XDefiant Team Developing 120Hz for Consoles, New Netcode, and Adjusting Controller Lag Ahead of Release

The future of XDefiant is looking quite good after the game's most recent beta test. More than one million players got to test out Ubisoft's first-person shooter ahead of its official release. Now with the beta over, the development team is sharing details about how it went and what they're doing to improve the game for its final release.

From enhancing the game's appearance to developing an entirely new netcode, XDefiant will look and feel quite different the next time players jump into action. Here are all of the changes coming to XDefiant over the coming months before it launches in the coming year.

What's being done to fix the XDefiant lag?

For those who played the XDefiant beta, things weren't always as pristine as they should have been. This was caused by a bug found moments before the beta went live, according to Executive Producer Mark Rubin. The game could be quite laggy at times and many PS5 players complained about controller lag. This impacted aiming and therefore didn't allow the most optimal way to play the shooter.

The team monitored the problems and actively worked to fix what they could during the beta. While many issues were fixed live, many more remained including the stability of the server. As the game requires constant online connectivity, having a stable connection is vital. So, to solve the lag, the developers are replacing the old netcode and building an entirely new one to take its place. This requires a lot of routing between stops and a datacenter. Having a stable netcode will reduce lag, making the game more enjoyable and streamline for players.

With that being said, netcode works two ways. There's the development side with the XDefiant servers and the receiving side of your internet. While everything seems to be running smoother on the developmental side, the only way to test out the new netcode is by having another beta test. While nothing has been confirmed, it would make sense that XDefiant will be getting another beta before it releases all in order to test the server settings.

PS5 Controller Lag Updates

Another area lag being reported is with PS5 controllers. Due to a latency issue, players were getting around 60ms during games. Now, however, the team has reduced that to a total of 20ms. So, the next time PS5 players can play the game, they should see improved response times.

What Graphical Enhancements are Coming to XDefiant?

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of XDefiant will be able to run at 120Hz. While the beta did not run at this rate, Rubin says the game may be getting it at launch instead of a post-launch update.

What is the Release Date for XDefiant?

The release date for XDdefiant is expected sometime in the coming year. Ubisoft has yet to have an official release date, but the developer's earnings report for 2023 shows the game could be launching in 2024. A report from Stephen Totilo even claims XDefiant will release by the end of March 2024.

Of course, if you want to keep track of global and regional leaderboards for XDefiant players around, check out our XDefiant stat tracker.