25 minutes ago, HiFlyer said:

My understanding has been that the Xbox was essentially just a desktop computer (PC) with benefits, whereas the PlayStation is a unique architecture

If you are referring to the original XBOX released in 2001 and the PlayStation 1/2/3 then yes that is correct. I purchased the OG XBOX and it had an Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU inside. Up until the PS4, Sony was using boutique parts, i.e. (Emotion Engine, Cell Processor). IIRC when the PS4 arrived along with the XBOX One and later on the PS5 and Series X/S they share a similar architecture based on AMD parts. That's why MS decided to port its games to the PS5.

Supposedly the PS6 and Next Gen XBOX will. both use AMD hardware so backwards compatibility won't be an issue and porting XBOX games to the PS6 shouldn't be either.

22 minutes ago, lwt1971 said:

it well might be a completely separate client codebase

It might be on a separate code branch, but the point of using WASM runtime for MSFS 2020 onwards was to be platform agnostic (this was the plan from day 1).  So there should be at least 95% same code base between PC, XBOX, PS5.

It would be VERY expensive to manage three completely different code paths.  They may have all their own little quirks here but 95% (or more) of the code should be exactly the same between all 3 platforms … which is what you need to make it financially viable (as in profit).

EDIT: that is why we’re all taking a 10% performance hit (on average can vary from 2% to 35% pending specific process) as we go thru the WASM translation layer.

Edited September 25, 2025Sep 25 by SayAgain

12 minutes ago, SayAgain said:

It might be on a separate code branch, but the point of using WASM runtime for MSFS 2020 onwards was to be platform agnostic (this was the plan from day 1).  So there should be at least 95% same code base between PC, XBOX, PS5.

It would be VERY expensive to manage three completely different code paths.  They may have all their own little quirks here but 95% (or more) of the code should be exactly the same between all 3 platforms … which is what you need to make it financially viable (as in profit).

EDIT: that is why we’re all taking a 10% performance hit (on average can vary from 2% to 35% pending specific process) as we go thru the WASM translation layer.

I see... I'm not familiar with the tech stacks that PS5 supports and its development environment, and how much or little support for WASM there is on the PS5. Does PS5 fully support WASM?

If they are somehow maintaining a common codebase between all three of PC, XBox and PS5 then I'd think whatever is needed for the PS5 is already done in SU3/SU4.
 

Edited September 25, 2025Sep 25 by lwt1971

5 hours ago, Krakin said:

I'm very happy playstation users are getting a chance to play the sim. I've seen them asking for it regularly. The PS5 Pro is the most powerful console on the market and the platforms incredible I/O could easily make playstation the best place to play 2024 outside of PC. It's actually funny when you think of it.

The I/O will have nothing to do with it. It's rarely a factor in any game, but it especially won't be a factor in MSFS 2024, where the vast majority of data will be streamed in from the cloud, not from disk.

PS5 Pro will be marginally better due to its GPU. But if you use a lot of mods, you will become CPU limited anyway, so the small difference in GPU power will probably not make much difference in that scenario.

Edited September 25, 2025Sep 25 by RNAVV19R

35 minutes ago, Rodster said:

If you are referring to the original XBOX released in 2001 and the PlayStation 1/2/3 then yes that is correct. I purchased the OG XBOX and it had an Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU inside. Up until the PS4, Sony was using boutique parts, i.e. (Emotion Engine, Cell Processor). IIRC when the PS4 arrived along with the XBOX One and later on the PS5 and Series X/S they share a similar architecture based on AMD parts. That's why MS decided to port its games to the PS5.

Supposedly the PS6 and Next Gen XBOX will. both use AMD hardware so backwards compatibility won't be an issue and porting XBOX games to the PS6 shouldn't be either.

 

Shows how long its been since I looked into the internals of a PlayStation!

AI Overview

Yes, the PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X/S share a very similar hardware architecture based on custom-designed parts from AMD. This marks a continuation of the strategy that both Sony and Microsoft used for their previous-generation consoles (PS4 and Xbox One). 

