PS5 Performs Better Than Xbox Series X Due To More Efficient Design, Say Devs

Expert Verified By

PS5 Runs Games Better Despite Weaker Hardware!

Story Highlights
  • Analysts have revealed why the PS5 runs many games better than the Xbox Series X. 
  • Sony’s console has a much more efficient architecture, making designing games much easier.
  • It also has the advantage of having a faster API than Microsoft’s DirectX.

It’s no news that PlayStation has dominated the current generation of consoles. Despite the PS5 and Xbox Series X boasting a similar AMD Zen 2 processor with RDNA 2 graphics, the latter has a hardware lead on paper.

However, Sony’s console often produces better results in real-world gaming tests. According to analysts who have talked to various developers, the PS5 is just better optimized for most games.

Why it matters: The Xbox Series X boasts 52 RDNA 2 CUs, leading to 12 teraflops of performance. On the other hand, the PS5 GPU is limited to just 36 RDNA 2 CUs, resulting in 10.28 teraflops.

In its latest video, Digital Foundry outlines the general sentiment around the PS5 and Xbox Series X competition. The analysts have spoken to various developers and can now share a conclusive answer.

There’s no denying that Microsoft’s hardware has not lived up to its potential, and a huge reason for this seems to be that developers prefer Sony’s implementation due to its more efficient design.

As the developers explained, the PS5’s GPU compiler is faster and more optimized. It’s a complex design but utilizes the silicon much better than the Xbox Series X. Sony’s API also seems much faster than Microsoft’s DirectX.

One of the big ones that we’ve heard reference is the shader compiler. On the PlayStation side, it’s just extremely fast and optimized.

-Digital Foundry

Furthermore, developers prefer the faster clocks of the PS5 GPU. Apart from the discrepancy in compute units, the PS5’s RDNA 2 GPU runs at a variable 2.23GHz. Meanwhile, Microsoft locked the GPU at 1.825GHz.

PS5 And Xbox Series X
The PS5 Is Weaker Than The Xbox Series X On Paper

Some games still run better on the Xbox Series X. Alan Wake 2, for example, shows how Microsoft’s console can benefit from the raw hardware improvements. However, PlayStation seems to be better or equally capable across the board.

Another reason for this surprising result could be the fact that most developers prioritize PlayStation as the lead platform.

When it comes to real-life usage, neither console is significantly better than the other. However, this is a disadvantage for Xbox Series X since Microsoft sold this console as the most powerful hardware in the world.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Review Roundup – Redemption for Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reviews are out, and it has a decent 84 on Metacritic with praise for overhauled combat and visuals.

Sony President Sold Over 50% of His Shares Days After Fan Backlash For Ending Physical Discs

Sony president Hiroki Totoki sold 56.5% of his company shares just days after facing fan backlash for ending physical disc production.

Elder Scrolls 6 Is Still 2-3 Years Away From Release Despite 8 Years In Development

As revealed by an insider, The Elder Scrolls 6 is at least 2 to 3 years away from release, meaning it could launch in 2028 at the earliest.

Steam Boasts Over 200 Million Monthly Active Users, Over 50% Larger Than PlayStation

New estimates from GameDiscoverCo reveal that Steam now has over 200 million monthly active users, making it over 50% larger than PlayStation.

Almost 50% of Steam Players Are Completely Fine With AI Usage In Games, Reveals Survey

As revealed by a recent survey, 43% of Steam players have no issue buying games with an AI disclosure on the platform.