor loot, and a new Legend upgrade system is being implemented to provide more in-game decision-making opportunities for squads. Time will tell if these changes will keep the community engaged in the months ahead.
Apex Legends
- Released
- February 4, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Hero shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.
Master an ever-growing roster of diverse legends, deep tactical squad play, and bold new innovations that go beyond the Battle Royale experience—all within a rugged world where anything goes. Welcome to the next evolution of Hero Shooter.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android, Switch
- Metascore
- 89
- Genre(s)
- Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
