While technical analyzes of Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi RUSH revealed some minor differences between the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 versions, Digital Foundry this time looked into the case of Grounded. Here we have only included the analysis elements relating to the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5, not the Xbox Series S and the Nintendo Switch.
Much lower resolution on PlayStation 5
From a resolution point of view, Grounded surprisingly doesn't do very well on PlayStation 5. Indeed, the dynamic range oscillates between 1080p and 1215p, while on Xbox Series X|S, it varies between 1512p and 2160p.
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Digital Foundry points out that most other visual settings are identical. However, geometric parameters, such as the display distance on small rocks, are higher on PlayStation 5. Also on the Sony console, objects tend to be displayed from further away, thus reducing the effect of pop-in closely compared to the Xbox Series
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions also differ in their shadows. On PlayStation 5, shadows are sharper and better defined overall. Experts add that shadows are cast from many different altitudes.
The oak, the house which dominates the garden, all this produces a shadow on the ground at a great distance. Additionally, closer to the ground, you cast your own shadow, just like the creatures that crawl across the game.
Thus, shadow filtering is necessary to reduce aliasing. Those projected by the blades of grass on PlayStation 5 are thus sharper, but others projected from height can suffer from aliasing, which means that it is obviously more pleasant to look at on Xbox Series X.
Also on PlayStation 5, the shadow produced by one's own character produces a lot of aliasing and flickering. In comparison, on Xbox Series X, the outline is more diffuse. Depending on the situation, the visual result is therefore more pleasant on one console or the other, but overall, the Xbox Series X version is preferable.
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Finally, still regarding the graphic aspect, the depth of field effect is largely impacted by the different native resolutions of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series x.
Since this is a post-processing effect, details vary between out-of-frame points in the frame depending on the overall resolution. And it follows that the Series X often produces a cleaner effect, you get less aliasing on the grass fringes here.
Framerate drops that tarnish the gaming experience on PlayStation 5
On Xbox Series Lateral camera movements still reveal imperfections at times.
From screenshots taken on version 1.02 of Grounded, Digital Foundry was able to see huge framerate drops on PlayStation 5. Depending on the complexity of the scene and the time of day, the game runs between 45 and 60 FPS .
Players not equipped with a VRR compatible screen will notice drops to 50 FPS much more easily. It is surprising that the game is subject to these drops when the resolution is lower on PlayStation 5.
Digital Foundry therefore affirms that the Xbox Series X and PC versions are clearly the most comfortable for discovering Grounded in optimal conditions. Note that it is very likely that updates will soon be made to correct the few problems of the PlayStation 5 version.
Remember that the final version of Grounded is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC. It is obviously included in the catalog of Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming.