Highguard Comparison Shows How Xbox Series X and Series S…

A YouTube channel has showcased the graphical differences between the newly released Highguard on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The debut title from developer Wildlight Entertainment, a team of former Titanfall and Apex Legends developers, Highguard has garnered plenty of buzz as the final announcement at The Game Awards 2025. This free-to-play hero shooter created so much controversy upon announcement that its YouTube trailer received over 10,000 dislikes within a week of its announcement.

Wildlight Entertainment remained silent on Highguard following the announcement, not offering gamers any information about the game until its surprise release in January. The flames of controversy were fanned further when it was reported that Highguard didn’t have to pay to be the finale of The Game Awards, and that the decision to have it close the show was largely host Geoff Keighley’s doing. No matter the mess, the game is now in the hands of players around the world, and it looks to stand out in a crowded market of online hero shooters.

Devs from other studios defend Highguard amid widespread criticism.

'Game Development Runs on Optimism' Devs Defend Highguard Amid Negative Reviews

Game developers from across the industry rush to Highguard's defense as the hero shooter faces widespread backlash from fans and critics alike.

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By Aaron McKinley

YouTuber Showcases Resolution and Frame Rate Disparity of Highguard on Xbox Series X/S

A pair of new videos from the YouTube channel Fuzion Xbox Testing showcases the difference between Highguard’s graphics and performance on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. On the Xbox Series X, Highguard natively runs at 1108p with an output of 1440p. The visuals are solid for the most part, though Fuzion Xbox Testing notes that the game's art style makes it appear as if it lacks some more subtle details. There is no option to play at 120 FPS, but the game runs natively at 60 FPS and performs well without dropping significantly.

On the Xbox Series S, Highguard looks noticeably softer, as concessions had to be made to make the game playable on the less powerful device. As a result, the game is natively running at 720p on the console while outputting at 1080p, and Fuzion Xbox Testing says that the visuals appear somewhat fuzzy. Performance is smooth on the Series S, though, as Highguard still runs at a consistent 60 FPS without noticeable dips. Across both videos, Fuzion Xbox Testing concludes that while Highguard is not perfect, it's still a visually impressive game across both Xbox consoles.

The discrepancy in resolution and performance on Highguard between the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S showcases a growing concern among developers on Microsoft’s platform. Xbox has implemented a parity clause with its two platforms, informing developers that they can only release games on the Xbox Series X if these titles have the same features as the Xbox Series S. This has led to growing disdain from developers, who admit that the Series S has been frustrating to optimize games for.

Wildlight Entertainment successfully got Highguard running on both platforms, and it will now be interesting to see how the project evolves and improves from here. Despite its polarizing reception, the developer has announced a year’s worth of post-launch content for Highguard and has reiterated that it hopes to make the game a long-term success. Thus, Wildlight’s new hero shooter hopes to be yet another game that overcomes a questionable launch and achieves popularity across several platforms.

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