Xbox Series X vs PS5 - Which is Best?

The console wars continue as Microsoft and Sony duke it out for gaming supremacy. With the current console generation coming to an end, the two tech titans are poised to release their newest systems within just a few days of each other.

Gamers worldwide are anxiously waiting to get their hands on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Both consoles promise to provide a variety of exciting new features for experienced gamers and novices alike. Many enthusiasts, however, are curious as to the Xbox Series X vs PS5 distinctions that make one console worth purchasing over the other.

Not sure which console is right for you? Keep reading for the scoop on the PS5 vs Xbox Series X.

Release Dates

With the 2020 holiday season right around the corner, Microsoft will hold an ever-so-small head start over Sony by launching the Xbox Series S and Series X in North America on November 10th.

Just two days later, Sony will unleash the PlayStation 5 to the masses. It remains to be seen whether the PlayStation name and reputation will make up for Microsoft's 48-hour head start. Unfortunately, consumers who were unable to secure an online or in-store preorder for either console will most likely end up standing in a long line on launch night or waiting several weeks after release before more systems hit stores.

Price Comparisons

The Xbox One family of consoles were always competitively priced. Microsoft keeps that tradition intact with the Xbox Series X and Series S. At $299, the Series S is the cheaper option for consumers not looking to break the bank.

With its digital-only design and less of an emphasis on graphical horsepower, the Series S seems like more of a half-step forward for the Xbox brand. The Series X, on the other hand, represents Microsoft jumping into the next generation with both feet. The $499 price point reflects as much.

No compromises were made with the Series X, which boasts a Blu-ray drive, massive storage space, and all of the bleeding-edge technical specs that gamers expect from a new console with a $500 retail price.

The PlayStation 5 will also be available in two different variations, with a Digital Edition retailing for $399, and the fully-featured box checking in at $499. While the digital version of the PS5 costs more than its Xbox Series S equivalent, it's also significantly more powerful. No compromises were made under the hood of the digital PS5, so expect it to have the same 4K-quality graphics and blazing-fast SSD as the $499 edition.

Technical Specs

Both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X enjoy a multitude of technological advancements and offerings that make them a clear step above their last-generation siblings. The Series S is a fine improvement over the currently available Xbox One offerings and should make 1080p, digital-only gamers happy.

Sony and Microsoft have both turned to AMD to provide the GPU for their respective consoles. The resulting hardware packed into the PS5 and Xbox Series X is comparable. It's unlikely that there will be a significant difference in graphical performance between the two systems, especially when it comes to multiplatform titles such as the yearly Call of Duty or Assassins Creed entries.

While the Xbox Series X's GPU has slightly more processing power (12 teraflops compared to the PS5's 10.3), that doesn't necessarily mean Series X games will look or run better by default. It's all a matter of how developers utilize the power in each system. Studios such as Sucker Punch have shown they can extract every last bit of power out of the PlayStation systems for which they develop. That can also be said for The Coalition, which has blown gamers away with the technical feats accomplished with the Gears of War franchise.

One aspect that could favor Sony's PS5 is the proprietary 825 GB SSD drive, which Sony promises will make load times nonexistent. While the Xbox Series X will also feature an SSD, it remains to be seen whether or not it will be as fast as the one Sony has promoted for months.

Controllers

Other than our custom video game controller skins, there isn't much you can do to improve modern game controllers, which have been refined over the course of the last three generations. Incremental improvements such as the DualShock 4's touchpad and the Xbox One controller's PC plug-and-play ability have gone a long way towards bringing these gamepads closer to perfection.

Sony's new DualSense controller will feature haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Ideally, developers will use these to give gamers a better feeling of immersion while playing. Microsoft has taken the lessons learned from both the Xbox Elite Controller and the Adaptive Controller and folded them into the new Xbox edition.

With more rounded triggers and bumpers, the new controller will fit better in most people's hands. The redesigned D-pad should help with performing complex fighting game maneuvers and give players more precise control in 2D games.

Best Games & Exclusives

Console launch lineups are usually packed with slightly upgraded versions of current-generation releases, as well as a handful of first-party exclusive titles meant to show off the new hardware. This trend continues with the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, with the newest iterations of the Call of Duty, NBA 2K, Watch_Dogs, and Assassin's Creed franchises making their next-generation debut this year. A 4K optimized version of Borderlands 3 and new special edition of Devil May Cry V will also be available at launch on both consoles.

The new generation's games may not live up to the hype of previous launch titles like Super Mario 64 or Halo: Combat Evolved, but Sony and Microsoft hope that new and remade entries in beloved franchises will sway consumers to their side.

