The third of Xbox’s multiplatform efforts on PS5,Sea of Thieves, reportedly boasts superior visuals on the Sony machine. A recent analysis comparing the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 versions ofSea of Thievesrevealed the latter pulling ahead on the graphical front.
After an endless whirlwind of rumors, Xbox announced in February that it’d be releasing four games from its first-party catalog on competitor platforms PlayStation and Nintendo, namelyPentiment,Hi-Fi Rush,Sea of Thieves, andGrounded. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said that this move was made with Xbox’s long-term health in mind, and that gamers shouldn’t expecttentpole titles likeStarfieldandIndiana Jonesto be among the ported games. So far, Xbox has releasedPentimentandHi-Fi Rushon PS5, and in both cases, the PS5 port has exhibited some curious improvements over the equivalent Xbox Series X version.
Sea of Thievescontinues the pattern, as analysis expertsDigital Foundryhave put the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 builds of the game under the microscope, with very intriguing results.Mirroring the situationHi-Fi Rushfound itself in,Sea of Thieveshas noticeably sharper, more detailed shadows on PS5. This advantage is consistent whether they’re examined up-close or over long distances, with the PS5 nearly matching the highest shadow quality preset on the PC version of the game. The PS5 also draws distant foliage detail (draw distance) slightly better than the Series X - comparable to ultra settings on PC.
PS5 Has One More Trick Up Its Sleeve
Both current-gen consoles offer a crisp 3840x2160p (without temporal anti-aliasing) resolution output, but the framerate comparison is interesting again. 60fps is the default goal forSea of Thieves, but the Series X version suffers from dropped frames due to frequent frame-time spikes, possibly due to network play. PS5 is a little smoother in this regard, with the spikes occurring sporadically, but not as much as the Microsoft console. However, the PS5 version had a glaring issue where it would freeze and require a complete reboot of the game. It’s important to note that Digital Foundry was testing the recentopen beta build ofSea of Thieveson PS5, so the code isn’t final, and the issue may be resolved before the full launch on June 03, 2025.
WithPentimentrunning at twice the framerate of Series X andHi-Fi Rush’s superior shadows,Sea of Thievesis the latest Xbox release that is better (in some capacity) on the PS5. It’s quite baffling why Xbox’s own first-party games are looking and/or running better on its direct competitor, with the only reasonable explanation being that the studios working on them found clever optimizations while developing the PS5 ports. These benefits may make their way over to Xbox consoles in the future as well,likePentiment’s 120Hz mode. Even though it’s easy to use this predicament as console war fodder, both PlayStation and XboxSea of Thievesfans should ultimately benefit from technical enhancements, not to mention a larger player base for the game.
Sea of Thieves
WHERE TO PLAY
Sea of Thieves offers the essential pirate experience, from sailing and fighting to exploring and looting – everything you need to live the pirate life and become a legend in your own right. With no set roles, you have complete freedom to approach the world, and other players, however you choose. Whether you’re voyaging as a group or sailing solo, you’re bound to encounter other crews in this shared world adventure – but will they be friends or foes, and how will you respond?A Vast Open World:Explore a vast open world filled with unspoiled islands and underwater kingdoms. Take on quests to hunt for lost loot, forge a reputation with the Trading Companies and battle foes from Phantoms and Ocean Crawlers to Megalodons and the mighty Kraken. Try your hand at fishing, make maps to your own buried treasure or choose from hundreds of other optional goals and side-quests!Become Legend:On your journey to become a Pirate Legend you’ll amass loot, build a reputation and define a unique personal style with your hard-earned rewards. Adventurer. Explorer. Conqueror. What will your legend be?
