Is The Xbox Series X More Powerful Than The PlayStation 5?

Looking at the raw stats makes one thing clear — the Xbox Series X is more powerful than the PlayStation 5. Both use an AMD RDNA 2 GPU, but the Xbox Series X has a larger GPU with 52 compute units, while the PS5's smaller GPU has 32 compute units. Because of this, the Series X delivers 12.15 teraflops of raw graphical power, while the PS5 settles at 10.28 teraflops. The Xbox Series X also has higher memory bandwidth of up to 560GB/s, while the PS5 goes up to 448GB/s, meaning the former moves data within its GPU much faster. But raw stats don't equal better performance, because neither console shows a clear performance advantage over the other.

Sometimes, the PS5 beats the Series X and sometimes the latter comes out on top, but it's interesting to think about where the PS5 sometimes gets an edge. So when Digital Foundry interviewed AAA developers, one of them said it's because the GPU compiler is more efficient. This means the GPU is better at translating the human-readable code into machine code.

The GPU is also faster, thanks to its variable clock that can reach a maximum speed of 2.23GHz compared to the Series X's fixed 1.825 GHz. Also, since the PS5 gives developers access to its low-level API, they get more tools for optimizing games so they can run better on the PS5.

The on-paper power of the Xbox shows when tests are done on games available on both platforms, but that doesn't mean it necessarily outshines the PS5. For example, a YouTube channel called AR12Gaming compared "Forza Horizon 5" on the Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC. According to them, when it came to graphics, the PC was the clear winner with sharper textures and greater draw distance when maxed out, but the Xbox Series X and PS5 had nearly identical graphics, load times, and frame rates.

If we move to something like "Assassin's Creed Shadows," again, everything is pretty similar, according to tests by the YouTube channel Open Surprise. In Quality mode, both consoles run the game at 30FPS with a 1500p native resolution and standard ray tracing. In Performance mode, the game runs at 60FPS, but the resolution drops to 1080p.

One game where the PS5 shows a slight edge is "Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty." During a performance review, IGN revealed that the PS5 offers a more stable experience in Performance mode, with the frame rate dipping into the upper 50s during fast-paced traversal and firefights, while the Xbox Series X would go into the low to mid 50s. Otherwise, both offer a solid targeted 60FPS. This isn't to say the PS5 always outperforms the Xbox Series X,  or vice versa, but to show that there are certain scenarios where raw power doesn't always mean better performance.

During the ninth console generation, Sony released a mid-gen refresh in the form of the PlayStation 5 Pro in October 2024. Surprisingly, Microsoft didn't do the same for the Series X. But if the base PS5 can go toe to toe with it, even though it's technically underpowered, then the PS5 Pro is clearly the more powerful console (both in raw specs and real-world scenarios). It has a GPU with 60 compute units, delivering 33.5 teraflops and a clock speed of 2.35GHz (a slight improvement).

The PS5 Pro's advantage over the Xbox Series X can be seen in PS5 Pro-Enhanced games like "007: First Light". In a comparison done by YouTuber Skycaptin5, he shows that the Xbox Series X has the standard graphical modes: Performance and Quality. However, with the PS5 Pro, you only have the Quality mode.

The PS5 Pro runs the game at 60FPS, with a resolution of 1080p on its lowest and 1440p to 4K at its highest. This resolution is the result of Sony's AI upscaling technology called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR). In Quality mode, the Xbox Series X runs the game at 1440p at 30FPS, and in Performance mode, at 1080p at 60FPS.