Key similarities and differences in their AMD-based architecture:

• CPU: Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X use a custom 8-core AMD Zen 2 processor. The Xbox Series X's CPU has a slightly faster fixed clock speed (3.8 GHz) compared to the PS5's variable clock speed (up to 3.5 GHz).
• GPU: The graphics processing units (GPUs) on both consoles are based on AMD's RDNA 2 architecture and support hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
• Xbox Series X: Features a larger GPU with 52 Compute Units running at a fixed clock speed of 1.825 GHz, resulting in a theoretical peak of 12.15 teraflops.
• PS5: Uses a smaller GPU with 36 Compute Units but compensates with a higher, variable clock speed of up to 2.23 GHz, for a peak of 10.28 teraflops.
• Memory: Both consoles use 16GB of GDDR6 RAM, but they have different configurations. The PS5 uses a unified 256-bit bus, while the Series X uses a split memory bus design with different bandwidths for different portions of the RAM.
• Storage: Both consoles feature a high-speed NVMe SSD for fast loading times and asset streaming. However, the PS5's SSD has a faster raw throughput, while Microsoft focuses on its Velocity Architecture, which integrates software and hardware to speed up data access.
• Audio: Both consoles use custom AMD hardware for audio processing, enabling advanced spatial and 3D audio effects. 
• Implications of a shared architecture
• Easier Development: The shared x86 and AMD foundation simplifies the process for developers to create multi-platform games. Because the underlying architecture is similar, games built for one console are relatively easy to port to the other, streamlining the development process.
• Focus on Optimization: Since the consoles share core components, performance differences often come down to how well developers can optimize their games for each console's specific configuration. This can mean leveraging the PS5's faster storage or the Series X's higher raw GPU power.
• Ecosystem and Features: With the core hardware being so similar, competition between the two console manufacturers shifts to other areas, such as exclusive games, online services (like Game Pass and PlayStation Plus), controller features (e.g., the DualSense's haptic feedback), and other aspects of the user experience. 

5 minutes ago, HiFlyer said:

AI Overview

Don't trust AI. it makes mistakes all the time.

Edited September 25, 2025Sep 25 by Tuskin38

1 minute ago, Tuskin38 said:

Don't trust AI. it makes mistakes all the time

And it gets it correct most of the time … it also provide links for data sources so one can validate or invalidate.

 

19 hours ago, SayAgain said:

It might be on a separate code branch, but the point of using WASM runtime for MSFS 2020 onwards was to be platform agnostic

The sim does not run on top of a WASM runtime nor does it include one. It is coded in native C++.

19 hours ago, SayAgain said:

EDIT: that is why we’re all taking a 10% performance hit (on average can vary from 2% to 35% pending specific process) as we go thru the WASM translation layer.

There is no particular WASM translation performance penalty, as this is not how the sim uses WASM. WASM is simply a way to present C++ MSFS add-ons with a consistent and limited set of platform agnostic APIs to target. When compiled by the developer, it becomes WASM intermediate language code that describes the original code. Then, when the addon is first run in the sim (or ahead of time during the ingestion process, in the XBox case, since that's a fixed hardware target), the WASM IL is read and compiled directly to normal platform specific native instructions (into a DLL) just as if you had compiled it directly from C++, and loaded by the sim to run. Again, there is no WASM runtime, just this compiler system.

I have no comments or details on the PS5 launch but just wanted to correct this wrong information.

2 hours ago, MattNischan said:

WASM runtime nor does it include one

So how do you execute/compile WASM DLL without a WASM runtime?  I’ll disagree with you here.

Thanks for the correction that MSFS executable doesn’t run on top of WASM, so apologize for the confusion.  

Do ALL the aircraft that come with various versions of MSFS not use WASM modules?  My understanding is that some do require WASM modules and hence will not work without MSFS internal WASM runtime.

Edited September 26, 2025Sep 26 by SayAgain

14 minutes ago, SayAgain said:

I’ll disagree with you here.

you're talking to a MSFS Dev from Working Title lmao

Edited September 26, 2025Sep 26 by Tuskin38

Bringing 2024 to the PS5 is a good move - if its ready, the last thing we want is another botched release. 

I'm sure it will be ready though and hopefully in a very good place which may also transfer to the PC journey and help with the developments there - that can only be a positive thing along with the increased exposure and user base.

just to touch on SU4, I tore myself away from Le Mans Ultimate last night and had a very pleasant flight - keep up the good work Asobo!

Great news but lets get the sim working properly on Xbox and PC before jumping to another console. 

1 hour ago, Tuskin38 said:

you're talking to a MSFS Dev from Working Title lmao

Experts are always trying to prove they aren't , 😉

1 hour ago, Tuskin38 said:

you're talking to a MSFS Dev from Working Title lmao

Yes, I know … what do you think I am?