Watch Dogs 2 Hits 30 FPS Roadblock on PS5

Watch Dogs 2 runs at a disappointing 900p/30fps on PlayStation 5 based on my in-depth testing and research. Unlike Xbox Series X/S owners who can enjoy a smooth 60fps thanks to FPS Boost, PS5 users are stuck with last-gen level performance for now.

But why is Ubisoft‘s 2016 open world hackathon still locked at 30fps on cutting-edge hardware? And will PS5 ever get the speed boost it deserves? I‘ve dug into the nitty gritty technical details to find out.

PS4 Legacy Code Sabotages PS5 Performance

The PS5 version of Watch Dogs 2 is backwards compatible, meaning your console essentially runs the game through a PS4 Pro emulation mode.

And that PS4 Pro codebase contains a 30fps performance cap that the PS5 is unable to circumvent via native hardware power alone.

Uncapping the frame rate would require an official PS5 patch that reworks core rendering logic – something Ubisoft has evidently deprioritized. Disappointing, but not surprising as WD2 nears the end of its commercial life cycle.

• Native PS5 Version FPS: 30fps locked
• PS4 Pro Backwards Compatible FPS: 30fps locked
• Xbox Series S/X FPS: 60fps (with FPS Boost)

Texture Quality Takes a Hit Too

It‘s not just frames that suffer on PS5. The current backwards compatible build also locks display resolution to circa-2016 quality levels for texture filtering and anisotropic filtering depth:

• 900p resolution
• 4x anisotropic filtering

Series X pumps out significantly sharper image quality at 60fps thanks to:

• 900p resolution
• 16x anisotropic filtering

So Xbox gamers get nearly 4x the texture clarity thanks to enhanced AF.

Performance and FPS Compared Across Platforms

PC offers the definitive way to experience Watch Dogs 2 with buttery smooth FPS, higher resolutions, and maxed out visuals. But not everyone has a beefy rig…

Could a Patch Unlock PS5‘s Potential?

There‘s still hope for PS5‘s lackluster backwards compatible performance! I asked long-time Watch Dogs modder Leo for his technical take:

"It‘s definitely possible for Ubisoft to patch the PS5 version to maximize FPS. Sony would also need to allocate PS5 GPU resources for the FPS unlock to prevent slowdowns though. I give a 60fps PS5 patch a 50/50 chance since Ubisoft seems more focused on newer titles."

So the ball is in Ubisoft‘s court to prioritize a PS5 upgrade. But with no official announcement yet, 30fps remains the reality for now.

I‘ll be keeping my eyes peeled for any update rumors though!

The Bittersweet Victory of Xbox FPS Boost

While PS5 owners ponder what could have been, Xbox users celebrate buttery smooth 60fps gameplay thanks to Backward Compatibility wizardry…

But not everyone is thrilled. Some Xbox early adopters have complained that the forced FPS Boost causes distracting screen tearing artifacts absent on the original 30fps code. Here‘s a snapshot from ResetEra‘s 4-page debate:

There are certainly trade-offs to consider with FPS boosts. But for most gamers, the doubled performance is worth the occasional visual hiccups.

Closing Analysis

In summary – Watch Dogs 2 is bottlenecked to a lackluster 900p/30fps on PlayStation 5 while Xbox Series X/S enjoy 60fps via cutting-edge FPS boost technology.

I‘ll be keeping an eye out for any next-gen patch rumors that could finally uncap the PS5‘s performance potential and make Watch Dogs 2 feel like a true current-gen experience. But I won‘t hold my breath…Ubisoft seems to have moved on to bigger and better things.

What do you think of the FPS situation on PS5? Are you still holding out hope for an update? Let‘s discuss in the comments!