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Until now gaming was a luxury. However the stress of the modern world has made gaming a necessity. Making the right choice of console has never been more important. We therefore need to examine the unique features and pitfalls of both the Xbox Series X Versus PlayStation 5.
Price – Xbox Series X versus PlayStation 5
The overall short and misleading answer is they are the same price. Which specifically means that for either console you will have to part with $499.
However, the pressure to make the consoles affordable or at least to provide an affordable option has been mounting. On account of this growing demand, both Microsoft and Sony have released a less expensive version of their console. As a result, the Xbox versus the Playstation 5 is a much tighter race.
Sony are offering the PS5 Digital Edition at $399.
Amazingly the only sacrifice that has to be made for this $100 saving is the disc drive. To clarify, this means no PS5 Discs, DVDs, 4K UHD Blu-ray movies and PS4 Discs.
Microsoft are offering the Xbox Series S at $299
In other words, the Xbox Series S in nearly half the price of the Series X. Seeing that there is a price gap between them, what are the main differences?
For one thing, the graphics card on Series S is a lower grade than the Series X. In the same fashion, the Series S has been allocated less RAM and had less SSD storage. Also like it’s Sony counterpart, the Xbox Series S has no disc drive. That is to say, no DVDs, blue rays and of course no Xbox One and 360 discs.
Specs – Xbox Series X versus PlayStation and Xbox Series S and PlayStation Digital
| Xbox Series X | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series S | PlayStation 5 Digital | |
| CPU | 8-core 3.8 GHz AMD Zen 2 | 3.5 GHz AMD Zen 2, 8-core | 8-core, 3.6 GHz AMD Zen 2 | 3.5 GHz AMD Zen 2, 8-core |
| GPU | 12 teraflop AMD RDNA 2 | 10.3 teraflop AMD RDNA 2 | 4 teraflop AMD RDNA 2 | 10.3 teraflop AMD RDNA 2 |
| RAM | 16 GB GDDR6 | 16 GB GDDR6 | 10 GB GDDR6 | 16 GB GDDR6 |
| Storage | 1 TB SSD 5.5 GB/s Read 9 GB/s Compressed | 825 GB SSD 5.5 GB/s Read 9 GB/s Compressed | 825 GB SSD 5.5 GB/s Read 9 GB/s Compressed | 512 GB SSD 2.4 GB/s Read 4.8 GB/s Compressed |
| Resolution | 8K | 8K | 4K | 8K |
| Frame Rate | 120 fps | Up to 120 fps | 120 fps | Up to 120 fps |
| Optical Disc Drive | 4K UHD Blu-ray | 4K UHD Blu-ray | None | None |
| Backwards Compatibility | All Xbox One, Some Xbox 360 | Most PS4 games | All Xbox One, Some Xbox 360 | Most PS4 games |
Specs -Important Differences
Firstly, the Xbox Series X clearly wins out on SSD storage boasting a healthy 1 TB. Although this may be true, the PlayStation 5’s 825 GB offering will more than suffice for most gamers.
Besides the SSD, the differences in specs between the Series X and PlayStation 5 (Standard and Digital) are inconsequential for most gamers.
Specs – Digital Vs Disc Drive
Regardless of whether you go with Sony or Microsoft, the most important thing to know are the repercussions of purchasing the Xbox Series S and PlayStation 5 Digital that do not include a physical disc drive.
For one thing, the library of Xbox One and Xbox 360 discs or the collection of PlayStation 4 discs you have spent years building up will be obsolete and useless with your new ‘digital’ console.
By the same token, It also closes you out from the second-hand game market. Surprisingly this market still provide a large part of the gaming community a more affordable way to purchase games.
Specs – Xbox Series S
If we examine the Xbox Series S, then the difference in specifications stand out. Although significantly cheaper than all the other options, there are however a couple of obvious ‘cut-backs’.
For example, the graphics card on Series S is a lower grade than the Series X. Even though the framerate however will remain the same, the Series S will provide an output at 1440p as opposed to the Series X which will output at 4K.
In addition less RAM and had less SSD storage has been allocated to the Series S. Despite this. performance is not affect This is due to the fact that the graphics output is also smaller and therefore compensates for the smaller storage capacity
Controller – Xbox Series X versus PlayStation
When it comes to the Xbox Series X versus PlayStation in terms of the controller, it is a world of it’s own.
Controller – Xbox Series X
Since the Xbox Series X controller is a smaller design than its predecessor, this means it has a more comfortable grip than previous controllers.
In addition, Microsoft have redesigned the ‘D-Pad’ as circular to improves ease-of -use. The USB Connection is now C-Type and there is still the option for AA batteries and input for headset.
