Platform comparison

The Medium: which platform plays it best?

What changes between PS5, Xbox: resolution, FPS per mode, what each official store publishes and the FPS we measured on PC.

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Quick verdict

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The Medium looks and runs best on Xbox Series X, though PS5 keeps a sliver of resolution.

Best graphics experience Xbox Series X ray tracing on reflections and on ambient occlusion
Best console experience Xbox Series X steadier at 30 FPS and quicker to load
Best for the money PS5 keeps its resolution edge and now has ray-traced reflections

Why Series X leads

Series X is the only console applying ray tracing to ambient occlusion as well as reflections, and its loading times were up to twice as fast as PS5's. Patch 1.02 changed nothing on Xbox because nothing needed changing.

What PS5 brings

PS5 launched without ray tracing and spent the budget on resolution: where Series X fell below 1080p, it held above 1260p. The patch brought ray-traced reflections back and lowered the average resolution a little, but it still leads slightly there and its anisotropic filtering is marginally better.

The catch on PS5

Performance is its weak spot: at 30 FPS it stutters more than Xbox, cutscenes especially, and the patch did not fix that. Some outdoor shadows also come out harsher.

Xbox Series S has no ray tracing of any kind, before or after the patch.

Updated 11 Sep 2021

Price on each platform

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Final prices with fees

The Medium
The Medium
€11.41
€9.65 Account
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The Medium
The Medium
€49.99 Key
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The Medium on PS5 and Xbox Series: the first comparison

  • At launch PS5 shipped with no ray tracing at all, while Series X applied partial ray tracing to ambient occlusion and reflections; Series S had none either.
  • Dropping ray tracing let PS5 push resolution: it runs at dynamic 4K like Series X and does not dip as low (where the Microsoft console falls below 1080p, PS5 stays above 1260p).
  • Lighting and ambient occlusion are reworked on PS5 with mixed results: in the opening area even the direction of the light changes.
  • PS5 stutters more than Xbox at 30 FPS, cutscenes especially.
  • Some shadows look harsher on PS5, particularly outdoors, while its anisotropic filtering is slightly better than on Series X.
  • Textures are the same quality on every version.
  • Loading times were twice as fast on Xbox Series, though PS5 loads textures faster on startup.

The Medium after patch 1.02

  • With the patch, PS5 adds ray-traced reflections on the same materials as Series X, but not ambient occlusion.
  • Average resolution drops on PS5: it now sits very close to Series X, though still slightly ahead.
  • Loading times improve on PS5, but Xbox is still faster.
  • The Xbox versions changed neither in quality nor in performance with the patch.
  • PS5 still carries its frame rate stuttering.

Full platform comparison

Resolution, modes and FPS come from the video analyses above. The rest is published by each platform's official store and by the game's technical sheet on PC. Where nobody publishes the figure we put a dash, not a guess.

Feature PS5 Xbox
Ray tracing Reflections after patch 1.02, on the same materials as Series X, but no ambient occlusionPartial ray-traced reflections and ambient occlusion on Series X · none on Series S
Resolution Dynamic 4K; the patch lowered the average, though it still keeps a small edge over Series XDynamic 4K on Series X, dropping below 1080p in some areas
FPS 3030
Frame rate stability Still stutters, cutscenes especiallyUnchanged by the patch and steadier than PS5
Lighting and ambient occlusion Reworked compared with Xbox: even the light direction changes in the opening area—
Shadows Harsher than elsewhere in some areas, outdoors above all—
Anisotropic filtering Slightly better than on Series X—
Textures Same quality across every versionSame quality across every version
Loading times Improved by the patch, still behind XboxWere up to twice as fast as PS5
HDR —Yes
VRR —Yes
4K —Yes
Cloud saves —Yes
Optimised for the current generation —Yes

Xbox is the Series X column unless Series S is stated. Resolution, modes, FPS, VRR and download size come from the videos; HDR, ray tracing and PC features from the technical sheet and the official Xbox catalogue.

Frequently asked questions about The Medium

Does The Medium look better on PS5 or Xbox Series X?

On Series X. It is the only one using ray tracing for reflections and ambient occlusion alike. PS5 keeps a small edge in average resolution and slightly better anisotropic filtering, but that does not make up the difference.

What did patch 1.02 change on PS5?

It added ray-traced reflections on the same materials as Series X, though not ambient occlusion. It also lowered the average resolution and shortened loading times, which are still faster on Xbox.

What frame rate does it run at?

30 FPS on both consoles. Stability is the difference: PS5 stutters more than Xbox, cutscenes especially, and the patch did not address it.

Is there ray tracing on Xbox Series S?

No. Series S has never had it, on reflections or ambient occlusion, while Series X applies both partially.

What about textures and shadows?

Textures are the same quality on every version. Shadows do differ: on PS5 they look harsher in some areas, outdoors above all.

Video analysis by El Analista de Bits. The videos play from their own channel. PC data according to PCGamingWiki and our own FPS measurements; Xbox features according to the official Microsoft catalogue.