The Ascent put to the test on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One

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Xbox Series X reigns supreme with 4k/60FPS output

The Ascent
(Image credit: Neon Giant)

The Ascent has been put to the technical test to see how well it runs on Xbox and PC. 

Just below, you can see the full technical video on The Ascent from Digital Foundry, wich is the new isometric shooter just launched on PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One earlier this week, and is available through Xbox Game Pass on all platforms. According to Digital Foundry, it's the Xbox Series X that emerges firmly at the top of the pile, as you might expect. 

The Xbox Series X boasts an output of native 4K while playing The Ascent, which is actually what the Xbox One X is also capable of. Elsewhere on other console platforms, the Xbox Series S outputs the new shooter at a slightly lower resolution of 1440p, while the Xbox One is obviously the weaker of the bunch at a 900p resolution.

Elsewhere, in terms of frames per second, The Ascent manages a pretty smooth 60FPS on both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, with the exceptional of some very slight camera slowdowns. On the other hand, the Xbox One is unfortunately confined to 30FPS, and it's here that there's some pretty noticeable frame drops, which result in a significantly less smoother experience.

Staggeringly, Digital Foundry finds that the load times are reduced by as much as 600 times on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S when compared to the Xbox One. Having delved into the new shooter ourselves, we can say that we've seen the loading times on the Series X consoles are practically non-existent, while having played it on the Series S, they're pretty prevalent.

The Ascent is out right now on all Xbox platforms and PC, and is one of the bigger Xbox Game Pass launches since both new-gen consoles last year in November 2020. To see what we made of the new shooter, and whether it's worth downloading now through the subscription service or purchasing outright, you can head over to our full The Ascent review for more.

For a full guide to all the games yet to launch on Xbox's new-gen consoles, you can head over to our complete upcoming Xbox Series X games guide for more.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.