Some might say it’s a bit early to start throwing stones or picking sides. However, there’s been enough information released on both consoles to draw a pretty clear picture of both contenders. Just from what we know so far, the Xbox Series X is looking to be a strong, if not better overall console than the Playstation 5.
Yeah, yeah, I know. “You’re crazy,” you are saying. “There’s no way you could possibly know what console is better this far out. We’re still months away from their release.” Perhaps, but I have history on my side.
Check more coverage of the Xbox Series X and Playstation 5.
Reason 1: Historical Evidence
You see, every console generation has flip-flopped the dominion of power. And this time around, it is Xbox’s turn. But let’s go back and look at the fluctuation of leadership. First, it was the Playstation 2. To this day it remains the bestselling console. The Xbox was a debut machine that impressed with its hardware and some first party titles such as Halo. However, it was the PS2 that remained the champ of this generation by far. Sorry, Sega Dreamcast fans.
In 2005, the Xbox 360 released to worldwide acceptance. The bulky, hot PS3 was quirky, and while its hardware was impressive, it simply couldn’t match the reputation of the 360. It didn’t help that the PS3 garnished a reputation to be hard to work with for developers. With Xbox Live in full force and its community thriving, the Xbox 360 will be the console remembered as the king of the 7th generation of consoles.
Enter 2013: Microsoft, high off its throne of power, decides to market the Xbox One as something completely different. Not just a gaming console, but an entertainment center. Fears of “always on”, untradeable used games, and the lack of focus on what people actually wanted – a new gaming console – put a bad taste in the mouth of those loyal to team green. Gamers didn’t need much of an excuse to swap their Xbox 360’s out for a Playstation 4. The Xbox One was left to backpedal and re-align their business model, but it was too late. The damage had been done, and the PS4 is the current console of the cool kids.
I’m sure you might be seeing a pattern here. Sure, Sony may have learned from the past and kept their hubris in check for this next generation. They may play it safe and listen to their customer base over what is important to their fans. However, Microsoft is going to be pulling out all the stops for this next chance at taking back the crown. They haven’t been sitting back and nursing their wounds for seven years while Sony has eaten their cake. History has a habit of repeating itself, and Sony may have gotten a bit too big for its britches. I predict a resurgence for the underdog this time around.
Reason 2: It’s More Powerful
Alright, buckle up your brain cells because things are about to get technical around here. The Xbox Series X is more powerful than the Playstation 5. Computational power is measured in TFLOPS. Well, technically, it’s measured in FLOPS and a TFLOP is a trillion FLOPS. It’s calculated by the speed of the processor multiplied by its total amount of shaders and the instructions per clock. For those who are starting to nod out of boredom, a bigger number means more power. More power is better.
Just how much more powerful is the Series X than the PS5? Well, about 15%. The Xbox Series X cranks out 12 TFLOPS of power as opposed to the 10.3 TFLOPS in the Playstation 5. This might not seem like a large number, but it could make a noticeable difference. It means the Series X would be able to output the full 120 frames per second it’s capable of verses only 102 for the PS5 in an equal gaming test. It might mean it only has to downscale to 1440p in some games instead of 1080p which are too demanding for 4k. Or it could mean faster multitasking and response time when navigating the menu or streaming games. It’s not like we’re talking about single digits here; 15% more power is something to consider when purchasing a new console.
“But the PS5 has a special solid-state drive to completely eliminate loading times!” This is also true, but the Series X comes with an SSD too, and it’s bigger. Want to guess by how much? A little over 15%. Which translates to nearly 200 GB of data. That could be the difference between you being able to download the next Call of Duty or having to delete a game out of your library.
Reason 3: It Looks Better (Barely)
Sorry folks, but we don’t have a middle ground when it comes to console variations in the cosmetic department this year. Purely choosing by style, you can either have the mini-fridge, or the big white vase-looking thing. Both are admittedly a bit cringey. However, I can see myself cringing less every time I walk into my living room and see a box that could be mistaken for a stereo receiver or sub-woofer than something I stole from the fine arts museum. The Xbox will definitely age better and be more versatile in living spaces than the PS5. Ironically, the only space the PS5 might look comfortable in is, well… space. The ISS is finally going to have a system that matches its décor.
Mechanically, the Xbox also looks to be better suited to eliminate heat produced by its powerful hardware. Airflow likes open spaces to flow through, something the Series X has plenty of. The PS5, however, is awkwardly shaped and the venting doesn’t look as prominent. More trapped heat means more noise for the fans to blow it out. Also, let’s be real folks: the PS5 is huge. Some of us are going to have reinforce our entertainment centers for this monster. It’s big, tacky, noisy, and full of hot air (OK, that part I don’t know for sure), so the Xbox shamefully takes the win for better aesthetics.
