Gaming
Games
Next-Gen: Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X Comparison
When the new powerhouse consoles arrive, will you be ready for what they have to offer?
The future is nearly here for the next generation of home consoles. But we’ve got a question; once the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S are released, how much time has to pass before we call them current gen? A month? Two? A year? Launch day?
Let’s leave that answer to philosophers, because we’ve got some serious gaming ground to cover with a couple insights from none other than top FIFA player, Ahmed Al Meghessib.
So, for the skinny on these new consoles, just keep on reading.
Release dates. The PS5 launches worldwide November 19th. The Xbox Series X and S launch November 10th.
Models. Microsoft has the Xbox Series X and Series S, with the S being a fully digital system with lower output specs, but with no playability lost.
Sony’s PlayStation 5 models are the same spec-wise, with an optical drive being the lone difference.
Price-wise, both are pretty close, but the Xbox Series S is the way to go for players looking for the best deal.
Storage. The Xbox Series X comes with 1 TB and the PS5 with 825 GB SSD storage. Both consoles have an expandable storage slot for when you need it.
Cross-play. This one has to go to Microsoft, as their console will have cross-play capability for pc and mobile devices. Unfortunately, Sony has made it clear it still believes in keeping within its own ecosystem, and without a new portable console, games that are made for the PlayStation 5, stay on the PlayStation 5.
Subscriptions. Xbox Game Pass brings you a ton of gaming choices, is always updated, providing you with thousands of hours of mass enjoyment. You can also stream to mobile devices if you have Game Pass Ultimate.
Sony’s own PlayStation Plus service will not offer the same all-inclusive and free games to play at launch, but they’ve offered something else: PlayStation Plus Collection. This is a curated selection of the most highly rated games, made available to subscribers to download and play at will.
Controllers. For people who like their controllers to stay the same, the Xbox Series X will certainly please. The build quality has even been improved, giving it a premium feel in the hands.
Sony has gone the other route, by redesigning their iconic DualSense controller, with help from gamers and designers to up the experience. Superb haptic feedback and touch-sensitive triggers round out the brand-new features.
Even Al Meghessib is really excited for these new features. He explains, “I am really looking forward to seeing the new controller with the dual system that it will have.”
Backwards compatibility. Xbox has complete multi-generational compatibility going back to the original Xbox. That’s basically the entire 20-year library of games for you to chew on. Nice.
Sony has just announced that 99% of PS4 games will work on the PS5 on launch day. Pretty impressive. You can also transfer PS4 game data to your PS5 via a LAN cable or, even better, right over your home Wi-Fi network. Another option is by syncing through your PSN account, or an external storage device between the consoles. Easy peasy.
Game library and exclusives. This is what it all comes down to. But until game developers have a good understanding of how to fully take advantage of what’s under the hood, we won’t really know which system has more going for it.
As of writing, Sony is in the lead when it comes to console-exclusives. With titles like Demon’s Souls and Final Fantasy 16, but the truth is it is too early to make this call.
Of course, Xbox has all its games to fall back on as well, which means that at launch it will have more playable games than its rival.
No matter how you dissect this new generation, the reality is both systems are the most powerful that we’ve ever seen, and this means that the games and options given to the players will be a big part of the decision for people.
What is interesting is that both consoles have a different premise going for them. The Xbox is touting a huge back-library, cross-play, cross-platform, and an impressive Game Pass. Sony is pushing exclusives, and a sweet ecosystem that boasts destination gaming with AAA games.
See you all out there on launch day.
