After seven years, it is time for the next generation of consoles! The gaming industry does not always sync up release dates, but Sony and Microsoft can't seem to help using their rivalry to increase the hype. Not a bad strategy as most of the time this benefits both companies, despite this being the core of their ongoing console war.
With these tech giants unleashing the most powerful new consoles to date, many are likely wondering how the PS5 and the Xbox Series X compare to one another and which will be worth buying. Streamers, YouTubers, and a few others may be able to afford both, but most gamers will likely only purchase one or the other, so taking stock of the specs, pros, and cons are vital.
10 Naming Convention
Right away, the first thing gamers picked at were the names of the upcoming consoles. Sony, understandably, has decided to stick with their current pattern. This lets everyone know exactly what they are getting and allows people to mentally classify where the PS5 belongs immediately. Similarly, Microsoft has continued their pattern of convoluted and awkward naming. The memes spawned from these occurances are as numerous as they are hilarious.
9 Overall Shape & Design
Sony is taking the classic approach and has given their console a sleek body, but one that is reminiscent of previously existing consoles. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum of this notion, Microsoft has given the masses a veritable monolith. Aside from aesthetics, this will play a big role in how gamers set their consoles up at home. If space is limited, the sleek PS5 will be preferable to the massive alien structure that is the Xbox Series X. Also, it should be noted that the PS5 can apparently lie on its side comfortably, while the Xbox Series X will likely need to stay upright.
8 Teraflops
"FLOPS" is an acronym for "floating point operations per second". A floating point is essentially a decimal of a number; the kind used in a tremendous amount of calculations for many modern devices. "Tera" is a prefix for tech that refers to trillions of something. Combining these points, one will conclude that Teraflops pertain to how many trillions of decimal-related calculations are possible. A higher number does not always mean a better device, but it does mean a higher potential for greater processing speed, nicer graphics, and other boons. Currently, the PS5 has apparently between 9 and 10 Teraflops of power, while the Xbox Series X has closer to 12.
7 Cooling
With great power comes great responsibility. Due to added processing strength, more intense requirements, and increased power consumption, a great deal more heat will be generated. Without the proper compensation for this, any device can overheat and become damaged, rendering all those lovely specs pointless. The PS5 will be sporting similar cooling systems to previous Playstation consoles, but Microsoft's mini-fridge of a unit is taking things to a new level.
The Xbox Series X has air flowing in from the bottom, rising through all components, and out of the top vents. This, in combination with a specialized heat-sink, thin motherboards, vapor chambers, and a traditional fan make this console feel a bit like a racecar.
6 Accessories
Both new generation consoles will be able to support wireless headsets, remotes, and similar, but each brings something a bit unique with their release. The PS5 has a novel charger that allows for two controllers to have their batteries filled simultaneously, making it easy to always have one ready to go. Though, a special accessory is Xbox's adaptive controller, which makes it possible for a whole new group of people to enjoy gaming. Those who have trouble with regular controllers can use this awesome device to comfortably play games. Although it was made for previous consoles, it is compatible with the Xbox Series X, to the joy of many.
5 Variations
Both of the next-generation consoles will have variants. The new Xbox will have the Series X and the Series S. Put simply, the Series S is a lower-end version that has significantly weaker specs than the Series X. Many estimate that the Series S will be only slightly more powerful than the Xbox One X, which is not much to brag about. Sony has taken a far smarter approach to this same concept and are releasing their two variants that are almost identical in terms of tech specifications. The only real difference between the PS5's full console and the digital edition seems to be that the full version has a disc drive and the digital edition does not.
4 Controllers
So far it looks like Sony has put more effort into creating another masterpiece of a controller while Microsoft simply puts out more of the same. The Xbox Series X controller continues to have unsymmetrical analog sticks, which has always been a questionable design choice.
Besides, it does not bring anything new or exciting to the table, whereas the PS5's controller improves on the magnificent PS4 controller by adding increased sensitivity to the triggers and vibration function while again including audio in the form of a built-in speaker and microphone.
3 Price
The variants of each system are priced differently, but the breakdown seems pretty logical so far. The two current variants of the new Xbox vary greatly in price with the monolithic Series X being $499.00 and the significantly inferior Series S is $299. The big price gap is likely due to the big performance gap. The full version of the PS5 will run for $499.00 and the digital edition will be $399.00; much closer in price and appropriately reflecting the difference between the two in that no disc drive can be considered a feature instead of the lack of one.
2 Exclusive Games
This is arguably the most important factor for deciding between the next generation consoles and things seem very one-sided so far. New intellectual properties can be incredible, but it's the long-lived franchises that tend to draw the most gamers. On the Xbox side, Halo seems to be the biggest exclusive to mention, though a new Fable game has been announced to the excitement of fans. On the PS5 side of things, there seems to be a landslide of incredible exclusives, including new Final Fantasy, God of War, Horizon, Spider-Man, and Gran Turismo games. The cherry on this cake is the Demon's Souls Remake that has hardcore players drooling.
1 Launch Titles
As one might expect by the vast difference in exclusive titles, the PS5 boasts a much stronger launch line-up as well. The Xbox Series X will have close to 40 games on its launch, but almost all of them are games one can already play on previous consoles. Sony, on the other hand, is dishing out brand new games right from day one with the hyped Godfall, charismatic Spider-man, and the already legendary Demon's Souls Remake allowing players to jump right into the next generation without needing to wait.