Hi-Fi RUSH looks better on PS5 than Xbox, says expert analysis

Hi-Fi RUSH recently arrived on PlayStation 5 thanks to a change in Xbox's strategy regarding the release of its exclusives. Everything indicates that Tango Gameworks took advantage of the existence of the port to make a few tweaks to its popular game, which was one of the sensations of 2023 with its original debut on Xbox Series X|S.

We tell you this as Digital Foundry recently did a review of the game on PS5 and concluded that it looks better than the Xbox version. Specifically, it seems that Tango Gameworks made some adjustments to the shadows, which look optimized on Sony's console.

Hi-Fi RUSH has better shadows on PS5, reveals analysis

According to Digital Foundry, the Xbox version of Hi-Fi RUSH doesn't have much to envy to the PS5 port. However, the media claims that the shadows are visibly better in the version for Sony's console.

The analysis reveals that the shadows are identical in the Xbox and PC versions. For this reason, the media outlet does not fully understand the reason for the improvement. Digital Foundry revealed that overall shadow quality is superior on PS5.

"The higher resolution of shadows on PS5 allows for more precise shadow definition on fine details, like the mesh pattern on fences. We have none of the break-up, the aliasing or the pixelation we see on the lower Series X setting", stated the media.

It added that the optimizations apply to all dynamic shadows in the game, including those of characters and environments. He speculates that the missing improvement on Xbox and PC may be due to a common bug in those development environments. However, he also believes that this is not just a fluke.

Digital Foundry notes that this is not the first time this has happened, as something similar happened with the Xbox and PlayStation version of Ghostwire: Tokyo. For such reason, he concludes that Microsoft should demand more from studios when it comes to multiplatform releases, as this way it could guarantee parity and avoid differences between ports.

"Where there is sensitivity around the idea that exclusive games may jump to rival platforms, it just makes sense to ensure that Xbox versions are as performant and feature-complete in every way as the PlayStation 5 versions," stated the media.