The PS5 recently got a big firmware update that, among other things, added the ability to expand system storage. Now some experts are saying the new software also improves the performance of select games.
In the latest Digital Foundry Direct Weekly show, the crew broke down the differences between the PS5's performance on the new and old firmware. "In very select scenarios, it does seem as though [all] PlayStation 5s are running faster than they were before with this new firmware," Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter said.
He went on to explain that the performance differences are very minor. The new firmware was causing select games, Control and Devil May Cry 5, to run about 2 to 3% faster than the old firmware. This led to an increase in framerate, only by about 1 to 2 FPS.
The discovery came about when Digital Foundry was testing the recent PlayStation 5 hardware revision that features a different cooling assembly, an improved stand, and other minor improvements. By the end of testing, they didn't find any meaningful differences between the revision and the launch edition of the PS5.
However, during testing, they started to notice the old PlayStation 5 was running slightly better than the new one. Upon further investigation, they realized the old PS5 was running updated firmware, while the newer hardware was running older firmware. After updating all test units to the latest hardware, which is now available to the public, Digital Foundry realized it was the software update that led to the performance change.
This performance boost impacts the launch versions of the PS5, and the new hardware revision. The enhanced performance likely isn't noticeable to the naked eye, but it is fascinating to think about software updates further optimizing console performance.
For more, check out all of the changes that came to the PlayStation 5 with its latest update, including expandable storage, quality of life improvements, and more. Or, check out our thoughts on the PlayStation 5's newest masterpiece in our Deathloop review.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.