In 2018, home console gaming has never looked better. This is especially true with the likes of the PlayStation 4 Pro and the Xbox One X. The machines act as a midway point between base hardware and incredibly expensive gaming PC’s that always stay ahead of the game in terms of visuals and sound.
This is an incredible feat considering that at launch the PS4 and the Xbox One were struggling to run games like the Assassin’s Creed series because they simply weren’t up to the task. Games were running at sub HD level and draw distances and texture mapping suffered as a result. Although compromises were made console owners were still satisfied and accepted that their machines couldn’t quite reach the standards set by PCs.
But! Now that we have the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X gamers have already come to expect another mid generational machine during the PS5 and the next Xbox machine’s life-cycle. It has added another dimension to the console wars and allowed developers get more out of the games in the current generation.
On a technical level, the Xbox One X is more powerful the PlayStation 4 Pro usually delivering better resolutions and more stable framerates. However, Sony’s machine still has a few tricks up its sleeve and not every multiplatform game is better on the Xbox One X. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at 10 games that are better on the Pro and 10 that are better on the Xbox One X.
20 PS4 Pro: Dark Souls 3
Considering that Dark Souls 3 is still a very recent and very popular title it is surprising that FromSoft hasn’t released an Xbox One X patch to take advantage of the machines power advantage. Given that the base PS4 has an advantage over the Xbox One S it is of little surprise that the patched PlayStation 4 Pro version is way ahead of the unpatched Xbox One version.
Dark Souls 3 PS4 patch offers an uncapped framerate meaning the game is faster overall. However, there was no improvement to the resolution as the game remains at a solid 1080p, an improvement on 900p even on the Xbox one X.
19 Xbox One X: Assassin’s Creed: Origins
In 2014, the release of Assassin’s Creed: Unity almost derailed the entire series. Unity even hurt the sales of the much-improved Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate after an extremely buggy launch combined with poor design choices.
So Assassin’s Creed: Origins was the soft reboot that Ubisoft needed to get the franchise back on track. The massive ancient Egyptian setting was a stunning sight to behold even on the base hardware. However, the clear advantage goes to the Xbox One X with its 3584x2016 advantage over the PS Pro’s 2816x1584. This is in addition to improved shadows, draw distances, and texture rendering on the X.
18 PS4 Pro: Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter World is one of 2018’s biggest hits and marked the first time that Capcom’s once niche action RPG series hit the mainstream. It is currently one best selling games on Steam and continues to have a growing fanbase on the PS4 and Xbox.
Visually, Monster Hunter World is a good looking title on both consoles. However, it's the PS4 Pro that enjoys a clear advantage on base and enhanced hardware. The Pro runs at 1800p in resolution mode against X1X’s 1728p and the Pro has shown an advantage in its level of detail (LOD) too.
17 Xbox One X: Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Following on from the newly rebooted Tomb Raider series Rise of the Tomb Raider was a showcase title on the enhanced PS4 Pro and showcased three PC-like graphical options providing a checkerboard 4K mode, a performance mode, and an enriched 1080p mode which offered enhanced visual effects.
The X1X version featured the same three modes only instead of checkerboarding it runs at a native 4K, the enriched mode uses 4K checkerboarding but has the benefit of the enhanced effects seen on the Pro. The performance mode on par for both machines but the addition of HDR and Dolby Atmos make the X1X the definitive console version.
16 PS4 Pro: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
When Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate was released it was received well by fans of the series and critics alike. However, there were many gamers still upset after playing Assassin’s Creed: Unity and this had a significant impact on AC: Syndicate’s sales. Which is is a shame but it is one of the best games in the series.
Thankfully, Ubisoft released a patch for the PS4 Pro that helped boost an already great looking game running at 1620p checkerboarding to 4K thus giving gamers a good reason to revisit the Victorian era title. Unfortunately, X1X owners were left in the cold as there was no patch meaning that game still runs at 900p which is a significant step down from the Pro.
15 Xbox One X: Hitman
Proving that there’s still a market for complex stealth games on modern consoles, Hitman on the PS4 and Xbox proved to be a hit with fans and newcomers alike. It also helped that it was a stunning title even on base hardware but with the Pro and X1X enhancements the improvements were vast.
