Deep Silver’s Saints Row is now available on both the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and if you’re wondering which console manages to stay ahead of its competitor in terms of resolution and frame rate, read ahead.
The answer can be a little complicated, as the game offers a total of 7 graphical settings. Both version are largely identical to each other, though, depending on your preference, one version may have a slight edge over the other.
The 7 different graphics modes featured in Saints Row on PS5 and Xbox Series X are as follows:
- 1080p High Frame Rate mode
- 1440p High Frame Rate mode
- 2160 UHD/4K mode
- 1080p High Quality modes with RTAO disabled
- 1080p High Quality modes with RTAO enabled
- 1440p High Quality modes with RTAO disabled
- 1440p High Quality modes with RTAO enabled
Each of the aforementioned graphical modes are locked at their respective resolution, with no form of image reconstruction or dynamic resolution scaling in place. Enabling Ray Traced Ambient Occlusion (RTAO) on both consoles adds more realistic shading for dark interiors without any of the artifacting seen in the screen-space solution. Even outdoors, RTAO improves the general realism of shading beneath vehicles, though it is less impactful during daytime lighting.
There’s virtually no difference between the PS5 and Series X graphical settings across each like-for-like graphics mode. Lighting and volumetric effects are a major highlight in both console versions. Additionally, physics driven chaos can look very impressive albeit with some odd bugs here and there. On the other hand, screen-space reflections are visibly low resolution, and look poor in general on both consoles. There is also a distracting amount of environmental pop-in when driving around.
Saints Row runs at an unlocked frame rate in each of the 7 graphics modes on both the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and the only way to run the game at a reliable 60fps is in the 1080p High Frame Rate mode. Meanwhile, the 1440p High Frame Rate mode varies across 50-60fps on both consoles, but the performance here is generally acceptable, especially if you’re playing on a VRR supported display. The 4K mode runs between 25-40fps, with some of the graphical settings reduced from the 1080p and 1440p modes. It’s the least preferable graphics mode available in Saints Row.
Those who prefer to play with RTAO turned on should opt for the PS5 version, as it commands a consistent lead of 3-6fps over the Series X version in 1440p High Quality mode with RTAO enabled. The difference in performance is more subtle in the 1080p High Quality mode, however.
