PUBG devs say the new update on Xbox One is a "first pass" at improving visuals and performance

The dream of playing PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on Xbox One was hype-worthy; imagining the thrill of a 100-person free-for-all combined with the ease of a console setup put a smile on the lips of those who dreamed of being a winner winner chicken dinner. The reality, unfortunately, was marred by lackluster visuals and occasionally sluggish performance. Developer Bluehole aims to fix those issues - or at least begin the process of fixing them - with the game's first patch on Microsoft's console.

The patch notes listed on the PUBG forums describe this as a "first pass" at improving the game's look and feel. That includes better anti-aliasing, less texture pop-in, and reduced lag. Since this is the first (presumably of many) updates to the Xbox One version of the game, these improvements may not be noticeable right away, or may only be marginal in terms of impact. That said, the game only arrived on Xbox One a week ago, so a nearly 5GB patch being pumped out already shows the team isn't resting on its heels.

It might be a bumpy start for the game, but there’s a reason PUBG took over Twitch streams when it blew up on PC, and why Microsoft made it the centerpiece of its E3 offerings this year. Creator Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene made it in his spare time, because he wanted to play a shooter where it was about more than getting the quickest headshot. One of the attractions of the game is that things can play out differently every time depending on luck, strategy, and the people you’re playing with. Satisfying to play, but really, really hard to stress test for your first console release.

Beyond graphics and performance, the patch will also address a myriad of bugs, tweak the HUD, and even change up the hair color options for player avatars. No one wants to die in a field as an uninspiring mouse blonde after all.  You can read the full list of changes in the update below:

Gameplay
Gas can now be used while on bike or bike with sidecar

UI/UX
Equipment icons on HUD will now be visible
Player icon is now more clearly visible on the world map
UI prompts now appear when reload and enter a vehicle options are present

Character
Tweaked hair color options

Animation
Cleaned up sidecar passenger animations in first person view
Fixed player camera issues while a passenger on the backseat of a Buggy
Addressed arm animations specific to holding some weapons
Character now correctly faces the proper direction when stopping while swimming

Others
First pass visual and performance improvements
Slightly improved anti-aliasing on Xbox One and Xbox One S
Localization updates for Vietnamese, Spanish,(Spain/Mexico)
Controls on motorcycle no longer inverted
Keyboard functionality is disabled

Bug Fixes
Fixed instances of player nametags not properly displaying in the lobby during Squad and Duo play
Fixed minor animation while crouching and prone
Fixed issues where curtains on windows block line of sight of players in the TPP mode
Fixed an issue where when Squad leader left the party, voice chat ceased to function as intended
Fixed issue where players could lean out of vehicles even when obstructed
Fixed collision of cardboard boxes in Yasnaya city
Fixed typo in the controller guide
Other minor fixes

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Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.

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