The PS5 has received a slight performance boost after its latest system update, according to the technical experts at Digital Foundry.
In the latest Digital Foundry Direct Weekly, the team once again confirmed that the new PS5 – which is over 300 grams lighter – doesn’t perform any worse than the previous model, even though it runs slightly hotter due to its smaller heat sink.
However, the folks at Digital Foundry also revealed that the new PS5 update, which lets users upgrade the PS5 internal SSD and includes various other quality of life improvements, actually provides a small uptick in performance on PS5.
- PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition: what's the difference?
- Best PS5 headsets: treat your ears
- Best PS5 headsets for 3D audio: experience more immersive audio
While it will probably be imperceptible to most, the performance of certain PS5 games like Control and Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition has improved by around two to three percent, which results in an increase in framerate of about one to two fps. That might seem insignificant, but it’s pleasing to see Sony eke out more performance from the PlayStation 5, no matter how small.
Digital Foundry noticed the performance increase when comparing the launch and new models of the PS5, with one system running the beta firmware while the other was running the older firmware. This led to a discrepancy between the two, where the console that was running the new beta firmware had a slight performance advantage.
However, once both machines were updated to the latest system update – version 2.0 – the results were the same, with both systems showing the same small percentage increase in framerates.
Analysis: every little helps
It’s always pleasing to see games and consoles improve over time, and with the PS5 approaching its first anniversary, any performance increases are welcome. Console games tend to look and perform significantly better as the years roll on, thanks to improvements in developer tools and a greater understanding of how to get the most out of a console’s fixed hardware.
The combination of updates to games and the PS5 itself will hopefully ensure we continue to see titles that target 60fps as standard, and more multiplayer games that take advantage of PS5’s 120Hz support.
We’re still waiting to see variable refresh rates (VRR) and 1440p support on PlayStation 5, but update 2.0 delivered some much-needed changes, such as letting users expand the PS5’s internal storage, clearer platform indicators for games, and 3D audio for TV speakers.
Of course, the biggest challenge facing the PS5 and Sony continues to be getting the console into people's hands. The console is still incredibly hard to find, with PS5 stock drops your best chance at snagging the elusive system.
If you're in the US and want to increase your chances of buying a PS5, follow our dedicated PS5 restock tracker and TechRadar's US Editor-in-Chief Matt Swider, who has helped thousands of people secure a PlayStation 5.
