Sony and Microsoft have been at each other's' throats for over a decade. The fight continues with the PS5 and Xbox Series X & S consoles. Each company has finally opened up their pre-orders and that means it's time to stack them against each other.
The PS5 is shaping up to be a great console, but will it truly compare to the new Xbox Series X & S? Hopefully, this guide will help you decide which console is worth buying, and why it might actually be the Xbox. Sony may want to listen up and take some notes for the future.
10 PS5 – Load Times
Sony has been very open about the new and improved load times of the PS5. In comparison to the PS4, the Ps5 loaded the open-world of Spider-man in 0.83 seconds compared to the PS4's load time of 8.10 seconds. That is astonishingly fast. In another comparison, the PS5 was capable of loading the story mode of Red Dead Redemption 2 in a measly 2.18 seconds compared to the PS4 which clocked in at over a minute! You can bet that upgrading to this console will get you into the game faster than ever before.
9 XSX – Raw Power
Microsoft has spared no expense at making the next generation Xbox systems more powerful than ever before. With all-new hardware that boasts impressive load times and 4k resolution capabilities, the XSX is set up to make gaming better than ever. The new generation console has 12 teraflops of power behind it that will really bring gaming to the next level. Compare the power of the GPU to that of the Xbox One X and the XSX has twice the power. On paper, the power of the XSX far exceeds that of the PS5.
8 PS5 – Price For Power
The prices of both consoles are close with the PS5 coming in at $500 for the disc tray version and $400 for the digital-only version. It appears now that both consoles will house the same power. This makes that $400 price point more appealing when you compare it to the significant drop in power for the Xbox Series S (or XSS) that costs $300. The XSS has 4TFLOPS of power, 8GB of RAM, and 512GBs of storage. For only $100 more, you can have a serious power upgrade with a digital-only PS5.
7 XSX – Game Pass
You can't mention Microsoft's Game Pass without bringing up backwards compatibility. Sony recently announced that the PS5 will have some PS4 titles playable at launch. The XBX, on the other hand, has an entire library of Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games ready to play.
This far outweighs the backwards compatibility of the PS5 at launch. Game Pass gives you access to these titles for only $10/month or $15/month if you want the ultimate version. There will be more to come.
6 PS5 – Exclusives
Depending on the gamer you are, you should be impressed by the exclusive content that the PS5 will have to offer. Not only will previous PS4 exclusives find their way to the PS5, but even more are on the horizon. Demon's Souls will launch alongside the PS5 and Horizon: Forbidden West is set to release in 2021. Another launch exclusive includes the new Miles Morales: Spider-Man. There will be far more games to come in the future like the new God of War. Microsoft has been known to release less promising exclusives but could make a comeback soon.
5 XSX – Size Comparison
It's no surprise that the new consoles are larger than the last ones. The PS5 sizes have been announced and they dwarf the new Xbox consoles. That doesn't mean the Xbox will have any less power. In fact, smaller can be better in this instance. With the smaller size of the Xbox consoles, customers will have an easier time setting it up. The Ps5 will require extra room that might not be possible for some players. This will be especially noticeable in gaming cabinets.
4 PS5 – Controller Functions
During the PS4 era, Sony was more innovative with their controllers than Microsoft. Additional buttons allowed players to record and share media to the internet without hassle. The PS5 controller aims to further the innovative nature of Sony with addition features. They have included adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. That isn't all. They have also included a create button that will allow for further sharing capabilities than the PS4. Sony has also mentioned that players will be able to communicate with each other using only the controller.
3 XSX – Backwards Compatibility
We have already mentioned the Xbox Game Pass and its backwards compatibility for the Xbox Series X, but it goes farther than that. Microsoft has mentioned that players will also be able to load their discs into the new console. But wait, there's more.
Microsoft has also stated that they are committed to allowing players access to the Xbox One peripherals on the Xbox Series X. This will allow players to use their old headsets, saving them time and money in the long run until they want to get an upgrade.
2 PS5 – VR
Virtual Reality is a game-changer for some players. Systems like the PSVR, HTC Vive, and the Oculus Rift have made millions over the past couple of years. Sony has already stated that the previous PSVR headset will be compatible with the PS5. That's right, players will still have access to all of their VR titles from the PS4. Sony hasn't given any word of a new PSVR system coming alongside the PS5, but given the drop in price of the new technology, we may be seeing a new PSVR system within a year of launch.
1 XSX – Cloud Streaming
The PS4 brought Sony's streaming platform which gave players access to both PS2 and PS3 games. It was their answer to the backwards compatibility issue. Players could download and stream over 700 different games. Microsoft is aiming to go the extra mile and have already stated that they are investing in something much bigger than their competitor. They aim to make cloud-streaming a standard way to game. With the partnership between the two companies with Project X-Cloud, crossplay could become more of a reality and it may start with Xbox. After all, they did start with their Play Anywhere feature which allowed players access to certain games across both Xbox and PC.