Next Gen Consoles: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
November 2020 brings new gaming consoles from both Microsoft and Sony. Here’s our side-by-side comparison of the Xbox Series X and the Playstation 5..
Tech Specs
The Xbox Series X pulls ahead slightly with performance and many tech lovers may find it more appealing. Xbox’s processor (CPU) runs at 3.8GHz and PlayStation’s CPU runs at 3.5GHz. All of which means that it processes tasks like game loading, saving, and other simple tasks slightly faster.
Looking at the graphics (GPU), Microsoft seems to pull ahead of Sony again. The Xbox is advertised as having 12.0 teraflops processing capability for their graphics and the PS5 is advertised with a lesser 10.3 teraflop processing power. Teraflops are a measurement of graphical processing power. Does this mean that Xbox’s games are going to look better and load faster? Not necessarily, because they are designed differently and the only way to tell is to play games side by side.
Storage is another category where Microsoft beats Sony, with larger and faster storage. Xbox comes out with a 1TB NVMe SSD and the PS5 has an 825GB SSD. With more room for games and faster loading and saving speeds, Xbox takes this category, but it’s a plus that both consoles finally have solid state drives!
Both consoles have options for expandable storage, but differ in how they choose to add them. PlayStation has an additional NVMe SSD slot for customers to add a third-party storage. Xbox on the other hand is selling Xbox made 1TB expansion cards that can be easily plugged in.
All the extra tech details are equally shared between the two. They both support resolutions up to 8K, frame rates up to 120 fps, ability to play 4k UHD Blu-ray movies, and their price point being $500.
Company Strategies
Microsoft sells fewer consoles than Sony and does not have nearly as many exclusives, so they are focusing more on the player and buyer. With services like Project xCloud and Game Pass, there are more ways for players to play their favorite games without buying them all.
Project xCloud allows players who have a smartphone and a Bluetooth controller to play games through Xbox on their phones by streaming them from Microsoft’s servers. Game Pass is a monthly subscription that offers a huge game library that can be played through Project xCloud or on a PC as well.
All games will be backwards compatible for the Xbox One X and Xbox One S. This allows gamers to still be able to play their older games on the new consoles. Of course, then there are the Xbox exclusives such as Halo Infinite, Forza Motorsport 8, State of Decay 3, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.
Recently, Microsoft made a monstrosity of a purchase when they bought Bethesda and parent company ZeniMax Studios for a whopping $7.5 Billion. Microsoft does plan on buying more gaming studios as well as time goes on. For Xbox gamers this means that in the future, all Bethesda games can become exclusives, with a potential Fallout: New Vegas 2 later on because Microsoft also owns the studio Obsidian, which made the first Fallout: New Vegas.
Microsoft plans to honor all games Bethesda has agreed to release on PlayStation for this year, but that may not be the case in following years. Microsoft has struggled to compete with Sony’s exclusives, and they’re fighting back by purchasing big name studios, hoping those studios’ games will lure players over to their side.
Sony has not changed their tactics of offering amazingly beautiful and fun exclusives that can only be enjoyed on their consoles. This has proved tried and true for years to be successful. With games like Spider Man: Miles Morales, Horizon II: Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, and a new God of War to arrive in 2021, it is more than enough to convince people to buy a PS5. PlayStation also has a streaming service available called PlayStation now. It offers gamers to stream a variety of PS2, PS3, and PS4 games (with the occasional download) and exclusives. It is still unclear as to what their plan is with integrating the service with the PS5. What is clear, is that virtual reality support will be carried over to the new console so everyone can still use their PlayStation VR Headset.
Design
Microsoft designed the new Xbox with a utilitarian mindset that provides a good air flow and plenty of room for internal parts. Now we have a console that looks like a tall black brick with a white LED. Many think this design does not look good, but if you have a modern goth apartment, it will fit right in. A nice thing is that it does not take up a lot of surface area.
The new controllers for the next gen Xbox have changed only slightly with a new designed d-pad taken from the elite controller, and they changed the charging port to a usb-c but kept the AA battery design. A huge change is the share button on the front, which allows for easier screen shots and game recording.
Sony went for a slick and appealing look to match the aesthetic of the games they have. Jokingly, it looks like an expensive router that you plug into the TV. Compared to the Xbox, it does have more flare and flavor to the way it looks.
The new PlayStation controllers get a big overhaul with a new look to make it match the futuristic look. A predominantly white body with LED undertones under the touchpad. The new DualSense controller has both a microphone and speaker built into it with a new usb-c port for faster charging. There is now a sharing button as well for screenshots, video recording, and broadcasting.
Overall
Microsoft is taking big swings to establish themselves in this phase of the console wars with producing a slightly higher spec console, more offers for games through passes, connectivity with PCs and gaming anywhere on smartphones, and fighting for more exclusives by purchasing big name AAA studios.
Sony will still more than likely have higher sales with their fanbase alone and the amazing exclusives they always obtain. The new design of their console and controllers also brings a new sleek look to their line-up.
If you’re interested in great single-player, great storytelling, and beautifully designed games (God of War franchise and Spider-Man franchise) on a console with a cool look, then you’ll be more interested in getting the new PlayStation 5. If you value specs, having a game pass to play popular titles, or a fan of Bethesda games, then the Xbox Series X is the better choice.
Most people are already fans of one platform or another and the goal is to persuade those on the fence, those interested in getting both consoles, or people getting into console gaming. What we all really hope for is cross platform gaming.
