Dune Awakening: PC Release Prioritized, Yet Optimized for Controller Play

Porting games from PC to console is no small feat, especially when you’re working with genres that are deeply rooted in the PC world. However, with Dune Awakening, the developers have tackled this challenge head-on by keeping console players in mind from the get-go.

Although the release timeline for consoles remains a mystery, even the PC launch date still hasn’t been pinned down. To get some insight into what’s being considered for this multi-platform release, I caught up with Nils Ryborg. He’s a producer on Dune Awakening and has a wealth of experience with console ports from his time working on Pillars of Eternity at Paradox. His perspective on the process is pretty enlightening.

Reflecting on his work with Pillars of Eternity, Ryborg shared, “I remember the challenge of adapting its UX—it was quite the puzzle! We actually borrowed some ideas from action RPGs to enhance movement dynamics. Given the limited nature of controllers, we developed AI architects that helped NPCs make smarter choices and allowed players to guide them a bit.”

He went on to explain, “We aimed to streamline character mobility and enable swift decision-making, especially for real-time combat, without losing the ability to pause for strategic planning. These tweaks were balanced with essential UX elements, like textured button cycling. The key was adapting to an ARPG style while preserving the tactical depth.”

So, how does Funcom’s approach differ this time around? Ryborg shared some insights: “Starting with console design is generally more efficient because those elements can adapt well to the PC. A straight PC-to-console transition, with its dependence on mouse and keyboard, is a tougher nut to crack. That’s why we’re prioritizing controller compatibility from the beginning.”

He continued, “Even though we’re rolling out on PC first, we’ve got the console experience in mind. It’s about dealing with hardware constraints and making sure everything works smoothly without unnecessary complexity.”

While those eagerly awaiting Dune Awakening on consoles still have to wait for more details, they can rest assured knowing that the console version will stay closely aligned with the PC experience. So, they’re in for a treat when the time comes.