Sea of Thieves — PS5 & PS5 Pro performance
Technical analysis last updated
Sea of Thieves on PS5 delivers a native 4K display presentation in its default 60fps mode, featuring slightly cleaner shadow rendering and superior distant foliage draw distance compared to Xbox Series X. Both current-gen flagships target 60fps with occasional minor frame-time spikes in multiplayer, alongside a 1080p 120Hz mode that sacrifices visual settings and stability. Image presentation lacks TAA across all platforms, leading to aliasing despite the 4K output.
Graphics modes on PlayStation 5
Sea of Thieves on PS5 runs primarily at a crisp 4K resolution targeting 60fps, presenting sharper shadows and longer foliage draw distances than Xbox Series X. Frame-rate stability is generally solid with periodic frame-time spikes in multiplayer. A 1080p 120Hz performance option is also available.
60Hz Mode
PS5UnverifiedDelivers crisp 4K output with no evidence of dynamic resolution drops below 2160p. Features sharper shadow outlines and extended distant foliage draw distances over Xbox Series X, though lacks temporal anti-aliasing.
120Hz Mode
PS5UnverifiedReduces display resolution to 1080p and degrades shadow quality and draw distance.
PS5 vs PS5 Pro
Side-by-side comparison of graphics modes, resolution and technical features.
A side-by-side comparison requires verified graphics-mode data on both PS5 and PS5 Pro. It appears here as soon as both versions are analysed.
Known issues
During the open beta, the game completely locked up requiring a restart on several occasions and crashed once.
Occasional 33ms to 50ms frame-time blips interrupt gameplay fluidity, particularly in four-player multiplayer lobbies.
Video analysis
Independent technical videos referenced in our analysis.
Sea of Thieves is coming to PlayStation 5 and with a beta test running last weekend, we had a chance to take look at the near-final build ...
Getting started again on Sea of Thieves in 2025 on PS5 Pro - quick introduction before venturing out onto the high seas where danger awaits ...
This is the endless exciting and ever expanding open World adventure that is the ultimate pirate simulation with sea of Thieves.
The true fun of sea of Thieves and what makes it so incredibly addictive is that it is just a very classic video game sandbox.
AAA Developer's Opinion On PS5 Pro | Sea of Thieves On PS5 a "Key Test" | GAAS Domination Videos: Monday, Wednesday Friday Streams: Sunday, ...
Sea of Thieves PS5 vs Xbox Series X Graphics Comparison Sea of Thieves PS5 ... Go to channel Digital Foundry · Sea of Thieves Goes Multi-Plat ...
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Sources and verification
Every technical claim on this page is attributed. Nothing is estimated.
PSFoundry is primarily a source-based database. A game is only marked as personally tested when PSFoundry has directly tested it. All other technical information is attributed to its original source.
- UnverifiedDigital Foundry evaluates the PlayStation 5 open beta of Sea of Thieves, comparing its visual quality, shadow rendering, foliage draw distance, and frame-rate stability against Xbox Series X, Series SDigital Foundry2024-04-20
Digital Foundry evaluates the PlayStation 5 open beta of Sea of Thieves, comparing its visual quality, shadow rendering, foliage draw distance, and frame-rate stability against Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One X, and PC.
Open source
Frequently asked
Answers built from the verified data on this page.
What frame rate does Sea of Thieves run at on PS5?
On PS5, Sea of Thieves offers 2 graphics modes: 60Hz Mode targets 60 FPS at 2160p; 120Hz Mode targets 120 FPS at 1080p.
Does Sea of Thieves support 120 Hz on PlayStation?
Yes. 120Hz Mode on PS5 runs with 120 Hz output on a compatible display.
What is the PSFoundry Score of Sea of Thieves?
Sea of Thieves scores 70/100 on PS5. The PSFoundry Score measures technical performance only — frame rate, image quality, graphics modes, visual features, responsiveness, loading and stability — not how good the game is.
Patch history
Only updates that changed graphics modes, resolution, frame rate or visual features.
We only log updates with a documented effect on graphics modes, resolution, frame rate or visual features. None have been verified for this title yet.
The players' verdict
Recent player impressions of how the game runs on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
We publish player impressions from Reddit, ResetEra and specialist forums only when they discuss how the game actually runs. They never affect the PSFoundry Score.
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Browse the full PlayStation performance database or the PS5 Pro Enhanced games list.