Review 007 First Light on Xbox Series X|S: Minor Quirks But Solid Ports Overall

007 First Light worked well on PlayStation5 hardware, marrying advanced visual features with good performance characteristics for a current-gen title. So, in a world where Xbox Series X and PS5 typically produce similar results, are we again looking at a carbon copy of the game on Microsoft's premium console - and where does that leave Series S?

Well, 007 First Light is plays out somewhat predictably on Xbox Series X. According to the developers, there should be no apparent differences between PS5 and Series X, because the settings on the two consoles are exactly the same - outside of the dynamic resolution range, which is ever-so-slightly higher in the Series X quality mode. That’s par for the course in games this generation, which typically arrive in more or less equal form on the two machines, despite an on-paper hardware advantage that should favour the Microsoft machine.

Notionally, resolutions should differ - and should probably favour Series X, based on the information IO Interactive has provided. But in reality, our results suggest that it’s a little messier. I sampled a range of shots across the two machines in performance mode and found uneven resolution results, with PS5 favoured in two shots and Series X favoured in one. There are some slight differences in sampling here that might produce slightly different results, and I wouldn’t be surprised if PS5 is a little lower res generally, but Series X is still capable of hitting the same 720p floor.

Both machines use FSR 3.1.5 to upscale to 4K, and the results are not great on either console. Expect a classic FSR image with a lot of fizzle, pop, aliasing, and disocclusion issues. I don’t think much separates them in terms of the actual resolved imagery, so whatever resolution differences may exist don’t provide any particular advantages.

Quality mode is more equal, as my test shots maxed out the resolutions on both consoles, logging a 1440p figure. Again, I think busier scenes are going to take us substantially below 1440p on both machines, but you can get a higher result in indoor shots. Frame-rates are fine enough for the most part on Series X. I tested the plane chase sequence primarily as that’s the toughest sequence in the first few hours of the game, and in quality mode it’s essentially a locked 30fps. In performance mode though things are rougher and parts of the car chase drop frames for extended periods. It’s fine enough but PS5 holds a steadier 60fps with fewer dips - and actually seems to have improved somewhat since I looked at it on the launch patch.

And again, the game is almost always locked to its target frame-rate in either mode - it’s really just this one sequence that seems to cause substantial issues on consoles, at least within the first few hours of play. All consoles are virtually perfect performers, but when the consoles do start dropping frames it seems like Series X in performance mode is going to be affected somewhat worse.

Moving on, Xbox Series S works quite well in First Light. According to the developer, Series S gets three key downgrades - LOD, volumetric effects, and texture quality should all be downgraded compared to its higher end console counterparts.

In practice, texture quality is the only thing that really stands out. Expect to see lower res textures across many surfaces in the game, which can be an eyesore that is visually obvious from the gameplay camera. LODs were surprisingly similar in the shots I tested, with essentially identical pop-in and LOD swaps in this driving sequence, for instance. To the extent that volumetrics may be of a lower resolution, it’s not easily observed across most of the game, though the Series S’ lower resolution resolve might homogenise that difference.

Internally, Series S renders at a comparable resolution to the higher-end consoles in their performance modes - actually exceeding them in some circumstances. However, its output is softer, as the console is only upscaling to 1080p, according to IO Interactive. It has a messy appearance just like its bigger brethren, but it also appears somewhat soft as well.

For Series S though this seems fine. Series S closely resembles the higher end consoles, just with a softer resolve and a 30fps update. RTGI is retained and settings mostly seem fine. Most Series S ports of recent AAA fare are more problematic than this game, cutting out key lighting systems or running with very poor image quality.

Performance is mostly fine. 30fps is the target here and First Light generally hits that mark through the first few hours of play. The only real exception lies in the first part of the chase sequence, which regularly drops below 30fps. It’s not a huge issue and I would expect that the vast majority of play hits 30fps without issue, but unlike the bigger consoles we can’t quite secure a 30fps lock here.

Ultimately though, I think First Light on Xbox Series is perfectly fine. Series X is broadly in lockstep with PS5, albeit with some minor resolution differences and a lower performance level in especially taxing moments. That’s pretty much to be expected for the senior Microsoft system, even if it doesn’t exactly excite. The only part of the presentation that stings a bit is image quality, as FSR 3.1.5 isn’t especially delicate and is aliasing-prone.

Series S is pared back in the usual ways - decreased settings, image quality, and frame-rate targets - but key lighting tech survives the transition, so I’d mark this as a pretty decent version. Other current-gen heavy hitters sometimes miss a few steps in their Series S conversions, but First Light is a little lighter and feels more or less at home on the hardware. Textures can look pretty rough in certain moments but the presentation otherwise feels pretty good for the pint-sized console.

So, 007 is perfectly fine on current-gen machines. IO Interactive’s Bond debut feels at home on current-gen home hardware, minus a couple of quirks - and based on what we're seeing with Series S, we're fascinated to see where the upcoming Switch 2 version lands.