Doom: The Dark Ages may not meet PlayStation 5 Pro owners' expectations for performance, according to a recent comparison of all four console-based versions of the upcoming FPS game. While static imagery in the PlayStation 5 Pro version of Doom: The Dark Ages may look better than the competition, its frame rate takes a backseat to the older and technologically inferior Xbox Series X.
The follow-up to 2019's Doom Eternal, Doom: The Dark Ages is a prequel to the original 1993 game from id Software. The game launches on May 15, with two days of early access, and players will get to see the origins of the Doom Slayer as he stands as the last line of defense for a technologically advanced medieval-style kingdom under siege from Hell's forces.
Doom: The Dark Ages Players Aren't Happy With 'Lame' Difficulty Change
Doom: The Dark Ages is apparently making changes to a longstanding difficulty mode, which has some fans longing for the past.
Along with a PC release, the game will be appearing on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5, with the PlayStation 5 Pro's enhancements providing some definite boosts over Sony's standard current-generation console. An assessment of the first several levels on each of these four consoles was recently released by Digital Foundry, which provided some surprising results. Most notably, the game runs at a top frame rate of 60 FPS across all four versions, but only the Xbox Series X was able to maintain 60 FPS without a single noticeable dip throughout the game's first six levels. By comparison, the PlayStation 5 Pro version occasionally dipped as low as the mid-50s, especially during two high-intensity battles.
Xbox Series X Trumps PS5 Pro in Doom: The Dark Ages FPS Performance
Although the Xbox Series X reigned supreme in performance during the console comparison assessment, the sharpness of imagery in the game was found to be better on the PS5 Pro. While there were only minor differences in visual quality between the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5, with each edging out the other in a few different instances, the enhanced graphics capabilities on the PS5 Pro put it somewhat ahead of the other two, featuring a maximum resolution of 1800p. However, the game does not appear to make use of the console's PSSR AI-upscaling, leading the assessor to call it "probably one of the less-exciting Pro upgrades we've seen in recent triple-A fare."
The assessment may provide some vindication for Xbox players who have been feeling pushed aside by the game's recent marketing. A controversial Doom: The Dark Ages trailer released in late April was targeted specifically at Sony's player base, despite Xbox parent company Microsoft owning both developer id Software and publisher Bethesda. While some saw this as an attempt to inform the potential player base that the game will be available on platforms other than Xbox and PC, some of the Microsoft faithful couldn't help but feel ignored.
DOOM: The Dark Ages
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- May 15, 2025
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
- id Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- id Tech
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