Reason 4: The Games
I know what you’re thinking. It’s true that Sony’s titles have been better this generation. However, Microsoft has been acquiring some hefty talent to produce what should be quality content for the future. Obsidian Entertainment, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, and more have been gained by Microsoft and are presumably working on Xbox exclusive titles. With Microsoft’s cash behind their work, these developers should be able to come up with some extremely exciting games. I have hope and confidence we will have some amazing Xbox exclusive games coming soon. Besides, there’s tons of awesome third-party titles that will be available on both platforms.
The bets are in
Things are heating up in the console battle arena. The crowd is cheering, waiting for the two contenders to show. Who will win? The veteran Playstation, happy on its thrown of nearly a decade. Or the returning outcast, back to knock its opponent down. You all know who my bet is in for. What is yours?
psfan
you are crazy i’ve check the spec and ps5 is faster also The flip-flop was luck not planned so can’t use that. new xbox is ugly as fudge but unless playstation changes the minds or xbox does the same i do agree ( unfortunately with the xbox being better ) due to the loss of external HDD for PS5 and loss of Browser.
Alex indra
Buy PS5 and if u want xbox games, play it on PC. Best of both worlds. I believe those who said the will change side on next gen console are trolls or paid. If u have ps4 chance are u have psn+ and lots of digital games. If u have Xbox then Gold and lots of digital games. Now when u change side u have to rebuy a lot of games. It doesn’t make sense. Psn+ will buy ps5 and continue play games from ps4. And xbox gold user will buy xbox series x.
CornChild
So out of those 4 reasons, your last two states that although “barely” better looking, the PS5 basically wins there… and then “The Games”…. you’re out of your mind if you think Xbox wins as they have crap exclusives and game pass is a joke. About 100 less exclusive games compared to PS5 actually.
Carl Jones
It’s true, but with Microsoft’s future of games and first party developers they’ve been snatching up, I think the Xbox will age well. Of course, more practically, the fact that the new Xbox costs a hundred bucks less than the Playstation might be reason enough. That and the sheer number of games available through Xbox’s game pass is pretty impressive.
Bon
Quake
HALO
Fable
Forza Motorsport
Forza Horizon
Gears
FALLOUT
Elder Scrolls
DOOM
HELLBLADE
Flight Simulator
Wolfenstein
Outerworlds
AGE OF EMPIRES
Starfield
Perfect Dark
Ori
Rage
PREY
Avowed
Minecraft
Sea Of Thieves
Banjo
Everwild
State Of Decay
Grounded
Psychonauts
DISHONORED
“Xbox Has no games” your becoming a joke bRo lol
Mrselvs
God of war 5….do I need to say more?
Carl Jones
True! PlayStation has some great exclusives, but there are many, many incredible 3rd party titles out there as well – of which I believe will all look better on the Xbox Series X.
xboxsux
Never buy xbox.
Bon
Ok fanboy who hates on a console with no life.
Mel
Websites sure let anyone write a half baked articles from half baked fanboys. Just say hey I want to have different experiences this gen in my gaming world. Than to post a stupid article for a stupid opinion. 1. More power don’t equal better games. Just ask Nintendo 2. Are you really betting Xbox will have better 1st party games? Do you work for Microsoft or was compensated by them? Who has ever brought hardware because of cosmetics or how pretty it is? Lastly history. Are you f’n kidding me. With the world the way it is can we focus on more important matters than to pump people up to buy into your opinions or choice of console.
Piepie
Real men play xbox…. U all sound like n bunch of p***ies. No reason u still play with urslf. 🤣
r0beh
What a terrible post, it’s more powerful because the TFLOP number is higher… do your research.
“It will sell better” the ps3 was massively overpriced and had a terrible launch and still managed to sell more hardware than the Xbox 360 across the console generation.
Games – name an Xbox console that’s had better exclusives than PlayStation…
I’ll buy both and will love both but this post is well off the mark across the four reasons you gave.
Carl Jones
While the PS3 did move more units by a relatively small margin, I think the general consensus is definitely that the Xbox 360 was the better console overall.
TFLOPS might be more relevant here than say, in the PC world as both the Series X and PS5 use very similar hardware. It can be difficult to compare TFLOPS between two different brands or systems, but comparing TFLOPS between two near-identical GPUs is apples to apples. I think these numbers give a good indication of the performance of each console.
r0beh
So the Ps3 sold more but the 360 was the better console. Software sales were higher on the PS3 as well and it wasn’t plagued with the ridiculous 54.2% failure rate.
GPU power doesn’t just come down to TFLOPS, the CU count is misleading as well which every tech journalist highlights. Although the XsX has 52CU they run at 1.825ghz where the 32CUs on PS5 run at 2.23ghz, they’re very different philosophies and nobody knows which will be better.
I’m yet to see a developer come out and praise the Xbox hardware, yet Crytek, Eoic, John Carmack and even the halo co-creator have said how amazed they are by the ps5 hardware.
