How PS5 Load Times Compare To The Same Games On PS4

The release of new the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles has been compared to a computer upgrade, more than a complete reinvention, but for both console lines, the inclusion of Solid State Drives has been a game-changer, at least where load times are concerned. The PS5 is backward compatible with the majority of the PS4 library and enjoying those prior-gen titles with faster load times is currently one of the best features of the new hardware. While the list of games optimized for the PS5 is still relatively small, there are thousands of PS4 titles, and the SSD drive lets users get into the game quicker than a PS4. Exactly how much time is saved varies from game to game, but nearly all titles tested have shown some improvements.

As a newer technology, SSD storage tends to be more expensive than HDD, and the PS5 comes with an 825 GB SSD drive built in, of which about 667 GB is actually available to PS5 users. A traditional Hard Disc Drive, or HDD, uses spinning discs that store data magnetically, containing several “heads” that read data, which are moved by a mechanical arm. This makes an HDD “mechanical,” as it relies on moving parts, and its basic functionality is conceptually similar to an old vinyl record player. An SSD stores data on instantly accessible memory chips, and has no mechanical parts, hence its “solid” state, which allows for smaller form factors, as well as cutting down on loading times by removing the spinning disc element of the HDD.

Comparisons from Tom’s Guide showed superior load times for PS4 games running on PS5 consoles. All of the comparisons were made between the default built-in console storage, and the addition of PS5’s third-party SSD support means load times could vary. The differences were less dramatic when comparing load times for the same PS4 version of a game than with a PS4 game against its PS5 optimized version. God of War (2018) running on a base model PS4 took 34 seconds to load from menu to gameplay, and 21 seconds on a PS5. The Last Of Us 2 had a 33 second startup time, and one minute and 28 seconds to load from menu to gameplay on PS4, reduced to a 15-second startup, and one minute from menu to gameplay when running on PS5. Star Wars Battlefront 2 exhibited one of the most evident improvements, with a startup time of one minute and 5 seconds on PS4, and only 33 seconds on PS5.

PS5 Does Not Eliminate PS4 Load Times But Ensures Less Waiting

As evidenced by these examples, the PS5’s SSD does not eliminate load time entirely, but it does save time for gamers. Hardware-intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077 will look better on PS5, and load faster, but this generation of PlayStation still requires waiting for loading screens, at least where PS4 games are concerned. As the PS5 limits its GPU to essentially emulate PS4 games at a PS4 Pro level, it is possible that the loading times may be somewhat bottlenecked as well. Games specially designed around the new drive do show a more dramatic improvement than last-gen titles running through backward compatibility, however. The PS4 version of Spider-Man: Miles Morales takes 20 seconds to load from menu to gameplay, and only 2 seconds for the PS5 version.

Though the PS5 does not completely eliminate load times from PS4 games, as some had hoped, the seconds it shaves off do add up to more time spent enjoying games, and less time spent waiting for them. The built-in PS5 SSD is the fastest ever featured in a home console, which helps offset the lack of some Xbox Series X/S quality of life features like Quick Resume. The lack of prior generation backward compatibility beyond the PS4 was disappointing for many PlayStation fans, but the PS5 has proven that it is the best way to experience PS4 games. From the 20 PS4 titles provided to PS5 owners who subscribe to PlayStation Plus in the PS Plus collection, to the hundreds of downloadable PS4 games available through PlayStation Now (and a gamer’s own catalog of prior gen purchases), all PS4 games are more enjoyable on a PlayStation 5 thanks to the faster load times.

Source: Tom’s Guide

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