FIFA 22 - Compare PS5 vs PS4 Screenshots

FIFA 22 is about to receive huge influx of players/wallets thanks to its inclusion in the PlayStation Plus lineup for May. From 7th May, players with a PS Plus subscription can download their console’s version.

Last year, TechStomper compared FIFA 21 across the 8th and 9th gen. with not much between them. This year, EA Sports promised a generational leap and introduced a few new tricks to elevate the new platform. This ended the possibility of cross-gen crossplay but you can’t win them all.

As always, images have been captured and 4K and subject to the same downsampling process. PlayStation 5 screenshots are on the left throughout.

Spectacle

FIFA 22 PS5 — Off-pitch areas are more crowded with stewards, photographers etc. on PS5 (left)

PS4 Pro 4K graphics — Off-pitch areas are more crowded with stewards, photographers etc. on PS5 (left)

FIFA Man United Old Trafford — Changes to the lighting engine give a different character to night games especially

FIFA 22 PS4 screenshots — Changes to the lighting engine give a different character to night games especially

As with eFootball 2022, much of the most visible upgrades come outside of the pitch. Supporters show more complex behaviours, more variety in their outfits and sport an array of realistic accessories like scarves. Tiny details you won’t notice during play but additional immersion certainly.

Cristiano Ronaldo CR7 FIFA 22 — Shiny reflections and superior skin texture filtering on PS5 (left)

FIFA PS4 Ronaldo CR7 — Shiny reflections and superior skin texture filtering on PS5 (left)

Stadia are furnished with extra cameramen and stewards. There are some minor changes made to stadium geometry with certain fields sporting a large active area or stands at different distances from the field of play.

Minor but noticeable when lining up shots.

FIFA 22 PS4 comparison — Cropped image shows a more varied crowd and sharper native image on PS5 (left)

PS5 physics football — There are areas where environment geometry is slightly different, with more or less room around the pitch varying across the generations

FIFA 22 PS4 PS Plus free — There are areas where environment geometry is slightly different, with more or less room around the pitch varying across the generations

Textures have been improved all-round though some areas are more visible than others. Stadium textures, though rarely visible, see a huge bump on 9th gen. systems.

One early complaint levelled at FIFA 22 on PS5 was how washed out the game looked and how the field looked less realistic than on 8th gen. hardware. The former has been resolved but the latter remains.

PS5 FIFA — PS5 textures are sharper but also have less aggressive LoD and anisotrophic blur, observe the advertisement hoardings on the extreme left

FIFA 22 PS4 pro compare — PS5 textures are sharper but also have less aggressive LoD and anisotrophic blur, observe the advertisement hoardings on the extreme left

EA Sports 22 23 PS5 — PS4 (right) is quicker to fog with distance while PS5 (left) basks in its sharpness at times

Despite more blades of more complex grass visible up close, the sparser and more spartan grass on FIFA 22 for PS4/Xbox One looks more defined and realistic in the most common camera angles.

Crowd Control

Depending on the occasion, the additional detail of the crowd, the additional variety in their attire and behaviour, and the extra staff can add some immersive detail for those watching the game.

FIFA PS5 vs Xbox Series X — LoD, more detailed crowd and sharper native resolution on PS5 (left)

video game backdrops 22 EA — LoD, more detailed crowd and sharper native resolution on PS5 (left)

During cut-scenes, the extras off-field and the added detail brought through upgraded environmental textures as well as a higher native resolution brings a little extra depth to PS5/9th gen. systems.

FIFA 22 vs PES EFootball — The quality of crowd makes a huge difference in some scenes

PES vs FIFA PS4 ball — The quality of crowd makes a huge difference in some scenes

Did EA Sports deliver the “next-gen” experience that they promised or are the differences a step sideways more than a step up? Is the loss of cross-gen crossplay a bigger deal than better textures on a shed roof?

Let us know in the comments below

Different, yes. Better, maybe.

Spectacle

Crowd Control