PlayStation 5 Vs. Xbox Series X: Microsoft and Sony have both made their moves. Now it’s the consumers’ turn to make their choice. So we’re going to try to help you make up your mind about the Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, or PlayStation 5. Which console is best suited to your gaming profile? This is what we will try to determine in the next few paragraphs.
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Xbox Series S | X
For its new generation, Microsoft is focusing on two consoles. The Series X, which represents the ultimate in technology and aims for systematic 4K rendering at 60 or 120 frames per second in exchange for $499; and the Xbox Series S, a machine without an optical drive (and therefore dedicated to dematerialized gaming), less powerful, but which will be marketed at the starting price of $299.
Without going into all the details of its technical specifications, the Xbox Series X is indeed the most powerful console in the world. In addition to its graphic capabilities and the speed of its processor, the Series X is mainly based on its SSD, which offers almost non-existent loading times for games and navigation on the interface.
Designed for 4K, the X Series is much more powerful than the small S Series, which aims to render in 1440p at most. On paper, it’s not much more powerful than the current Xbox One X. But it also benefits from the famous SSD which should make the video game experience much smoother.
The problem with this latest console is that it will only have 512 GB of storage space. For a console dedicated to dematerialized games, this is far too little. Of course, the memory of the console can be extended by plugging in a hard drive.
A quick calculation tells us that the price of an Xbox Series S and a memory expansion card is the same as an Xbox Series X, which has a native space of 1 TB. This puts the attractiveness of this entry-level console into perspective.
In addition, the new Xboxes are fully backward compatible with the games in the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One catalogs (20 years of video games).
PlayStation 5
Sony also splits its range in two. It remains much clearer than on the Microsoft side with, on one side, the PlayStation 5 at $499 and, on the other, the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition which simply loses its disc drive and is displayed at $399.
On the technical side, Sony has included all the necessary hardware to enable all games to be played in 4K (native, not upscaled like on the PS4 Pro) at 60 frames per second. The PS5 also relies on a custom SSD to smooth out the experience and erase loading times.
The problem is that technical limitations force Sony to cap the available storage space at 825 GB. Subtracting the space needed to install the PlayStation OS, gamers will only have about 800 GB to install their games. That’s not much, especially for the PS5 Digital Edition.
As on the next Xbox, it will also be possible to connect an external hard drive (or SSD).
In terms of backward compatibility, Sony is much less generous than Microsoft. Only PS4 games will be playable on the new Japanese machine. 99% of the games are already backward compatible, says Sony.
PlayStation 5 Vs. Xbox Series X: Which Is Better?
Microsoft is capitalizing on two aspects. On the one side, an ultra-powerful console capable of running any game at full speed, and on the other hand, a range of services that provides its subscribers with new content every month with the Game Pass. Not to mention full backward compatibility with previous-generation games.
You should only buy a PlayStation 5 if you feel an attachment, or at least an attraction towards one of the strong licenses of the Sony catalog.
