Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Performance Issues on PS5 Pro Compared to Base PS5

Fans of the Metal Gear series were left astonished when Digital Foundry revealed that the performance of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on the PS5 Pro was surprisingly subpar compared to the standard PS5 model.

Unreal Engine 5 has become synonymous with visually stunning gaming experiences, yet it also presents unique performance challenges, such as stuttering frame rates and inconsistent presentation that can overwhelm console capabilities.

With the complete overhaul of the beloved 2004 title, expectations were high for Metal Gear Solid Delta. Konami promised advanced visuals and a seamless stealth experience that would take full advantage of the PS5 Pro’s upgraded technology. As marketed by Sony, players anticipated a “best of both worlds”scenario, especially with the console’s AI-enhanced PSSR upscaling purported to boost performance.

Poor Frame Rates Plague PS5 Pro Version

However, Digital Foundry’s thorough analysis revealed the contrary, stating that “the PS5 Pro can run at a lower frame rate than the base PS5.” During testing, they observed that the Pro model struggled significantly, dipping below 60 FPS in the initial jungle landing scene, while the basic PS5 maintained consistent performance.

Metal Gear Solid Delta frame drops — Digital Foundry / Konami

In a direct comparison, the base model achieved an advantage of up to “plus 7 FPS” over the upgraded console, leading to a disheartening conclusion from Digital Foundry: “It’s hard to see an upside here.” Additionally, PS5 Pro users faced the disappointment of losing the ability to switch between graphics modes, leaving them without alternative settings to mitigate performance issues.

The situation was exacerbated by Sony’s new PSSR upscaler, which Digital Foundry noted had an adverse effect. The PS5 Pro was found to sometimes operate with a mere 756p of pixel data before reconstruction, leading to less crisp imagery. Although motion stability saw minor improvements, still images appeared less defined compared to the base version.

Other performance hiccups included a noticeable increase in shimmering effects, thicker ambient occlusion, and enhanced shadow flickering. While there was a slight gain in frame rates in specific indoor lab areas, the jungle settings consistently performed worse on the Pro.

Players shared their frustrations on Reddit. Comments ranged from sarcastic remarks, such as “Another delayed game releases in a bad state, ” to others noting, “Kojima somewhere rubbing his hands together rn.” Another user contrasted the experience by saying, “Meanwhile, Death Stranding 2 looks and runs like a dream on my base PS5… Unreal Engine 5 vs Decima.”

Metal Gear Solid Delta is set to release on August 28 for PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox. With the launch date approaching, fans remain hopeful that a day-one patch could address these critical issues.

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