Microsoft Apologises For Passing Off PC Version Of 'Witcher 3' As Xbox One Gameplay Footage

Gamers are generally wary of gameplay trailers from videogame makers who take liberties in misrepresenting graphics and gameplay to make their products seem more appealing than they really are. The E3 2005 demo of "Killzone 2," where Sony had faked gameplay footage is one of the more controversial examples. Now Microsoft has given another reason for gamers to be mistrustful of gameplay trailers. The Xbox One maker has apologised to gamers for misleading them with the Xbox One trailer for the highly anticipated "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt."

Microsoft had used footage captured from the PC version of the game and passed it off as the Xbox One version, according to Gamespot. Fans noticed this bait-and-switch tactic because the supposed Xbox One trailer was displayed at 1080p resolution and in full 60fps. This is a far cry from the graphical capability of the Xbox One, which can only muster up enough processing grunt to run the game at 900p resolution and a framerate of 30fps.

The difference between graphics evident in prior Xbox One gameplay footage of "The Witcher 3" and the version showcased by Microsoft was stark enough for fans to realise and call out the company for the blatant misrepresentation. This prompted Microsoft to go on damage control mode and the company responded by apologising for the mix up and ensuing confusion.

"This morning we posted a new trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to our YouTube channels featuring footage provided by CD Projekt RED that was captured from the PC version of the game and may not be reflective of final Xbox One gameplay," said Microsoft in a statement to Eurogamer. "We apologise for any confusion and look forward to the game arriving on both Xbox One and PC on May 19, 2015."

Microsoft has now edited the video description and added a line that makes it clear that the video is sourced from CD Projekt Red, who had captured it from the PC build of the "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt." Interestingly, the game managed to run at 1080p on the PlayStation 4, albeit at 30fps. The PC version, by far, is the best looking of the lot with 1080p resolution running at 60fps. The textures are crisper, whereas particle effects, lighting and other graphical effects are rendered with much better detail on the PC version.

Earlier, Cinema Blend had reported that CD Projekt RED has been trying to leverage DirectX 12 XDK update for the Xbox One to achieve 1080p. The developer hadn't given any guarantees at that moment, but going by Microsoft's reliance on using the PC version of gameplay footage instead of the Xbox One version pretty much confirms that the retail Xbox One version of the game probably wouldn't be able to match the PS4's 1080p capability.

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - “Precious Cargo” quest (credit: Xbox)