Ghostwire: Tokyo initially launched over a year ago as a timed console exclusive for the PS5. While Microsoft acquired Zenimax Media before the game’s release, the gaming giant honored existing exclusivity deals like Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo.
This meant that Tango Gameworks had a whole year to optimize the game for the Xbox Series S|X consoles. The game launched in a far from stellar state on PS5, but it looks like Ghostwire: Tokyo has disappointed on Xbox consoles.
Speaking on the latest Digital Foundry podcast, the team explained that the game performs better on PS5 than the Xbox Series X.
The performance difference lies between 5-10%. This is not a huge difference, and many gamers are unlikely to notice the performance gap in real-time gameplay, but this is disappointing for a first-party release.
It should be noted that Xbox Series X is the more powerful console of the two. Microsoft advertises it as the world’s most powerful console, yet Ghostwire: Tokyo does not do a great job showcasing the hardware.
The game also disappoints in areas like ray tracing. Digital Foundry noted that ray-traced reflections are superior on PS5. Ray-traced shadows exhibit alignment bugs, and the game runs at a slightly lower native resolution on the Xbox Series X in quality mode.
Looking at Microsoft’s budget offering, ray tracing is not present on the console. This is not surprising when considering the console’s capabilities, but Ghostwire: Tokyo also runs below 60 FPS in performance mode on the Xbox Series S.
Xbox users and Ghostwire: Tokyo fans can expect a more comprehensive look at the performance and visual differences between the PS5 and Xbox Series S|X versions of the game when Digital Foundry releases their full breakdown.
Nonetheless, it is disappointing to see a first-party studio releasing a subpar port that does not fully utilize the Xbox Series S|X consoles. Recently, Redfall also drew criticism for a similar announcement when Arkane Studios revealed that the game would skip a 60 FPS mode at launch.
Fans have been worried that this may indicate an increasingly common trend with recent Xbox Series S|X releases, but Microsoft will hopefully address such concerns in the upcoming months.
Speaking of criticism, Ghostwire: Tokyo has also seen a slew of negative Steam reviews following the addition of Denuvo to the PC version over a year after its release.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