However, it is the Xbox One X version that wins hands down on every level. On the X1X, Hitman runs at a full native 4K in high-resolution mode. The Pro, on the other hand, runs at 1440p –with 60fps with checkerboarding in performance mode.
14 PS4 Pro: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Despite the ending and the controversy surrounding its development cycle Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is one of the best stealth games on the market. Together with the game’s prologue Ground Zeroes, it stood out as one the most technically accomplished third-party titles available.
This was further improved with a patch in 2017 boosting the game’s resolution to 1440p on PS4 Pro. In addition, the framerate is more stable and locks to 60fps for the majority of gameplay providing a smoother experience. Unfortunately, there’s no word an X1X patch yet and the game remains at 900p on Microsoft’s console.
13 Xbox One X: The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a groundbreaking title and since its release, it has become the measuring stick for AAA western RPG’s. It’s visuals, and art design will likely very good for a long time to come. Thanks to the Xbox One X patch The Witcher 3 can hold its own with any first and third party title 3 years after its release.
On the Xbox One X, you get a dynamic resolution that scales from 1800p to 2150p depending on the area on the map. So while the game doesn’t lock at full 4K all of the time it’s still leaps and bounds above the Pro’s 2160p with checkerboarding. Additionally, the X1X features a more stable framerates at higher resolutions.
12 PS4 Pro: Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin
Originally released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Dark Souls II received a remastered version for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with Scholar of the First Sin. In addition to improved light and shadow effects, an increased resolution and 60fps the game made changes to enemy artificial intelligence.
Unfortunately, both the PS4 and Xbox One versions struggled to maintain a consistent frame rate with drops to 50fps with an increased number of enemies on screen. However, with thanks to the Boost Mode on the Pro, the game maintains the targeted 60fps giving Sony’s machine the clear advantage.
11 Xbox One X: Middle Earth: Shadow Of War
When Middle Earth: Shadow of War was given the PlayStation 4 Pro treatment it received a significant upgrade over the base hardware. On the Pro, Shadow of War’s shadows, draw distances, and the resolution all saw vast improvements.
Unfortunately, despite the improvements, the game’s 1620p resolution increase meant that the low-quality textures were far more noticeable. By comparison, the Xbox One X version offers a full 4K experience at 2160p. Perhaps more notable, the muddy textures are a night and day improvement over the Pro version that makes the machines look like they could be a generation apart.
10 PS4 Pro: Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 was a big improvement over its predecessor it featured an incredibly detailed recreation of San Francisco as its main setting. Even on base hardware, it’s a great looking game and one of the most fun open world games this generation.
Watch Dogs 2 is also another game from Ubisoft that hasn’t seen an Xbox One X patch yet when the PS4 Pro has. So by default, the Pro is easily the best of the two consoles with its 1800p resolution compared to the Xbox’s 900p. In addition, it features a solid 30fps with none of the screen tearing that was so prominent in the base PS4 and Xbox One versions.
9 Xbox One X: No Man’s Sky
Thanks to some solid support from the developers Hello Games at least on a technical level No Man’s Sky is a much better experience since it was released to one of gaming’s most infamous launches. Originally a PS4 exclusive the game received several PS4 Pro upgrades which included better frame rates and a higher resolution.
It the newly released Xbox One X version that stands out the most though. In Quality Mode the game runs at a fixed 4K resolution while the Pro runs at 1800p. However, both machines struggle with consistent frame rates in this mode so it is the Performance Mode which is locked at 30fps and working 1440p on the X that edges out the Pro working at 1080p and 30fps.
8 PS4 Pro: Sniper Elite 4
Rebellion’s Sniper Elite 4 is a World War 2-based stealth tactical shooter that has received favorable comparisons to the better-known Hitman series. Visually the series has never quite been able to compete with the AAA titles but the fourth entry’s far more open gameplay is quite a step up compared to previous entries.
