Ex-Tekken boss says Xbox Series S held developers back, warns on Helix

Katsuhiro Harada, who directed or produced every mainline Tekken from Tekken 3 to Tekken 8, used the Console Game Developers Conference in Korea to criticize the Xbox Series S in front of a senior Xbox official. Harada, who left Bandai Namco late last year to start VS Studio, a subsidiary of SNK, said he wished hardware like the Series S would not be released. The exchange matters because it links developer frustration with weaker hardware to Microsoft's next console, codenamed Project Helix.

Low memory and awkward gap to Series X

Harada said low memory is an issue with the Series S, but described the hardest part as its similarity to the Series X combined with awkwardly lower performance. He directed a question to Pawel Sasko, associate game director on Cyberpunk 2077, asking whether developers were upset inside because of the Series S. Sasko replied that the console constantly throws challenges at developers and forces them to optimize code very cleanly. Harada joked that this was a polite way of saying the Series S creates serious problems for production.

Harada contrasted Xbox with Nintendo's Switch 2, saying developers can treat the Switch 2 as a distinct device for Nintendo fans and shift their mindset. With Xbox, he said, teams deliver their best output for Series X and then face extra work for a slightly weaker machine, which he compared to doing additional work for a slightly weaker child. Sasko acknowledged the technical drawbacks but pointed to benefits from intense optimization for lower-spec platforms, saying it makes games run significantly better across all platforms. He added that the biggest advantage of the Series S is its affordable price and wider accessibility for players who cannot buy expensive high-end hardware.

What a cheaper Helix would mean for studios

For studios and working developers, the debate is about time and cost rather than brand loyalty. Supporting a lower-spec Xbox model means additional optimization, testing and performance trade-offs after the main version is complete. That work can extend production schedules for small and mid-sized teams with limited staff. At the same time, a cheaper console can expand market penetration, allowing a game to reach more players who cannot afford high-end hardware. The balance between broader sales potential and higher development burden is central to the next hardware cycle.

Harada's remarks do not prove Microsoft will release a lower-spec Helix model, and it is not clear whether the company intends to repeat the Series S approach. Harada joked that Sasko had packaged the Series S so gracefully that the Microsoft representative kept nodding, and said he worried they would feel reassured and release a successor like Helix S. The source also notes early speculation about a hardware component crisis and RAM shortage, with reports claiming Helix could cost Microsoft between 1,200 and 1,800 dollars to make. Those cost figures are reported speculation, not a confirmed price or product plan.