What’s new in PlayStation Nation ?! We are very happy to be back on the blog to announce that the Skater XL Multiplayer Free Skate mode is now available for PlayStation players! With this update, friends from all corners of the world can go online and share a skate session, regardless of location, weather or physical ability.
Skateboarding is more fun with friends, and there’s nothing quite like hanging out, talking shop, and rocking with each other. This essential experience inspired us to create Skater XL’s online multiplayer Free Skate mode.
The multiplayer Free Skate mode is designed to replicate as closely as possible the energy and hype of an actual skate session. No rules or barriers, you and the pals decide where to skate, what to skate and how to skate it. Whether you want to match turn for turn, choreograph party lines, or just want to rock yourself in a freer way, Multiplayer Free Skate provides the platform.
The social component of skateboarding has always been a part of our vision for Skater XL, so we’ve given Multiplayer Free Skate players the ability to capture and record videos of awesome lines and memorable tricky moments using the in-game replay editor. Videos are an integral part of the culture and we felt it was important to give players a way to share and revisit their favorite moments long after the session was over. Checking the Instagram #SkaterXL will give you an idea of the amazing content that is already coming out of the creative community.
Building on our fundamental goal of giving skate players more control than any previous title with our innovative independent foot control system, opening up the social ecosystem will allow for an even more immersive experience through interactions, collaboration and more lively environments.
Free Skate Multiplayer is our first step to unlocking in-game social modes and features:
- Skate with up to 10 people online – Join a random room or create your own private room and invite your friends to join using a password
- Reruns – Replay and record your group lines, with the same replay editor functionality available in single player mode
Smooth frame rates and a lag-free experience are so important to the physics-based gameplay of Skater XL, and given the added processing and complexity of running online multiplayer, we wanted to make sure that this bet updating would be as nice as it gets.
Along with the development of the multiplayer features, work started in January on optimizing many systems and assets in the rest of the game. A lot of hours were spent transforming each stone and reworking the code, 3D resources , lighting, shaders, etc., alongside the multiplayer systems themselves to achieve additional performance.
We’re excited to say that this update comes with big FPS (frames per second) improvements. The game now runs much smoother and even with many characters on the screen during online play it is significantly smoother than the previous version in single player mode. Skater XL gameplay and controls are better than ever on all PlayStation consoles.
This latest update also includes a small injection of new character gear with shoes from New Balance and Es Footwear, as well as a clothing capsule from Dickies. As we continue to release regular updates, you can expect to see even more new gear coming to the Customizer.
We’ve really enjoyed connecting with the PlayStation community since Skater XL launched in 2020, and look forward to continuing the game’s evolution alongside an incredibly talented and creative group of players. Be sure to follow us on social media for more updates, event announcements, featured content, and news. Thank you as always for your support and we look forward to seeing a multiplayer room session with you soon.