How Does The Xbox Series X Compare With The PlayStation 5?

As of now, Sony and Microsoft have announced their new gaming hardware, which will probably be released by year-end. Sony’s PlayStation 5 will be on sale on November 10 at $499 while Microsoft’s Xbox Series X will come out on November 12 also at $499. Both companies have revealed a lot of information around these two products, so how do they compare?

Xbox Series X vs PlayStation 5: Design

The first thing that catches the eye must be the difference in sizes. While the PlayStation 5 is made tall and thin, the Xbox Series X looks a lot like a traditional computer CPU. Microsoft’s new hardware looks significantly different from previous models, featuring a vertical tower design that can sit under your desk or next to the monitor.

On the other hand, Sony uses a curvy design for its hardware, featuring white and black. Besides, there are two variants, including a thicker one with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disk slot and a thin digital-only version. However, both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series may have trouble fitting the media cabinet.

Xbox Series X vs PlayStation 5: Specifications and power

With a bigger size, Microsoft can pack more hardware into its console. The Xbox Series X features the AMD Zen 2 CPU along with a 52-core GPU that can process 12 TFLOPS. In addition, the console offers 16GB GDDR6 RAM as well as 1TB of SSD storage, making it comparable to a gaming PC.

If you’re wondering what these specs mean, Microsoft promises 4K graphics at a frame rate of 60 fps and up to 120 fps at lower resolutions. Apart from that, the GPU can handle ray tracing like the RTX GeForce graphics cards from Nvidia. The SSD memory also promises faster loading than the hard drives on older Xbox models.

The tech giant will also release a smaller, cheaper version dubbed Xbox Series S that can render 1440 pixels at 60 fps instead of 4K. It will carry less RAM along with a 512GB SSD.

As for the PlayStation 5, the console will come with the AMD Zen 2 CPU and a custom Radeon GPU. This console can also handle ray tracing and 4K graphics. Furthermore, it will offer SSD for storage instead of a hard drive to boost performance like on Microsoft’s candidate, with which Sony claims near-instant load times.

Xbox Series X vs PlayStation 5: Gamepad

The Xbox Series X controller looks very much like the Xbox Wireless Controller that has been around since the launch of the Xbox One S. Interestingly, the upcoming gamepad is also named the Xbox Wireless Controller.

It has almost the same look and features, including a direction pad, 4 triggers, 4 face buttons, and offset dual analog sticks. The direction pad has a new design that combines a traditional plus shape and the octagonal plate. It has clear cardinal directions as well as easy-to-find diagonals.

On top of that, there’s a Share button on the new controller similar to the one on the DualShock 4, which allows users to take screenshots or videos with just a press rather than having to open a menu.

In terms of the PlayStation 5, its accompanying controller will be called the DualSense instead of DualShock 5 as anticipated. It looks quite different from previous models, featuring a big and rounded design similar to the Xbox One’s gamepads.

The triggers on the DualSense also feature haptic feedback and there’s a microphone to enable voice chat and commands.

Xbox Series X vs PlayStation 5: Extra tricks

The Xbox Series X offers some extra features that may interest you. First of all, gamers will benefit from the Quick Resume technology that allows for maintaining suspended stats simultaneously in multiple games. That means players can switch between games instantly rather than reloading them to continue playing.

The second extra trick is the Smart Delivery feature. If a game has multiple versions available on the console, including those released on older consoles, this feature will automatically download the best version of that game to the hardware.

The last important extra feature is Backward Compatibility that helps the Xbox Series X work with Xbox One games, which in turn allows you to play many Xbox 360 and Xbox games from the past 20 years.

Xbox Series X vs PlayStation 5: Pricing

The Xbox Series X will go on sale first on November 10 at a price of $499 and you can pre-order starting September 22. Meanwhile, shipment for the Xbox Series S will start at the same time at a price of $299.

On the other hand, the PlayStation 5 will go on sale on November 12 at a price of $499 while the Digital Edition of the console will come at $399 with the same shipping day.

>>> Sony PlayStation 5 Release Date, Price, Specs, And Games