Snake Eater runs better on base PS5 than on PS5 Pro, reports say

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater surprised fans after Digital Foundry revealed it actually runs worse on the PS5 Pro than on the standard PS5. While Unreal Engine 5 has powered some visually impressive games, it’s also gained a reputation for performance issues—frequent stutters, erratic frame pacing, and heavy visual effects often push current-gen consoles to their limits.

Many hoped Metal Gear Solid Delta would avoid these pitfalls. Konami rebuilt the 2004 stealth classic from the ground up, promising a cutting-edge visual overhaul paired with smooth gameplay. With Sony marketing the PS5 Pro’s AI-based PSSR upscaling as a performance-enhancing feature, players expected the definitive experience on the upgraded hardware.

Instead, Digital Foundry’s analysis revealed the opposite: Snake Eater runs better on the base PS5. They confirmed that the PS5 Pro “can run at a lower frame rate than base PS5.” In the game’s early jungle section, performance dipped below 60 FPS on the Pro, while the standard model held steady.

During a controlled test route, Digital Foundry recorded the base PS5 outperforming the Pro by as much as 7 frames per second. Their conclusion was blunt: “It’s hard to see an upside here.” Worse yet, PS5 Pro players lose access to selectable graphics modes—meaning no performance or resolution toggle options.

The PS5 Pro’s signature feature, the PSSR upscaler, may have made things worse. According to Digital Foundry, the console sometimes renders as low as 756p before reconstruction, giving the algorithm less pixel data to work with. Though motion clarity improved somewhat, still images appeared blurrier compared to the base PS5.

Other visual issues included increased shimmer, heavier ambient occlusion, and more flickering shadows. The PS5 Pro did regain some frames in indoor environments like the lab, but jungle sections consistently lagged behind.

Players took to Reddit to share their disappointment. One user joked, “Another delayed game releases in a bad state.”
Another quipped, “Kojima somewhere rubbing his hands together rn.”
A third added, “Meanwhile, Death Stranding 2 looks and runs like a dream on my base PS5… Unreal Engine 5 vs Decima.”

Metal Gear Solid Delta launches August 28 on PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox. With a bit of time before release, fans are holding out hope that Konami can deliver a performance-improving day-one patch.