Why Mass Effect Legendary Edition Won't Come to PS5 and Xbox Series X

Though Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will be forward-compatible with PS5 and Xbox Series X when it launches this year, BioWare currently has no plans for a dedicated next-gen release or an eventual optimization patch. In an interview with IGN, director Mac Walters said that a full-on next-gen launch of the collection was "just a bridge too far." "To me if I'm buying a game on this next-generation of hardware, I expect a lot from it, and I think it's more than what we could have pushed [Unreal Engine 3] to do, and again more than we could've done with a true remaster," he said. "To me it would have felt a little disingenuous. I think it's better suited for the next Mass Effect." Walters also denied that BioWare was considering an eventual optimization patch instead -- at least not for the time being. However, he added that the game would experience some next-gen hardware perks for those playing on PS5 or Xbox Series X. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/30/mass-effect-legendary-edition-is-now-available-for-preorder"] "We'll wait and see," he said. "But we have some targeted unleashing of the game so that it will leverage a little bit more power of the next-gen series beyond just the faster load times you'd expect from SSD. There are some things that'll let you get to higher framerates, keep resolution higher, and stuff like that. So it should be a more optimized experience, but at this point nothing in the future." Today, BioWare also announced that Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will officially launch on May 14, 2021. The collection includes all single-player base content and DLC from the first three Mass Effect games, and will feature improved framerates and 4K Ultra HD optimization. Though it is officially launching on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, BioWare confirmed in its original announcement that it will be forward-compatible on next-gen consoles with some "targeted enhancements." You can pre-order Mass Effect: Legendary Edition using our pre-order guide. BioWare also announced a new Mass Effect game at last year's The Game Awards, which is currently in "early production." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter with IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.