One developer has stated that the reason the PlayStation 5 version of their game has lower fps than the 120fps its Xbox Series X counterpart will have is not their fault, stating that fans upset by the difference have "beef" with Sony instead. Reports from developers on the hardware and technology available on each of the next-gen consoles is slowly beginning to come out as more industry members get to work with them, and so far, both Sony and Microsoft's devices have been garnering a lot of praise.
In the case of the PS5, it's the apparently revolutionary SSD technology powering the device's load times and other features that is getting most of the spotlight. Developers have already described the PS5 SSD as game-changing, and feedback since then has been consistently posiive. For the Xbox Series X, Microsoft - and consumers leaning towards that company's console - have been preaching about its pro-consumer focus, including cross-gen capability remaining a priority for at least the first few years of the new console's life cycle. That doesn't mean the Xbox Series X hasn't received similar amounts of praise based on its hardware, though, as it's been described as an incredibly powerful device.
However, very few developers have been willing to compare the two consoles directly in a way that makes one look inferior to the other - until Sony fans pushed one dev to defend their game. Dynamic Voltage Games, the studio behind Orphan of the Machine, took to Twitter to criticize those who were attacking the studio for making the 120fps version of the game an Xbox Series X exclusive. Dynamic Voltage Games tweeted out a response to the sudden hate it was getting from PS5 trolls, stating that they didn't design Sony's console - and the fact that the game can't achieve 120fps on the device means fans should have "beef" with Sony. The obvious implication there is that the PS5 technology restricted Dynamic Voltage Games from getting a similar level of fps performance on the console, rather than a deliberate decision from the studio to make its Xbox Series X version the "definitive" one, so to speak.
Dynamic Voltage Games also replied to a user who referred to Sony fanboys as toxic, stating that "the insecurity is crazy" when discussing the notorious petition that saw fans attempt to boycott Devil May Cry 4 after it was announced as a multiplatform title, shedding its PlayStation exclusivity at the time. Beyond the humorous response to some undeserved toxicity in the developer's direction, though, it also raises a major question - just what about the PS5 fps makes the 120fps on Xbox Series X more difficult for the former? Dynamic Voltage Games clarified that it was at least possible, but at the cost of resolution:
It's not likely something that will be answered directly - especially not right now, with some level of secrecy still present for both next-gen consoles - but it does look like Xbox Series X fps might be easier to develop for, if nothing else. That being said, this is simply one developer's assessment of fps on the two consoles, so it's also possible that other developers haven't had similar issues.
Source: Dynamic Voltage Games/Twitter