State of Decay 2 is now optimized for Xbox Series X and Series S, adds new difficulties, challenges

By Zachary Boddy
published

State of Decay 2 in glorious 4K / 60fps.

State Of Decay 2 Xbox Series X Trailer
State Of Decay 2 Xbox Series X Trailer (Image credit: Xbox)

What you need to know

  • State of Decay 2 is a community-building zombie survival game from Undead Labs on Xbox.
  • The game is several years old now but continues to get new updates and content over time.
  • The latest update for State of Decay 2 optimizes the game for the next-gen Xbox Series X|S with 4K / 60fps support.
  • There are also new difficulty options, challenges, and rewards for players who need an excuse to dive back in.

State of Decay 2 is Microsoft's community-building co-op enabled zombie survival game from Undead Labs, which has secured millions of players despite initial lackluster reviews. With tons of updates and new content, State of Decay 2 has continued to grow as one of the best apocalyptic survival games out there. The latest update makes the game even better, optimizing State of Decay 2 for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S in addition to new challenges and more. You can check out the game in action on the Xbox Series X in the trailer below.

The new update, rolling out for free to all players, provides the following benefits on the Xbox Series X|S next-gen consoles:

  • Up to 4K resolution (exact resolution unknown on Xbox Series S)
  • Stable 60fps
  • Improved world and shadow detail
  • Greatly increased loading speeds

It's great to see State of Decay 2, an aging game, continue to be supported by Undead Labs, and its jump over to the Xbox Series X|S should be the final nail in the coffin for performance issues the game has had since launch. The update also adds a few new things like:

  • Lethal Difficulty, which achieves a new level of hardness with even scarcer resources, stronger enemies, and more plague than ever before
  • New Lethal Difficulty Achievements, worth a combined 100 Gamerscore
  • Custom Difficulty, which lets players mix and match difficulty settings to create the perfect game
  • Stay Frosty Pack, which includes over a dozen themed items that can be earned as rewards by completing new challenges

State of Decay 2 is already included in Xbox Game Pass, making it super easy for any player to jump in and try it out, even for the first time. Undead Labs is also confirmed to be working on the next entry in the franchise with State of Decay 3, the first game that will have the full backing of Microsoft behind it. If you want to get the most out of your Xbox Series X|S and the games you play, consider one of the Best 4K TVs for Xbox Series X|S.

Xbox Game Pass UltimateA catalog of games
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

All your gaming needs, in one subscription.

Is the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate the best value in all of gaming? It's possible. Ultimate bundles your Xbox Live Gold subscription, an Xbox Game Pass subscription for both Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, and Xbox Cloud Gaming for on-the-go. That means access to hundreds of games, with more added all the time, for a single monthly subscription cost.

Xbox Series X/S

Main

Zachary Boddy
Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.