Optimize SoT for console

This game runs terribly on console. Even the new Xbox series X

I use series X and it runs 100% better than One.

Despite being on very stable and low latency internet

Well...everyone claims this, often it isnt true.

One way that I have suggested several times in the past is allowing a low graphics/better performance mode for console

One thing I noticed for Pc users: they dumb down their settings so it removes every little thing that makes the game beautiful, just for the sole purpose of having perfection in combat. Water looks thick muck, sky is dead black, lighting is over bright, no shadows.
Same with "performance"; people want this only for combat, which most games that offer this choice are...heavy combat games like OW and MR. Event CoD has these.

@burnbacon first, my internet is very good. It is AT&T fiber optics which is a wire running from under the street into my house, providing a very stable connection, with a latency of about 9-15 ms, translating to about 50-70 ping on SoT servers. Second, sea of thieves is a game with combat in it, and I’m sorry that it bothers you that I want to improve performance to make the combat more fun. Aside from combat, I think cursed graphics look cleaner and much better than any other graphics in the game.

@togghles

Don't let yourself be gaslit.

If you say it runs terribly, then I believe you. You're not the only console player with that feeling situation.

Never the thought.
If two people own the same identical car, but for some reason 1 person gets better mileage than the other, is that the car's fault? or maybe the driver.

Maybe this whole time it's not the game at fault; it could be something you overlooked or didn't expect? But no, take the easy route and blame the less likely suspect.

@burnbacon why do you try so hard to disagree with every post you see on here? You’re trying so hard to right now that you’ve resorted to trying to tell ME that MY internet is bad?

This game runs terribly on console. Even the new Xbox series X and PS5.

This is the original problem. Game seems to run bad on series X

allowing a low graphics/better performance mode for console which would essentially give the cursed graphics option that pc has for console, which would help.

OP solution is to add this to the game.

Since this a feedback discussion, I gave my own random response to this question, to encourage you to think, "Just maybe" its not the game or console that causing issues for you to encounter lag or whatever. That is all.
Getting upset, throwing a fit, replying with discouragement, and saying nothing I said is true are irrelevant. You didn't need to reply or acknowledge what I said, since it could very well be wrong. Who's to say? Only you.

It's just feedback from a random person; you didn't even need to bother reading or engaging. I gave my two cents to encourage you to think maybe it's something else entirely and there's no need to change the game or add something that would break the game down the road.

Possibly both sides are wrong, and maybe the console itself is at fault instead? Who's to say?

I don't just think it's a "console" problem. It's a SoT problem.

Realistically, the game is probably most optimized on console (except PS5).

SoT is just generally a very poorly optimized spaghetti code mess. Nobody - and I mean nobody - has a truly great feeling gaming experience playing SoT in 2026. Some days, it's better than others. Most days I wonder why it takes 2-3 tries just to grab the darn wheel 😂

I'm no game developer, nor do I fully understand everything about servers... but I've heard that SoT's server tick rate is comparable to servers from the xbox360 era. Its not the game itself, its the servers the game uses from Microsoft.

Apparently a lot of problems with this game have to do with the servers, not necessarily spaghetti code.

Atleast thats what I've heard from people who understand more about servers (and what a quick Google search about the games tickrate told me lol).

I know this doesn't solve your issue, but I hope the information still helped.

@sweetsandman
I'd imagine the server's tickrate being so low doesn't help. Its amazing the game works as well as it does considering how old and outdated their servers are.
I'd imagine the relatively poor servers (in comparison to other modern games) are one of the big things affecting what they can really add to the game as a whole.

Unfortunately (fortunately?) I usually have an opposite experience than you. SoT runs great for me on my Xbox series X. I run it on 120hz and have played on my series X for over 4 years after playing on the One S for 3 years.

That said, the servers in general have been horrible this season especially, for both myself and for everyone I play with. 90% of those people are PC with 2 being PS5 and a few more being series X as well.

That’s not me trying to be contrary but instead let you know there are general issues with the game performance across all platforms for lots of people currently, but normally it runs decently for me.

@gianthorizon330 oh for sure. It's a number of things causing SoT to feel like an Alpha build.