Earlier this week, PlayStation lead system architect Mark Cerny revealed the first details about the PS5's hardware. While the specs of the Sony console may be impressive and have faster load times, the next-generation Xbox console may be much more powerful.

On Twitter earlier today, journalist Ainsley Bowden cited "multiple insiders" who have revealed that the next-generation Xbox console will be "more advanced" than the Sony system. Bowden later clarified that this information comes from "known sources" on Microsoft and Xbox details who have been "accurate for years on leaks." Bowden also told followers that the suggestion the next Xbox will have better specs than the PS5 "shouldn't be surprising" as Microsoft has been touting its plans to have the most powerful next-generation console for some time.

While release dates for the PS5 and the next-generation Xbox haven't been confirmed yet, Bowden said that "next year is going to be amazing" for fans of both brands. This isn't the first time someone has indicated that the two consoles will launch in 2020. NPD analyst Mat Piscatella predicted that Sony and Microsoft would officially unveil their new systems this year and that the PS5 and next Xbox will release in 2020.

It's unclear how the next-generation Xbox console will be more powerful than the PS5. Cerny said that the console would support 8K graphics in games, that the PS5 would load games in less than a second, and that it would support ray-tracing and 3D audio. While the wider public has yet to see these features, to many, they sound impressive and high-end. On this basis, Microsoft would have to do something really special to have the next Xbox to beat this.

While the specs of the next-generation Xbox aren't yet known, the power of the console could be a major differentiating factor between it and the PS5. Analysts have also suggested that both the PS5 and next-gen Xbox would have have backward compatibility and would support game streaming, which was also alluded to by Cerny in a recent interview.

Having similar software features could make it difficult for gamers to choose between the two platforms. However, the hardware specs of each console could tip the balance and get more gamers to choose one over the other. Hopefully, Microsoft will confirm the Xbox specs soon.

Source: Twitter - Ainsley Bowden (1), (2)