Xbox Series X vs. PS5 Pro: New Game Shows Performance Advantage

Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 have been compared throughout the current console generation, particularly in terms of the performance each system delivers in games. Some titles show the Xbox Series X's capabilities more clearly than others, and Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is another example where the console delivers higher performance than both the PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation 5 Pro.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is the third installment in the franchise, although the new game changes direction compared with the previous two titles. Instead of focusing mainly on stealth, the game shifts toward a more action-oriented style, with a more God of War-like approach while staying in the same world.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Performance

The game is coming to Game Pass and has received good reviews. The graphics also look strong across the consoles. However, the performance is where the differences between the platforms become more noticeable. The developer, Aobo, has previously shown strong Xbox optimization in its earlier titles.

This game continues that trend and shows what can happen when developers spend more time optimizing for Xbox Series X. The game looks good on all consoles, and there isn't much difference in graphics settings between platforms. PlayStation 5 Pro can produce a better image in some situations thanks to PSSR, but it also comes with a performance cost.

Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 use TAA in the modes being compared, while PlayStation 5 Pro can use PSSR. Xbox Series S has two modes, offering 30 fps and 40 fps options. It runs at 1080p and upscales to 1440p or 4K while using lower graphics settings. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X offer three modes: 30 fps, 40 fps, and 60 fps.

The modes use different resolutions, while the graphics settings remain largely similar. The main difference stems from image quality differences due to the different resolutions. All of the consoles can also unlock the frame rate. Once that option is enabled, frame rates can go well beyond 60fps, reaching 80fps, 90fps, and, in some areas, more than 100fps.

Xbox Series X Leads in Unlocked Performance

Digital Foundry analyzed the game and presented several performance comparisons among the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 5 Pro. In the 40fps quality mode, all three consoles use TAA rather than PSSR. This matters because PSSR adds an extra performance cost on PlayStation 5 Pro. With PSSR enabled, performance can drop by around 10% to 15% depending on the scene.

In one graphics-intensive scene, the PlayStation 5 Pro reaches around 37 fps with TAA, while the Xbox Series X delivers better performance. PlayStation 5 also falls behind the Xbox Series X in the same workload. The difference becomes clearer in performance mode with an unlocked frame rate. PlayStation 5 reaches around 72fps, PlayStation 5 Pro reaches around 80fps, while Xbox Series X reaches around 90fps.

That difference continues across other scenes. In another gameplay section, the Xbox Series X maintains a lead of around 10 fps over the PlayStation 5 Pro and around 18 fps over the PlayStation 5. Exact numbers vary by level and scene, but the overall advantage remains. There are also sections where the Xbox Series X goes well above 100 fps, reaching around 115 fps, while the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro remain lower.

PSSR improves image quality on PlayStation 5 Pro, but you also need to consider the performance cost.

The comparisons shown by Digital Foundry use TAA, so you can see the raw console performance differences without the additional workload from PSSR. With PSSR enabled, performance can drop about 10% to 15% in these scenes. That means a PlayStation 5 Pro result that reaches around 90 fps with TAA could drop by several frames per second when PSSR is enabled.

It was shown in Resonance: Plague Day Legacy that the Xbox Series X can achieve higher frame rates when the game is properly optimized for it. The console doesn't always outperform the PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Pro in games, but titles like this show the kind of speed that can be achieved.

We have seen similar examples from the developer's previous games, where Xbox versions were also well optimized. When developers spend more time working with the hardware, the differences can become visible in actual frame rates rather than just specifications.