PS5 still falls behind Xbox Series X in this one key area

PS5 still falls backside Xbox Serial X in this one cardinal expanse

(Epitome credit: Tom's Guide)

It'due south rapidly approaching a year since the PS5 was released, and in that time I've had a lot of thoughts about Sony's new console. I've flipped from being rather cool towards the DualSense controller to starting to really like it, and I've bemoaned the delays to exclusive games. Suffice to say, not but is the PS5 large, the shadow it casts over the gaming world and my gaming feel is long.

While it's frustrating that many all the same can't seem to grab a panel during PS5 restocks lottery, I can't deny I've enjoyed using the PS5. And a lot of good things are on the horizon, no least of which is Horizon Forbidden West. Just in that location is a take hold of, and information technology'due south a weakness Sony really needs to address.

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And that's backwards compatibility. While the Xbox Series 10 seems to go increasing amounts of the best Xbox One games that get optimized for Microsoft's flagship panel, the PS5 hasn't really had its power brought to bear on older games.

Granted, Ghost of Tsushima has been given a PS5 makeover and The Terminal of Us ii runs at 60 frames per second on the panel. And God of War has besides been patched to tap into PS5 ability. Just these games oasis't been optimized to the extent Xbox games take.

PS5 backwards compatibility: Good but not bang-up

if Microsoft can take cantankerous-generation games and heave them for the Xbox Series 10, I don't come across why Sony can't do the same.

Take God of State of war as an example. It runs very nicely on the PS5, but it just gets the same graphics or functioning options as the game does on the PS4 Pro; there's no total 4K threescore fps mode. Admittedly, God of War looks fantastic and is likely to need a lot of power to deliver smoother performance at 4K. But overall the patching of older PS4 games to run on the PS5 hasn't been as through as I'd have liked.

This came to light when I downloaded Star Wars Squadrons on my Xbox Serial X. Available on Xbox Game Laissez passer, it proudly sported the optimized for Xbox Serial X and Xbox Series S badge. On the old, it'll run a 4K and upwardly 120 fps on a Tv that has a 120Hz refresh rate. Sadly, my TV is stuck at 60Hz, just Squadrons at 4K 60fps on a decent 49-inch screen is simply a joy.

However, despite having the aforementioned AMD Zen 2 processor and RDNA two graphics equally the Xbox Series Ten, the PS5 can't access Squadrons' next-gen performance and graphics modes. I appreciate that's a quirk at how the PS5 handles backwards compatibility by default. Merely if Microsoft can have cross-generation games and boost them for the Xbox Series Ten, I don't see why Sony tin't do the same, at least with its first-party games.

And that's where the sticking betoken comes. If you have a PS5, then without a doubt information technology's the best identify to play any new PlayStation game, if just for the faster load times. Just there are notwithstanding a suite of big PS4 games that don't take advantage of the PS5's grunt.

This became abundantly clear when I dipped back into Bloodborne, i of the all-time PS4 games. On my PS5 it runs just also every bit it did on my old base PS4, meaning it's stuck at 30 fps or lower and only runs at 1080p; the only boon is it loads quickly, thus taking the sting out of the painfully long load times Bloodborne has on the PS4.

PS5 should depict inspiration from Xbox Serial Ten

I discover this a bit inexplainable. While major console optimizations might non be in the cards for Sony similar they are with Microsoft this generation, I don't see why stellar exclusives like Bloodborne or the Uncharted games haven't been given even a cursory performance boost. I don't actually need Bloodborne to look much better thanks to its stiff fine art way. But a smooth sixty fps would be a joy; it might brand dispatching a New Game+ Father Gascoigne a bit easier for me as well.

Heck, I'd even be happy to pay a fee for an improved PS5 version of Bloodborne, though I'm aware such things can court controversy.

Some might argue that the PS5 is all almost running new games and not old ones. Simply outside of Returnal and Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart, the PS5 isn't flush with critically acclaimed first-party games. Demon's Souls looks peachy but it's however an older game at eye and one that's tough enough to put off some PlayStation fans. While Spider-Man: Miles Morales is available on the PS4 — information technology just doesn't look as expert or play besides.

The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is conspicuously non making life easy for developers working on PS5 exclusives. And ultimately, I'd rather a game was at its all-time and delayed rather than rushed out; we've all seen the Cyberpunk 2077 bugs.

But to fill the gaps between big new releases, I feel Sony could accept delivered a more robust experience when it comes to optimizing PS4 games for the PS5. Heck, I'd even exist happy to pay a fee for an improved PS5 version of Bloodborne, though I'one thousand enlightened such things tin court controversy.

Ultimately, I can't be too disappointed with the PS5, every bit it's still an excellent if somewhat ungainly panel. Merely with the PS5'southward offset birthday coming up, I Just wish Sony would take a leaf out of Microsoft's approach to optimizing older games for the new hardware.

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Roland Moore-Colyer is U.K. Editor at Tom's Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes most gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he's likewise got an involvement in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering effectually London, often with a await of curiosity on his face up.