Frontier has delayed the upcoming release of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey on console in order for the team to hunker down and get the PC version in a state that is acceptable to its team and the players. As such, no new date or timetable has been revealed for the console release, with CEO David Braben simply state that only when the PC experience is "solid" will the console roadmap be more clear moving forward.
In a post on the Frontier forums, Braben explained the reasoning behind the move, citing that the team is shifting its focus on the PC version in order to right the ship on the platforms where Elite Dangerous: Odyssey has already shipped. This is to ensure a solid foundation before moving on to other platforms themselves.
While the team has shipped multiple fixes and updates since Odyssey shipped in late May, the core expansion still has plenty of problems facing it, including issues with performance that haver persisted ever since the Alpha earlier this year. Working on the problems for PC has stalled progress on Odyssey's console counterparts, though the team is committed to ensuring the best possible version on PC is available to players.
As such, Braben explains that while the updates and work being done on PC will ultimately benefit the other versions of Odyssey, the console release timeline is being shifted in order to ensure the PC version is solid, "before opening up to more."
"With those things in mind, we have spent a lot of time discussing and re-evaluating our previous plans and we have made the decision to prioritise the core PC experience for Elite Dangerous. Ultimately, we believe it is right to focus our efforts on the core Elite Dangerous Odyssey experience for the platforms that we have released on, before opening up to more. We know that the work that we do to improve players’ experiences of Elite Dangerous Odyssey on PC will benefit other platforms in the future, but the dates and details of the console platforms are going to change. We do not want to rush into confirming any dates or changes this has on our console release, as we must remain fully focused on the core Elite experience. Only when we feel that the foundation of the PC release is solid, will we be able to re-lay our console roadmap on top."
Braben goes on to explain that the team at Frontier will be working dilligently on the Issue Tracker, as well as deploying fixes to wipe out bugs and even out performance. Additionally the team is committed to giving players frequent updates as to where they are in the fixes, as well as peaks at content they are creating to augment and supplement what is already available.
Greetings Commanders. We have an important update on what's next for Elite Dangerous: Odyssey: https://t.co/2jWdfdix3h pic.twitter.com/1BAjiPA5B5
— Elite Dangerous (@EliteDangerous) July 12, 2021
Braben also admits that the level of feedback from the team has been less than desirable, and commits to improving that moving forward - though he is quick to remind players to ensure that feedback provided to the team is done in a constructive manner and not something that hurls abuse at the people working hard to right the ship.
"We know that the previous levels of detail for the roadmap and developer update have not met expectations, but we are grateful for your patience while we shift and adjust plans, in the face of such clear feedback.Please remember that our team here at Frontier are working hard to support the game and our community. Behind every bug fix, design decision and community post is a person who cares a lot about giving our players best possible experience. I would ask that everyone remains calm and respectful when sharing their thoughts and feedback."
