PS5 vs Xbox Series X. Which will win?

The PS5 and Xbox Series X go head-to-head. It’s a battle of specs, games and price

PS5 vs Xbox Series X: it’s a question that’ll continuously arise during this console generation. If you’re not sure which new-gen  console you should buy, this guide is here to help you decide. But before we get into the details, the key thing you need to know about the PS5 and the Xbox Series X is that there isn’t an outright winner. Both consoles are extremely well designed, and already have a fantastic selection of games to play

It’s hard to crown one console a true winner, both have unique features, different gamepads, services, and pros and cons to consider. Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are capable of 4K gaming at up to 120 frames per second and support ray tracing, also boasting super-fast load times. It means both consoles are incredibly powerful and similar in many aspects, which can make choosing one more challenging. 

• What are they? Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 are the new-gen games consoles from Microsoft and Sony, which deliver more ambitious and graphically impressive gaming experiences than ever before
• Xbox Series X and PS5 release date: The PS5 released on November 12, 2020, in select regions, and on November 19 for the rest of the world.  The Xbox Series X was released on November 10, 2020
• What can I play on it? We’ve seen some big games, like Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales on the PS5 and Halo Infinite for the Xbox Series X, and more are bound to arrive in the coming years. Both consoles are backward compatible, though, which means there’s plenty to play from the outset
• Is the PS5 more powerful than Xbox Series X? The processing capabilities of both consoles are very similar, but Microsoft has a slight advantage when it comes to sheer processing power
• What will the PS5 and Xbox Series X cost? The PS5 currently costs $499 / £479.99 / €549.99 / AU$799.95, which is higher in most countries than the Xbox Series X

Despite being similar, both companies have tried to differentiate their consoles from the other, particularly in design. The PS5 is a towering machine, and the biggest console Sony has ever made.  The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, looks more akin to a gaming PC thanks to its cuboid shape. But no matter how you feel about the size and shape of each console, both stay cool and quiet in operation. 

For the most part, whether you like a console’s design comes down to personal preference. But my personal preference is that I like how the PS5 looks. The system is pretty large and features an interesting asymmetrical design.

The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, is still pretty bulky, but manages its space much better. Rather than looking like an oversized router, the Xbox Series X is a sleek black box that looks, at least in its vertical form, kind of like a small tower PC 

The only big advantage the PS5 has over the Xbox Series X is the presence of a USB-C port — which is a big deal, especially as more accessories get USB-C adapters. But even if the Xbox Series X design is much more conservative, it’s also much more sensible overall.

Winner: Xbox Series X

The PS5 and Xbox Series X have fundamentally different approaches to game libraries. The Xbox Series X assumes you’ll pick up the same games you left off on the Xbox One, and will want optimized performance across the board for all favourites. The PS5, on the other hand, has a bevy of exclusive titles that launched alongside its new console

At present, it’s hard to deny that the PS5 has the more exciting game selection. Just in terms of first-party titles, the PS5 launched with Spider Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, Sack boy: A Big Adventure and the surprisingly delightful Astros Playroom.

Compare and contrast with the Xbox Series X, which didn’t have any exclusive titles at launch. Instead, Microsoft released a list of 30 “optimized for Xbox Series X/S” titles, including fan favourites like Gears 5, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Forza Horizon 4. While the Xbox Series X optimizations are indeed impressive, not all of these games are brand new, and they’re all available on Xbox One, PC or both.

Of course, both systems will also have some interesting games coming down the line. But restricting ourselves to what we can play and review right now, the PS5 has the stronger lineup.

Winner: PS5

Cloud gaming isn’t a huge issue for either the PS5 or the Xbox Series X, since you can simply download games and play them natively on either platform. But as cloud gaming grows over the next few years, it’s good to know where each company stands at the outset of this console generation.

The PS5 has PlayStation Now, which lets you stream a variety of PS3 and PS4 games to your PS5 or PC. You can also download certain PS4 titles. It costs at least £8 per month, and doesn’t work on mobile platforms.

The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, as discussed above, costs %15 per month, and lets you stream games to Android, Windows PCs, macOS machines, iPhones and even the the Xbox Series X, Series S and Xbox One themselves. 

With the cloud-based streaming the Xbox Series X is the winner here, 

Winner: Xbox Series X

While both consoles are off to a strong start and show significant room for improvement, the Xbox Series X seems like a slightly better investment for the moment. With more powerful hardware, a better design, a more comprehensive game subscription service and a delightful controller, the Xbox Series X has the early lead in the next generation of consoles.

Still, the PS5 has some virtues that the Xbox Series X does not. There’s a full-featured digital console, a more inventive controller, a faster SSD and — this is not to be understated — a better selection of exclusive games.