Quantum Error dev cancels PlayStation 4 version due to performance concerns

Developer TeamKill Media confirmed it would be canceling PlayStation 4 development of its upcoming game, Quantum Error. On Twitter, the developer said there was "no way" the last-gen version of the game would reach parity with the in-progress PlayStation 5 version. 

Specifically, TeamKill said a PS4 version would have "too much downgrading and changing of assets, lighting and much more to function." It also claimed the slower HDD speed of the PS4 and memory differences would make the two versions "very different" from one another. 

"[Quantum Error on PS4] will not compare to the PS5 version and would not be fair to PS4 players," wrote the developer. Per TeamKill's words, the game was made with the PlayStation 5's SSD in mind, which has made creating it for the Xbox Series X|S, a challenge.

Recently, the developer noted that Xbox's SSD was slower than the PS5's, requiring the team to find workarounds so both versions have performance parity. 

The struggles of co-existing console generations 

Since the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S both released in 2020, there's been consistent discussion about developers continuing to release versions of games for their console predecessors. These last-gen versions were largely prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and component shortages for newer consoles.

Even when the component issue was sorted out, games were still receiving PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions. For both systems, first-party games were being made for them as recently as the holiday season of 2022. 

However, earlier in the summer, Xbox's Matt Booty confirmed its various first-party studios were officially done with making Xbox One games. Likewise, Sony appears to be focused on current-gen, as Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is strictly PlayStation 5.

Third-party studios such as WB Games Montreal (Gotham Knights) have also canceled previously announced last-gen versions of recent games. Or in the case of Firaxis with Marvel's Midnight Suns, those versions were released solely on digital stores.