Note: This review is specifically for the version of Palworld available on Xbox and through the Microsoft Store on PC. If you haven’t seen our review of the Steam version, go check that out first! Nearly everything we said there still applies to this review, which will instead focus specifically on what’s different with this version.

Palworld has taken the gaming world by storm, and for good reason. However, players of the Xbox and Microsoft Store versions of the game, widely accessible through Game Pass, have noticed a distinct difference in their gaming experience. After playing over 50 hours on Xbox, it’s evident that the Xbox build has additional bugs, performance issues, missing features, and a limited multiplayer experience, making it feel like a significantly less complete package compared to the Steam version.

Performance Differences

One of the most noticeable differences in the Xbox version of Palworld is its consistent underperformance. While the Steam version also has graphical bugs and frame rate drops, they are much more pronounced on Xbox. Flying around the world leads to extremely blurry textures that sometimes never fully load, and the sound effects on Xbox are uneven in quality, with some being low in quality and others missing altogether. These performance issues made the Xbox experience less enjoyable, although they didn’t deter from the overall gameplay.

Bugs and Missing Features

The Xbox version also suffers from some particularly troublesome bugs that are absent in the Steam version. Flying around on the back of a Pal in certain areas can cause parts of the world not to load correctly, leading to players getting stuck under the terrain. Additionally, some small features available on Steam, such as naming characters and Pals, are missing on Xbox, contributing to a less premium experience.

Conclusion

Despite these issues, Palworld on Xbox still offers an engaging gameplay experience with interesting Pals, open-world hijinks, and mesmerizing survival mechanics. However, the performance and feature discrepancies do impact the overall gaming experience, making the recommendation for the Xbox version slightly less enthusiastic. Players who prefer a smoother gaming experience may want to wait for updates before diving in.