Blog

On paper, the Xbox Series X is a significantly more powerful piece of hardware than the PlayStation 5, so why are we looking at a console generation where Sony and Microsoft machines often deliver similar results? It’s a puzzle that has baffled many for the past few years, and after discussions with multiple sources, including some of the most prominent triple-A developers in the business, we finally have some answers – and it’s all laid out in this week’s edition of DF Direct Weekly.

In terms of technical specifications, the Xbox Series X is undoubtedly the most powerful console on the market – at least until the controversial PlayStation 5 Pro comes along. Its GPU reaches 12 teraflops, boosted by decent memory bandwidth: a maximum of 560GB/s. PlayStation 5? 10.23 TF GPU calculations are available, powered by 448 GB/s bandwidth. Then it is a clear division. If we were to see this comparison of specs in the PC space, you’d expect to see the former outperforming the latter.

Except that hasn’t happened with this generation. Overall, this is the closest console generation we’ve ever seen, and for the most part the multi-platform releases are fairly minimal. One machine may outperform the other or vice versa. Sometimes, where there are differences, it comes down to variations in dynamic resolution scaling – which often seems invisible in A to B comparisons. It’s a far cry from the Xbox One X vs PS4 Pro matchup, where Microsoft’s machine had a clear advantage – or the PS4 vs. Xbox One comparison, where Sony usually had a similarly noticeable lead.

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:02:00 News 01: First look at FSR 3.1!
• 0:10:56 News 02: A remake of Dead Rising is in development
• 0:22:55 News 03: Dragon’s Dogma 2 patched
• 0:30:12 News 04: Keystone project details revealed
• 0:38:16 News 05: Forza Horizon 4 will be removed
• 0:49:38 News 06: SGSSAA appears in a new game
• 0:58:46 News 07: Unity 50Hz physics issue is back
• 1:07:55 Supporter Q1: Why haven’t more reviewers noticed the problems with Elden Ring? And is it really fair to heap so much technical criticism on From Software?
• 1:27:03 Supporter Q2: What should our expectations be for a potential PS3 emulator on the PS5?
• 1:36:05 Supporter Q3: Why does the Series X still sometimes outperform the PS5 in cross-platform games?
• 1:45:54 Supporter Q4: Can something like Auto SR be implemented on backwards compatible game consoles?
• 1:50:00 Supporter Q5: Why do low settings in games look so much better than before?

So after several years of talking to developers, what’s the explanation? How can a less capable machine outperform a more powerful one? As seen recently in our coverage of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the frame rate difference in favor of the PS5 is surprising given that it’s clearly the less capable machine.

We’ve heard some interesting theories over the years — like how the Xbox Series X’s split memory setup (560GB/s bandwidth on “fast” memory, 336GB/s on “slow” memory) might affect performance, but the number one reason , which we heard from developers, refers to the nature of Sony’s development environment. More than one key triple-A developer tells us that the PlayStation GPU compiler is significantly more efficient than Microsoft’s alternative, meaning it makes better use of the graphics hardware. In general, we understand that the lower level of API access granted to PlayStation development means that game makers get more out of the hardware.

The second most common explanation we’ve received from developers relates to the nature of the GPU itself. Mark Cerny himself discussed this way back in March 2020 when he revealed the technical specifications of the PlayStation 5. Although the console may have fewer computing units than the Xbox Series X – 36 versus 52 – the entire GPU runs faster, which means , that certain tasks will be completed faster, more suited to certain game engine designs. The extent of this advantage has always been unknown, as the PS5 runs a boost clock on both the CPU and GPU – maximum clock speeds will be limited by a CPU power limit.

However, we have yet to hear any complaints from developers about the boost clock unduly impacting GPU performance. And in terms of raw numbers, there’s an interesting tidbit from recently leaked PlayStation 5 Pro developer documentation: turning on the CPU Boost option, which boosts clock speeds by ten percent, sees GPU performance drop by just one percent – then effectively insignificant.

So, based on our conversations, the combination of a more efficient GPU compiler, lower-level API, and higher clock speeds allow the PlayStation 5 to match or even exceed the Xbox Series X’s results in some scenarios. However, there is certainly value in the approach Microsoft has taken: by standardizing DirectX 12 and the DXR ray tracing API, it has something to do with PC development, which obviously helps game creators. And of course, the Xbox still has more computing power – so game engines that use that will see benefits. Additionally, there are situations where the Xbox ecosystem and feature set pay dividends. For example, while Elden Ring may run faster on PlayStation 5, Sony’s limited implementation of variable refresh rate support means we’d rather play the game on Xbox Series X – it’s just a smoother, more consistent experience .

At this point, having heard the same set of points from a set of completely unrelated developers means that it’s effectively case closed on this particular topic – and we expect to see a similar situation for the rest of the generation. PlayStation 5 Pro? That will be interesting. We expect it to build on the same strengths that made the PS5 competitive and go beyond – the PSSR machine learning-based upgrade should act as an effective “multiplier” of its increased GPU performance.

This discussion is just one small part of DF Direct Weekly #169, where we have first impressions of Dragon’s Dogma 2’s new patch and AMD’s FSR 3.1 spatial zoom revision (expect more in-depth coverage of both soon), plus comments on the new Dead Rising remake. I hope you enjoy the show – and don’t forget that supporters of the DF Supporter Program not only get early access to every episode, but can also contribute to the show. nice week!