Criticisms, however, were laid on the Xbox One version of the game and with no Xbox One X patch, the PS4 Pro wins hands down. All consoles run at 1080p, but it’s the Pro performs closer to 60fps with improved draw distances, improved lighting, and none of the screen tearing seen on the Xbox.
7 Xbox One X: Far Cry 5
Far Cry 5 is one of the top games released in 2018 and is quite the visual showpiece on all systems. Even before Ubisoft took over the development responsibilities for the series from Crytek the Far Cry series has displayed some of the most beautiful environments ever seen in gaming.
While Far Cry 5 still looks and performs great on the PS4 Pro especially compared to the base hardware it’s Xbox One X that produces the best looking game on consoles. On the X the game runs at a native 4K resolution resulting in sharper and more realistic looking textures. In addition, the X version benefits from a more stable frame rate and faster loading times between fast travel locations.
6 PS4 Pro: Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection
The Remastered Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Collection for modern consoles gave fans of the series an opportunity to revisit one of the series best protagonists across its Renaissance Italy setting over three games.
Yet it's the PS4 Pro that takes the lead because there isn’t an Xbox One X patch at the time of the writing.
All three games run in a full 4K native resolution with Assassin’s Creed: Revelations looking the best while AC 2 and Brotherhood showing their age. Yet despite this, they are still solid games best experienced on the Pro.
5 Xbox One X: Kingdom Come Deliverance
Kingdom Come Deliverance is one of the most hardcore role-playing game experiences this generation. It opted for a more grounded realistic medieval experience leaving behind The Lord of the Rings and Dungeons and Dragons inspired high fantasy settings seen in The Elder Scrolls and The Witcher series.
Developed using the CryEngine technology seen in games like Crysis and Ryse: Son of Rome which gives the game a look of beautiful photo-realism. However, with Pro version being locked 1080p the X1X version is the clear winner running at 1440p with faster load times and a more stable frame rate.
4 PS4 Pro: Battlefield 4
Running on EA’s impressive Frostbite Engine, Battlefield 4 was a cross-generational title that was released on PS3/Xbox 360 and PS4/Xbox One 2013 and it is still quite the looker. In addition, the game still has a surprisingly large user base in 2018.
However, when it was released its performance suffered when taking on 63 other players online with the frame rate jumping between 40 and 60fps which impacted gameplay significantly. Fortunately, when activated, the Pro’s Boost Mode helps the game maintain a near perfect 60fps with no latency issues reported at all.
3 Xbox One X: Homefront: The Revolution
Homefront: The Revolution is another ambitious title running on the Crytek Engine. It was considered a little overly ambitious considering how much the base PS4 and Xbox One consoles struggled to run them. As a result of the technical issues the game received below average scores at launch. Despite this, however, developers Dambuster Studios worked very hard to get the game up to scratch and even patched the game to run on the enhanced hardware with good results.
It’s Xbox One X that sees the most improvement though as it is now dynamically scaling 4K resolution at 1800p instead of the Pro’s 1440p.
2 PS4 Pro: Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
Coming out towards the end of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3’s lifecycle, the first in the rebooted Tomb Raider series was a great looking title on both machines. It was the next-gen version released as Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition which showcased what the game was capable of. Running at a full 1080p with improvements to the hair physics, skin textures, and environmental debris thanks to the use of TressFX 2.0.
However, these noticeable improvements came at a cost on both consoles with the framerates dropping from 60fps to 40fps on the PS4 and around 24-30fps on the Xbox. Thankfully, PS4 Pro owners can experience the game as its meant to be with the game never falling far from 60fps using the Pro’s Boost Mode.
1 Xbox One X: Fallout 4
With Fallout 76 due to release in November 2018, now is a good a time as any if you’re the owner of an Xbox One X and a PlayStation 4 Pro to give Fallout 4 another look. Having benefited from an enhanced patch for both consoles the game’s decaying beauty has never looked better.
Texture details, draw distances, and god rays, in particular, have seen a nice upgrade with the Xbox One X getting the edge over the Pro. In addition, the X delivers a 4K experience scaling dynamically from 3264x2160 to 3840x2160, a noticeable step up from the Pro’s 2560x1440 resolution.