Another First-Party Xbox Game Seems to Run Better on PS5

Reminiscent of shortcomings with prior first-party titles on Xbox, the latest Microsoft game to arrive on PS5 features a noticeable improvement.

Hi-Fi Rush was recently released on PlayStation 5, where an analysis identified the game to be running slightly better than on Xbox. Despite being a first-party Xbox title, Hi-Fi Rush continues a trend of such releases either performing worse or lacking features on Xbox Series X when compared to the PS5 launch.

Tango Gameworks’ critically acclaimed rhythm-based action game came to PS5 in the wake of a strategy update provided by Xbox executives in February. The Official Xbox Podcast seemingly sought to provide clarity on leaks that dented community faith in Microsoft’s commitment to exclusivity, prompting fans that had invested in the Xbox brand to fear the company was abandoning attempts to cultivate a portfolio of exclusive games, and deciding to go multi-platform instead. Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty squashed rumors that Indiana Jones and Starfield would make their way to PS5, but confirmed four other first-party titles would. Hi-Fi Rush was shortly after announced to be one of the four.

Digital Foundry, who provide respected technical analysis of video games and adjacent hardware, concluded that while the PS5 ostensibly received a “carbon copy” of Hi-Fi Rush, which features “matching textures… and world detail,” the newer version boasts superior shadow quality compared to the Xbox original. The difference is not insignificant either, applying “across all of the game’s dynamic shadows” and offering a more refined image. Further testing conducted by Digital Foundry discovered that this was likely not caused by the console hardware itself, as maximum shadow quality on PC, whether that be via Steam or the Microsoft Store, matched the Xbox version. It is reminiscent of Ghostwire: Tokyo, another Tango Gameworks title, that was released as a timed exclusive for PS5 but still performed worse on Xbox consoles a year later.

Disparities between console versions aside, Hi-Fi Rush remains one of the most celebrated titles of 2023, an especially impressive feat considering it was up against the likes of Baldur’s Gate 3, Tears of the Kingdom, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. When it came to the awards season, the odds were not in Hi-Fi Rush‘s favor, seeing as the game had been released incredibly early in the year and was comparatively niche. However, it earned five nominations and beat out Alan Wake 2, the remake of Dead Space, and Spider-man 2 to claim Best Audio Design at The Game Awards last December.

More Xbox First-Party Titles Coming To PS5

Although Phil Spencer refused to name the Xbox titles coming to other consoles during the podcast, it did not take long for the gaming community to determine what they would be; Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded. Obsidian’s narrative-adventure Pentiment has already been released on PS5, but Digital Foundry noted that the 120Hz mode launched enabled, even though the same had not been done for the game on Xbox at that time. Although such functionality is not essential for a title like Pentiment, which is notably less concerned with action and movement, a subsequent patch corrected this for the Xbox Series X.