Assassin's Creed Valhalla runs better on PS5 than Xbox Series X

The single most wanted comparison between formats in this new generation is of course Assassin's Creed Valhalla. And now the tech-wizards over at Digital Foundry have provided precisely that, with some results that might surprise some. It turns out that while Ubisoft has opted for total platform parity and delivered on that, it actually runs better on PlayStation 5:

"With Devil May Cry 5, Xbox Series X enjoyed a small lead in most rendering modes, falling short against PS5 in 120Hz gaming. With AC Valhalla, there's only one mode and 60fps is the target. While there are problems on both systems, Xbox Series X obviously fares worse. To put things into context, Valhalla targets 60 frames per second, but when the engine is under heavy load and can't render a new frame within the 16.7ms target, it'll present the new frame when it's good and ready, while your screen is updating. This causes screen tearing. Both systems can have issues here, especially in cutscenes, and sometimes in gameplay. However, the key takeaway is that PlayStation 5 is much closer to the 60fps target more of the time, while Xbox Series X can struggle. In fact, at its worst, we noted PS5 delivering a 15 per cent performance advantage over its Microsoft equivalent in identical scenarios."

Digital Foundry ended the comparison by stating that "it's pretty clear that Assassin's Creed Valhalla still needs a lot of work - especially on Xbox platforms," but adds:

"Of course, it goes without saying that we should be patient with game makers who've had to work with development environments and console hardware that are new to them, while dealing with unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic. The basic idea that a project as vast as Valhalla - which releases on so many platforms - was possible at all in these conditions is astonishing. But with that said, our hopes remain high that in the coming weeks, polish and performance issues will be addressed."

Did you expect this result, and what do you think is the reason for this?