On the PS5 and Xbox Series X, opinions are currently divided when you look at the pure hardware data. What both consoles will actually achieve in the end is not yet clear and only experienced developers are likely to have a deeper understanding of the technologies behind them.
The Boost Mode, which is supposed to compensate for the initially obvious performance difference compared to the Xbox Series X, is particularly discussed in the PS5. Initially, this was explained by the fact that all PS5 consoles can work with identical power levels regardless of the ambient temperature. An intelligent tool constantly monitors the performance of the CPU and GPU and adjusts them accordingly, which in turn has a positive effect on the games, whether PS5 games or games for PS4.
PS5 uses AMD’s SmartShift technology
However, it becomes particularly interesting with the SmartShift technology from AMD, which is also used in the PS5. This increases the speed of the GPU to a higher level than you would initially expect. This currently surpasses every component available for the PC, which should ultimately lead to the fact that the 36 RDNA 2 CUs of the PS5 GPU can achieve more performance than the fixed 52 RDNA 2 CUs of the Xbox Series X. One speaks currently of a round 33 percent higher frequency, speed, and available bandwidth.
As Sony's PlayStation Architect summarizes:
“It is much easier to fully optimize and use 36 processing units in parallel than to optimize 52 processing units correctly in the same way.”
The PS5 architecture together with the SmartShift technology is designed so that everything is designed for efficiency and unused resources can be distributed elsewhere. This is the crucial difference from what is on the pure paper, but very few have a precise understanding of how such technologies work.
Ultimately, however, both Sony and Microsoft still owe it to show how powerful their new consoles actually are.
