Analysis of Reasons for Superior Performance of PS5 in Some Games Compared to Xbox Series X Despite Lower CPU Specs.

Digital Foundry, experts in video game graphics, analyze why games on the PS5 look better than on the Xbox Series X, despite the technical superiority of the latter. They have gathered insights from game developers over multiple years.

Digital Foundry concludes that there are two main reasons behind this phenomenon:

The PS5’s GPU compiler outperforms that of the Xbox due to its access to a wider range of low-level APIs, allowing developers more control over the GPU’s operations, thus maximizing its potential.

Although the natural compute unit count of the PS5 GPU is lower than that of the Xbox Series X (36 vs 52 cores) and even less than the PS4 (58 cores), the PS5’s ability to boost clock speeds on both the CPU and GPU enables it to process certain types of workloads and run certain games more efficiently, a deliberate design choice by Sony’s team since the beginning.

A breakdown of the PS5’s architecture in a video released in 2020 highlights its unique design features.

Digital Foundry points out that Xbox’s architecture also has its advantages, such as enabling developers to access standardized APIs like DirectX 12 and DXR ray tracing, similar to those on PCs. This simplifies game development processes and offers higher overall throughput performance compared to the PS5. Games that harness this particular strength can benefit greatly from it.

For instance, while a game like Elden Ring may run faster on the PS5, Xbox’s superior variable refresh rate support can offer more consistent frame rates, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

Moreover, rumors of a potential PS5 Pro with a more powerful GPU and features like PSSR for upscaling graphics could further elevate the graphics capabilities of games on the platform.

Source: Eurogamer

TLDR: Digital Foundry explains why games on the PS5 look better than on the Xbox Series X, attributing it to the PS5’s superior GPU compiler. Despite having a lower core count, the PS5’s ability to boost clock speeds allows for more efficient processing of certain workloads and specific games, outperforming the Xbox in certain aspects of game performance.