It’s widely acknowledged that Microsoft’s Xbox Series X console is the most powerful ever, but why do some games run better on Sony’s PlayStation 5? Digital Foundry.
Microsoft and Sony both launched their next-gen consoles at the same time in November 2020. While the less powerful Xbox Series S clearly struggles on the performance front, the Xbox Series X is a tech monster, delivering 12 teraflops of GPU performance, while the PS5 is capable of 10.28 teraflops.
Xbox executives said they wanted to avoid repeating the narrative established last generation, in which the Xbox One was significantly underpowered compared to the PlayStation 4 and experienced inconsistent performance in multiplatform games. So Microsoft went all in on the Xbox Series X, allowing its marketing to comfortably call it “the world’s most powerful console.”
But now, four years after each console’s launch, is that difference in power paying off in the video games we play? It turns out that some games run smoother on the PS5 than they do on the Xbox Series X. But how is that possible?
according to Digital Foundry talks with developers“The combination of a more efficient GPU compiler, low-level APIs, and higher clock speeds will enable PS5 to match or even exceed the output of Xbox Series X in some scenarios.”
One example is FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, which runs faster on PS5 than it does on Xbox Series X. Digital Foundry’s analysis of Shadow of the Erdtree DLC It shows an astonishing framerate difference in favor of the PS5, a machine that is clearly less capable.
But as Digital Foundry points out, the approach Microsoft has taken with Xbox Series X still has valuable parallels with PC development that can benefit game makers. “What’s more, there are situations where the Xbox ecosystem and feature set is beneficial,” Digital Foundry explains. “For example, while Elden Ring may run faster on PS5, Sony’s limited implementation of variable refresh rate support makes it far preferable to play the game on Xbox Series X, which provides a smoother, more consistent experience.”
So what happens next? Sony is heavily rumored to be ready to release a PS5 Pro later this year, and Microsoft is heavily rumored to be ready to release an Xbox handheld. Digital Foundry predicts that the PS5 Pro will “leverage and surpass the same strengths that made the PS5 competitive. PSSR machine learning-based upscaling should act as an effective ‘multiplier’ for increased GPU performance.”
And what after that? We’ll no doubt have to do this all over again when Microsoft releases the next-gen Xbox and Sony inevitably releases the PS6.
Wesley is IGN’s UK News Editor. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or wyp100@proton.me.