PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is the Xbox One's big console exclusive to close out 2017, and early indications are that, much like its PC cousin, performance can be a bit of a mixed bag. To be fair, PUBG makes no bones about the fact that it is an Early Access game, even though Developer Bluehole is still aiming to get the PC version up to Release 1.0 before the year is out. That said, Digital Foundry took both the standard Xbox One and Xbox One X version for a spin, and was surprised to find out that both consoles had their struggles holding the game at its 30 FPS target.
Upon jumping into a lobby, both the Xbox One X and standard Xbox One versions sit in the high teens and low twenties on framerate, with some muddy looking textures, which in my experience on mid-range PC hardware can be an indicator of how well the match will perform for you. Fortunately, this is not entirely the case, as there are moments where the Xbox One X version, in particular, will find a way to sit at 30 FPS at a native 4K.
It's worth noting that PUBG's current in-game assets aren't 4K quality, as PlayerUnknown himself, Brendan Greene had previously revealed that they "didn't exist yet." Until that happens though, the devs will just have to keep patching the game.
For the most part, it seems as though the framerate hits its stride where things matter, on the ground. Things can change when you enter a house and loot the equipment within, but these things can also happen with the PC version, depending on your hardware. Therefore, it seems as though these issues are developer-related as opposed to the hardware at work.
PUBG is far from a broken game, no matter which platform you call home. There are many reasons why the game has become as popular as it has, breaking records and being the first Early Access game to be nominated for Game of the Year. So even if you do pick up PUBG right now on Xbox One, you'll still have a good time, issues and all.
