Tekken creator says he wishes hardware like the Xbox Series S 'wouldn’t be released'
Tekken creator Katsuhiro Harada criticized Xbox Series S at a panel, calling for its discontinuation due to development challenges and market dominance.
Katsuhiro Harada, creator of the Tekken series and former Bandai Namco executive, expressed frustration with the Xbox Series S during a panel discussion moderated by former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida. Harada, speaking alongside developers from ShiftUp, Too Kyo Games, CD Projekt Red, and Ludeon Studios, argued that the console’s lower specifications complicate game development compared to other platforms.
Harada directly addressed a senior Xbox representative in attendance, stating, "I wish hardware like the Xbox Series S wouldn’t be released," citing the console’s awkward performance gap with the Series X despite similar hardware design. He emphasized that developers must perform extra work to accommodate Series S users, who often direct complaints about technical limitations toward developers rather than Microsoft.
Pawel Sasko of CD Projekt Red responded that the Series S forces developers to optimize code more efficiently, benefiting higher-spec consoles. However, Harada countered that the console’s market presence—particularly in the U.S.—makes it difficult to ignore, as Series S users outnumber Series X users, complicating development and player expectations.
The discussion also touched on Microsoft’s upcoming Project Helix, with DongKi Lee of ShiftUp requesting a development kit. Harada, who recently left Bandai Namco to lead a new SNK subsidiary, warned that similar low-spec consoles could become a recurring issue if Microsoft adopts comparable strategies for future hardware.