Here's why some games run better on PS5 vs Xbox Series X, despite Microsoft's power advantage
We finally have an answer as to why some games run better on PlayStation 5, even though it's less powerful than Xbox Series X
🤔 A new insight explains why the PS5 can outperform the Xbox Series X in some titles
🆚 Despite having a weaker console, Sony’s system can often come out on top in head-to-head comparisons
✅ The experts at Digital Foundry have spoken to developers who list three reasons
👉 The PS5 has a faster GPU compiler, a lower-level API, and higher clock speeds
The Xbox Series X is the most powerful console on the market, at least until the PS5 Pro arrives. But we’ve seen it come up short in countless comparisons when Xbox games are compared to the PlayStation 5 versions, even though Sony’s console is noticeably weaker from a technical perspective.
But why is that the case? Well, we finally have an answer when it comes to the PS5 vs Xbox Series X performance and graphical disparities.
According to the technical experts at Digital Foundry, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X is being held back by a couple of key issues. The first hurdle that developers face is the Xbox Series X’s split-memory set-up, which may be impacting performance, but the main takeaway is that Sony has created a more efficient development environment.
More than one key triple-A developer told Digital Foundry that the PlayStation GPU compiler is significantly more efficient than Microsoft’s, allowing better utilization of the graphics hardware. Essentially, developers can get more from Sony’s hardware than they can Microsoft’s, even though the Xbox Series X has more raw power to play with.
The PS5’s higher clock speeds also seem to be beneficial to game development. Even though PS5 has fewer compute units compared to the Xbox Series X – 36 vs 52 – the GPU runs faster overall, which is beneficial for certain game engine designs.
The conclusion, then, is that the PS5 can outperform many Xbox Series X games due to a combination of having a more efficient GPU compiler, lower-level APIs, and higher clock speeds, which allows the PlayStation 5 to match or exceed Microsoft’s flagship console.
It’s also worth mentioning that PS5 is likely the lead platform for all development owing to Sony’s dominant market share. If you’re designing a game primarily for PlayStation 5 and then porting it to Xbox Series X, it’s unlikely you’re going to spend time getting the maximum out of Microsoft’s console when the install base is that much lower.
Still, the Xbox Series X is no slouch. The amount of Xbox Series X 120fps games dwarf those available on PS5, though the two consoles share a similar amount of games with ray tracing support.
Up next: You no longer need a console as Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to Amazon Fire TV sticks this month
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.