We’re over two years into the current generation of consoles, but true current-gen software is thin on the ground. Instead, the vast majority of key games have been released on both eighth-gen consoles and ninth-gen consoles, straddling seven distinct hardware targets across two generations to maximize sales. At the same time, the Xbox Series S continues to engender controversy. While it is a current-gen machine, it suffers from key GPU and RAM deficits that place it well behind the PS5 and Series X. The results in actual games are a bit of a mixed bag, and some titles suffer from issues unique only to that system owing to its pared back specification.
So we thought we’d take a look at a selection of 2022’s biggest releases and game updates to see just how well the most constrained current-gen machine fares against PS4 Pro. Sony’s enhanced machine makes for an interesting point of comparison: it has a very similar GPU configuration on the surface. Both machines pack roughly 4 teraflop GPUs, and both have circa 220 GB/s peak transfer rates on their main memory pools. Architectural and configuration differences muddle the waters here but in broad strokes these systems have similarly capable graphics hardware.
However, while GPU compute is comparable, Series S is far ahead in several regards. Its Zen 2-based CPU technology and NVMe storage allow it to deliver a faster, smoother, more responsive experience. And of course, the GPU itself hails from a more modern era with more features and an increase in IPC – instructions per clock. Nevertheless, it’s early days for the new Microsoft console, while the Pro benefits from years’ worth of experience and more mature development tools.
The tests delivered today are a curious counter argument to a similar piece I ran last year, stacking up the Series S against Xbox One X, equipped with an SSD. This was much of a pitched battle at the time – perhaps because last-gen systems still received plenty of focus from developers, while the One X’s GPU had enough brute force horsepower to deliver tangible graphical differences. With a year gone by and Pro as the comparison point, there’s been a profound shift in favour of the new machine.