London, England – Microsoft’s Xbox Series X is widely considered the most powerful console ever created. Despite this, some games run better on Sony’s PlayStation 5. This discrepancy has been examined and explained by tech experts at Digital Foundry.
Both Microsoft and Sony launched their next-generation consoles in November 2020. While the Xbox Series S struggles with performance due to its lower power, the Xbox Series X boasts 12 teraflops of GPU performance compared to the PS5’s 10.28 teraflops.
Microsoft aimed to avoid the underpowered narrative that plagued the Xbox One compared to the PlayStation 4 in the previous generation. With the Xbox Series X, they ensured it was marketed as the “world’s most powerful console.”
As both consoles near their fourth year, the question arises whether the power difference has translated into better gaming experiences. Surprisingly, some games perform better on the PS5 than the Xbox Series X.
According to conversations with developers, Digital Foundry found that the PS5 can match or surpass the Xbox Series X outputs in certain scenarios due to a more efficient GPU compiler, lower-level APIs, and higher clock speeds.
For example, the game Elden Ring by FromSoftware runs faster on the PS5 than on the Xbox Series X. This was highlighted in Digital Foundry’s analysis of the game’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
Despite the performance differences, the Xbox Series X’s approach to development offers value to game makers due to its commonality with PC development. Additionally, the Xbox ecosystem and feature set in some cases provide a smoother and more consistent gaming experience than the PS5.
Rumors suggest that Sony is preparing to release a PS5 Pro, while Microsoft is rumored to be working on an Xbox handheld. Digital Foundry anticipates the PS5 Pro to build on the strengths of the PS5, potentially incorporating PSSR machine learning-based upscaling to enhance GPU performance.
Looking ahead, the cycle of new console releases continues with anticipation for Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox and Sony’s future PS6. The ongoing competition between the two giants keeps the gaming community on the edge of their seats.