PlayStation Studios’ first Xbox game reportedly runs best on PS5

MLB The Show 21, PlayStation Studios’ first multiplatform game, has slightly better performance on PlayStation 5 compared to Xbox Series X.

That’s according to a technical analysis by Digital Foundry, which suggests that Sony’s next-gen hardware “has a clear frame rate advantage”, with occasional framerate dips on both platforms hitting the Xbox console as much as 11fps harder.

However, on last-gen consoles the Xbox One X appears to have the advantage on PlayStation 4 Pro, with Microsoft’s machine running up to 7fps better during challenging sequences.

Digital Foundry editor Richard Leadbetter said he believes the last-gen performance suggests Sony gave its first Xbox ports “a good shot” and speculated that performance differences could be due to Sony’s engine and tools.

“Let’s remember that this is a PlayStation Studios title and what is presumably their first stab at a multi-platform release,” he wrote. “All versions run with an unlocked frame-rate, capped only by v-sync at 60fps. Actual in-game action runs nigh-on locked at 60fps on PlayStation 5, and it’s much the same on Series X – just a little less stable.

“However, it’s in the games cutscenes (or ‘presentations’ rather) that San Diego Studio pushes graphics much harder. Frame-rate buckles on all machines and it’s here that we see that Series X occasionally matches PS5, but more often drops harder – by a factor of around 9-11fps.”

He added: “I can well believe that the conspiracy theorists will be full-throated in pointing out performance differentials between PS5 and Xbox Series X that are somewhat at odds with the technical specification of the consoles, but the fact that Xbox One X gives a smoother ride than PS4 Pro hopefully underscores that San Diego Studio gave the Xbox ports a good shot.

“Remember, its engine was developed on PlayStation hardware and when it comes to Series consoles, we’re still very early on in the generation – and development tools are immature, especially on the Microsoft side.”

Outside of frame rate, both PlayStation 5 and Series X render at native 2160p resolution with “basically identical” visuals.

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Sony claims it was MLB’s decision to put its baseball game on Xbox Game Pass

The Show 21 will release on Xbox's service this month, but PlayStation owners will need to buy it

Xbox does have one clear advantage over PlayStation for the Sony San Diego-made title: price. MLB The Show 21 is available at no additional cost to Game Pass subscribers. Meanwhile, on PlayStation the cross-gen version of the game costs $85 / £75.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has claimed that the decision to put The Show 21 on Xbox Game Pass was the license holder’s decision.