Bonner
This is true. Microsoft has been getting everything prepared for the new gen. BC, and smart delivery plans were great. A large library of games day one. Then you get the series s for cheap which will still play xbox one games in 60fps 4k and next gen at 1440p 60k. Then the IP’s coming from all the new first party studios will certainly make this the place to play
kraenk
You disqualified yourself when you mentioned games and design. Devs so far have called the PS5 the way more impressive machine btw, in case you missed it.
Hellblade 2 is still in early development and couldn’t be further from a release title anyway.
Joseph Smoe
1 big reason against xbox is because I can play the games on my PC and play them better. That’s why a PC and a Playstation console is the best combination..
kraenk
True, always been the killer combo.
Jed1
If PC gamers can get Xbox first party exclusives and play then at a much higher quality then it is a no brainer. I myself don’t PC game as I don’t have a good enough rig to support it but I think that would be my combo too.
Akuma
Next gen is already over. No xbox game will be better than The Last of Us 2.
GOTY: The Last of Us 2
GOTY+: The Last of Us 2 PS5 Edition
Best open world: Horizon 2 Forbidden West and Spider-Man
Carl Jones
That’s a lot of faith in Sony’s exclusives! No one can deny any of those games are or will be amazing, but games alone don’t always make a console, and many extremely popular games are still cross-platform.
Jed1
“Games alone don’t make the console” you say and yet games is one of the reasons you have used. Also design put down as a reason too, like that has any impact at all on the device. I suppose the logo’s have an impact too do they? You also stated “but I have history on my side”. So how does history support you comments on design, games or even power? You refer to history in just a single point and again that offers 0% evidence of a better console.
In fact the only point you make that has any relevance is the extra power of the Xbox which will absolutely be a benefit to that system but even then not clear enough evidence that it makes Xbox the better system. What developers do with each system is what matters, in particular the first party studios of each camp who will be under scrutiny to get the absolutely best out of each system.
I’d be happy with either system taking the crown. Excited for games on both sides and can’t wait to get stuck in. I’m all for opinions being voiced but this article , pretty weak and not much thought has really gone into it.
Carl Jones
Well, if history says anything, it’s that the console that has done worse during the prior generation makes a comeback by learning from their mistakes and making more drastic changes in favor of the customer to bring back their numbers. So far, it has gone back and forth every generation. From the look of the hardware specs and the game developers Microsoft has been acquiring, they seem to be putting their best foot forward. Not that Sony isn’t, but I think they may be underestimating their rival.
As for games not making the console. I agree, but that’s also why it was one of my four points, not a sole source. Sony may have the exclusives now, but let’s wait for those devs Microsoft scooped up to see for sure. I think that between the potential games, hardware, minimalist design, and historical trends of top consoles that Xbox is going to take the cake this time around. Really though, like you said, we win either way.
kraenk
It’s not only faith in Sony exclusives (obviously, they have delivered all gen), but the lack of faith in Microsoft exclusives, as they have continuously disappointed in the last 9 years. Even their big brands like Halo, Gears or Forza Motorsport.
The only great games they made in 9 years were the Forza Horizon titles.
Jed1
This is why my console of choice has consistently been Playstation over the years. Some of my most beloved games are from PS (God of War, Uncharted, The Last of Us, Wipeout, The Last Guardian, Shadow of the Colossus…the list goes on). I typically go for a good single player/story driven campaign over multiplayer and my personal opinion is that PS games have delivered far more of those over the years. When i think of such games on the XB brand Halo and Gears are the first that come to mind but I wouldn’t class them as amazing, although i did enjoy the Halo story. XB snatching up Ninja Theory was a good move as Hellblade was a great game, looking forward to seeing what they do with it.
Travis
You’re kidding right?
youdiemofo
Yeah. I’m down with watching the dust settle on this launch for both systems.
Think I’ll get the definitive answer from digital foundry when they let out their post release analysis.
Carl Jones
We’ll see! Depending on the Series X’s price, it looks as if it might be the best bang for the buck with its higher clocked hardware. Also, Halo is returning in a big way for next gen. We might see a lot of Xbox fans return to their roots!
kraenk
The higher clocked hardware is actually the PS5. Please stick to the facts. PS5 has a considerably higher GPU clock.
Its SSD is 120% faster too, btw.
Carl Jones
According to spec sheets, the Series X has a processor that’s clocked at 3.8Ghz compared to the PS5’s 3.5Ghz. That’s an 8% increase in speed and might partly what contributes to the Xbox’s TFLOP advantage. While it’s GPU is locked at lower speeds than the potential speeds of the PS5’s GPU, it has substantially more shader units resulting in a more powerful overall GPU.
Time will tell as to the loading times of games on either console due to their SSDs, but I have a feeling the difference might not be as substantial as we think. But if I had to choose between a more powerful console and a few seconds shaved off my loading times, well… I’m taking the power. 🙂
kraenk
Halo Infinite can be played on X1 and PC too, so why would it be a push for XSX, especially since we know XSX won’t have exclusives for 2 years?
kraenk
DF are paid by MS to promote their consoles, you know that?