Gears 5 will be optimized for Xbox Series X, here's what it looks like on the console

(Image credit: Xbox)

Gears 5 on the Xbox Series X is coming this holiday season, and it looks pretty damn good. 

The Coalition's Mike Rayner showed off the opening cutscene of Gears 5 running on the Xbox Series X with Ultra settings - the same used for the PC version of the game. The version Rayner showed off has a 50% higher particle count than the PC specs and higher texture resolutions. It also runs at 60 fps in 4K, which is double the frame rate of the Xbox One X, and The Coalition team is looking into a version that would run 120fps for multiplayer games. 

As you can see from the pictures, the Xbox Series X version of the game has better contrast than the Xbox One X version, with deeper shadows and brighter lights, which gives the environment a much more lived-in feel. Check out the difference below.

Gears 5 on Xbox One X

Gears 5 on Xbox One X (Image credit: Xbox)

Gears 5 on Xbox Series X

Gears 5 on Xbox Series X (Image credit: Xbox)

According to the official Xbox Wire, there were "noticeable improvements" in other areas, including extremely fast load times, and the ability to turn on features like contact shadows and self-shadow lighting on plants and grass. It also states that The Coalition was able to get the demo up and running in just a few weeks. 

What's even better about all of this is that Gears 5 will be available for free for Xbox Series X for anyone who owns the Xbox One X versions, thanks to Microsoft's Smart Delivery Program. The optimized version of Gears 5 will launch in tandem with the Xbox Series X. 

Curious how much space you'll need to clear for the next-gen console? Here's the Xbox Series X size, confirmed.

Alyssa Mercante

Alyssa Mercante is an editor and features writer at GamesRadar based out of Brooklyn, NY. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.