Sony is betting big on a remake of hardcore gamer favorite Demon's Souls, as well as a new entry in the Spider-Man saga with Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Microsoft's bringing a new console version of Gears Tactics to the Xbox Series X, which will hopefully satisfy Xbox fans still saddened by the delay of Halo: Infinite into next year.

Compatibility

Backwards compatibility has long been a sore spot for PlayStation fans, who have been teased time and time again by Sony's halfhearted approach to allowing consumers to play old games on newer hardware.

The PlayStation 3 offered one console variant that could play old games, but it was in limited supply and quickly became a collector's item. The PlayStation 4 abandoned backwards compatibility altogether — a move that alienated a handful of fans but didn't seem to slow the momentum of the PS4.

This time around, Sony has relented and given gamers the ability to play the majority of their PlayStation 4 games on the new system. Select PS4 games will also make use of Sony's new GameBoost feature, which will increase loading times and frame rates.

Microsoft has always had a more player-friendly focus on backwards compatibility. The Xbox Series X is sure to be the absolute best console to play old Xbox 360 and Xbox One games.

Most Xbox One games will be playable, in addition to more than 600 games from the Xbox 360 and original Xbox library. As is the case with the PS5, the Series X will also work its magic on select games, with improved resolution, quicker load times, better frame rates, and other graphical improvements.

Subscriptions

Sega laid the groundwork for console subscription services in the mid-'90s with the Sega Channel — a device provided by the local cable company that brought a monthly selection of Genesis games to your 16-bit console. Decades later, both Sony and Microsoft are relying heavily on similar subscription services that they hope will be thought of as the "Netflix of video games."

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass & Game Pass Ultimate

This has been one of the best values in gaming for years, with new titles added on a near-constant basis — all at a price point that most consumers can afford. Game Pass has two available plans:

• Xbox Game Pass - This $9.99 per month option gives players access to 100 games, including Microsoft's slate of first-party titles on the day they hit retail shelves and digital storefronts.
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate - This costs $14.99 a month but also includes Xbox Live Gold. This makes it easy to play online with friends. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of an Ultimate subscription is the ability to play these games on an Android mobile device or PC thanks to Microsoft's Project xCloud.

Cash-strapped console gamers will be happy to hear that Microsoft is making both the Xbox Series S and X available via monthly payments. A Series S console and Game Pass Ultimate subscription can be had for $25 per month for two years. Ten dollars more per month, and you can opt for the Series X and Game Pass Ultimate. Once the two-year period is up, the console is yours to keep.

Sony’s PlayStation Now & PlayStation Plus

In 2012, Sony bought startup cloud gaming company Gaikai for $380 million in a move many saw as the first step towards cloud gaming supremacy. The results so far have been mixed. PlayStation Now — Sony's cloud gaming subscription service — has been hampered by a comparatively lackluster game lineup and technical hiccups.

PlayStation Now on PS5 will allow users to stream select PS2, PS3, and PS4 games. With some titles, however, these games can be downloaded as well. Eventually, PS5 games will also be available on the service. Sony is also bringing PlayStation Plus to the new console. This paid subscription service resembles Microsoft's Xbox Live, which allows gamers to play online with their friends.

Virtual Reality

PlayStation VR was a modest success for Sony during the PlayStation 4 era. As such, it's no surprise that the headset will be fully compatible with the new console. PSVR games brought over from the PS4 will feature graphical and technical enhancements thanks to the beefed-up power under the hood of the PS5.

While it seems like both Sony and third-party developers are ready to move on from VR (much like they did with 3D games in the 2010s), it's nice to know that the few solid PSVR titles already out will be playable on PS5.

Microsoft's disastrous Kinect experiment has potentially colored the company's view towards gaming peripherals and experiences that could be considered trendy or just a gimmick. The second half of the Xbox One's life saw it essentially divorce itself from the Kinect. By doing so, Microsoft was finally able to gain a little momentum in the fight against Sony and Nintendo.

This time around, Microsoft is sticking with what's worked in the past: a traditional video game system built with cutting-edge tech and controlled by a standard game controller. Sony's toe in the water approach to VR hasn't made much of a splash, so Microsoft has opted to not jump into that pool at all.

Amp Up Your New Console With MightySkins

Regardless of what side you take in the newest console war, it's clear that both Sony and Microsoft are primed to launch systems that offer something for everyone. Both will feature sophisticated designs, but that shouldn't prevent you from making your new gaming system feel special.