In terms of power, PlayStation took control of the past console generation with the PlayStation 4 outperforming the launch Xbox One significantly, offering a crisp 1080p experience while the Xbox One often struggled to reach that benchmark. The contest has yet to be settled between the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, but Xbox boss Phil Spencer believes Xbox will have the advantage.
The Xbox One X put Xbox back on top in terms of power, the first step forward for Xbox under Spencer's leadership. Spencer delivered a full 4K-capable Xbox One X while the PS4 Pro struggled with 4K similarly to how the original Xbox One struggled with 1080p. The move didn't put Xbox back on top in terms of sales or critical success, as the platform continued to lag behind PlayStation in terms of high quality exclusive first-party games. It did, however, position Xbox to compete on more even footing going forward. That's where Xbox currently stands looking at the next generation, and Spencer plans to capitalize.
According to Spencer, speaking with GameSpot, powerful hardware is now a part of Xbox's brand and Xbox plans to deliver. "We wanted to have a dramatic upgrade from the Xbox One base console. So when you do that math, we're over eight times the GPU power of the Xbox One, and two times what an Xbox One X is." But power is also relative and as powerful as the Xbox Series X may be compared to the Xbox One, it'll lose a talking point if it ends up being less powerful than the PlayStation 5.
Since the hardware configurations for both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are still being finalized, direct comparisons aren't available. Early buzz from game developers with access to dev kits seemed to imply that the PlayStation 5 might have the advantage, but perhaps they spoke too soon. If Spencer is to be believed, the Xbox Series X is the console with the lead. "Our goal has always been to build the most powerful console we can, and I think we're there. We like leading in power and performance and I feel like we're going to be there again."
It's brave of Spencer to step forward so boldly prior to Sony confirming the final hardware configuration for the PlayStation 5. Spencer has been known to speak candidly, and perhaps too fast, in the past. So while Spencer believes it to be true at the moment, it may not be wholly accurate. Alternatively, it's possible that Spencer believes the PS5 will be priced differently than the Xbox Series X and that Xbox has the advantage when price is taken into consideration.
Both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are planned for release in late 2020. Expect more information on both consoles' hardware and pricing through 2020.
Source: GameSpot