The First Descendant Runs Significantly Better On Xbox Series X Than PS5

See full bio

Avinash Jaisrani

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

See full bio

The First Descendant is the latest free-to-play hit on consoles and PCs. Utilizing Unreal Engine 5, this looter shooter offers third-person gameplay that revolves around multiplayer elements.

While Unreal Engine 5 titles are typically quite taxing for modern hardware, The First Descendant seems to run well, at least on the Xbox Series S|X. Over on the PS5, the game suffers from an unstable frame rate, giving the Xbox Series X a clear lead.

Why it matters: Various comparisons have shown that the PS5 often runs games better than the Xbox Series X, even with worse specifications on paper. This is one of the rarer instances, however, where the Xbox console takes the lead.

According to Open Surprise, The First Descendant runs in performance mode at a dynamic 1440p resolution on both the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series S runs at a dynamic 1080p resolution in this mode, with objects and various elements being significantly less detailed.

All three consoles run at a stable frame rate in the town, but things get rough for the PS5 once the action picks up. The PS5 drops as low as 40FPS in intense moments, while the Xbox Series S|X run at a perfectly fine 60FPS for most of the time.

At its worst, Sony’s console can even dip below 40FPS. It is important to note that this version seems to have the best graphics. While this may be partly to blame for the unstable frame rate, it seems the team has been unable to optimize for the PS5 properly.

Moving over to fidelity mode, the PS5 fails to hold a stable frame rate again. The console drops below 25FPS, even with ray tracing disabled. Once ray tracing is enabled, The First Descendant suffers from various crashing problems on the PlayStation hardware.

Looking at the performance, it seems The First Descendant is best optimized for the Xbox Series S|X. The game needs to be patched for the PS5, but it remains to be seen if the same performance gap will persist after the patches.

Avinash Jaisrani

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

Get In Touch: Laiba@hidgt.com