Since many complained of latency, Microsoft have taken action to remove the 8ms lag between input and action on the screen.
What’s more, they will provide 4 vibration motors in the controller. In order that the player does not have to miss out on the immersive experience we have grown accustomed to.
Since an easy way of posting gameplay in real time is so important today. Microsoft have therefore included a share button on the controller allowing users to share content at the press of a button during gameplay.
In short, Xbox have taken the ‘If It’s not broke don’t fix it approach’. They have a winning product already and although they have made some tweaks and improvements, the controller remains largely the same.
Controller – PlayStation5
Sony on the other hand have actually branded their controller for the PlayStation5 the ‘DualSense’ and rightly so, since it is a world unto itself.
Not only does it has a new look and shape, but he content share button has also been re-designed and is now called the ‘Create’ button and it offers players new ways to share content.
In addition to the new look they have also maintained it’s inbuilt microphone, speakers and input for headset as well as ‘haptics’ vibrations which work with the speakers to provide the player with a ‘surround sound’ version of the vibration feature.
Yet, the most impressive features of this controller are the ‘L’ and ‘R’ ‘adaptive triggers’ buttons. A nice example to illustrate this feature is the tension in the triggers the player will feel if they are shooting a bow and arrow as opposed to an automatic weapon. The trigger buttons will simulate the tension, pull and release of the weapon being wielded.
Design
The PlayStation 5 is the biggest game console of both our generation and the previous. This being said, ‘Big’ can still be beautiful and the PlayStation 5 without question takes the prize for ‘looks’. Not only does it have virtually no square edges but the white exterior wraps around the black interior like a shell. This coupled with the blue LED shines out from below the black interior makes the PlayStation 5 futuristic and slick.
Comparatively, it’s counterpart, the PlayStation 5 digital is identical in style and almost identical in its size, with one exception. Since it does not have to accommodate the disc drive on its lower left side, the PlayStation 5 digital is therefore perfectly symmetrical and even more pleasing to the eye.
In a word, the Xbox Series X is basically a black tower block with vents on the top.
On one hand, the Xbox Series X lacks the design of the PlayStation 5. On the other hand it’s design is unmistakably the trademark Xbox style. If Microsoft would have delivered something curvy and ‘new age’, then it would not have been an Xbox.
The Xbox Series S is much more distinct from the Seriex X. For one thing, the Series X is a uniform white similar to the Xbox One S. However, in terms of shape, it is again a rectangular block. Although it is thinner and slightly shorter than the series X, it can still be stood up or be placed flat. In contrast to the Seriex X, the Series S has its vent as a black circle on the face of the console.
Dimensions
| Xbox Series X | 15cm by 15cm by 30cm |
| Xbox Series X | 15cm by 6.5cm by 27.5cm |
| PlayStation 5 | 39cm by 26cm by 10xm |
| PlayStation5 Digital | 39cm by 26cm by 9cm |
Games
Of course, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Action Role-playing, First-person shooter, Survival, Hack and Slash, 3D Platformers and Racing. As can be seen, the games are generally catered to a specific slice of the population.
Whether we look at the titles offered by Xbox or PayStation, in either case ther is no real difference in the genre of the games. By the same token, both consoles are offering the same big titles. For instance, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Borderlands 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Cyberpunk 2077. Not to mention Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto V/Online, Resident Evil Village and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
In fact, the only real difference between them are the exclusive titles
Not only are ther exclusive titles available on Xbox Series X, PC and Xbox One that are not available on PlayStation 5, but some of these games are real game changers. For ecample Halo Infinite and of course Forza Motorsport 8, not to mention State of Decay 3 and Senua’s Saga: Hellblad II.
In contrast. the PlayStation5 boasts Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Horizon: Forbidden West and last but not least, Final Fantasy XVI.
Summary
All things considered, whether you are loyal to PlayStation or you identify more with Xbox. In either case you will be satisfied with the purchase of such a powerful gaming machine. For one thing, the speed and performance of both of them are incredible. This coupled with the fact that many of the popular gaming titles are available on both products, means the race is a tight one. What’s more, there is no actual difference in specs, unless we compare the digital versions. While it may be true that PlayStation’s digital offering leads on GPU and RAM. Then again, the Series S is well ahead in storage capacity and speed. Given these points, the choice becomes even harder.
A point often overlooked is the loyalty of the gamer to their brand of console. Provided that there are no features on either side that could tip the scales, it follows that most gamers will not flip. In light of the above, we need to look at price on one hand balanced against the style, features and comfort of the controller on the other. To put it another way, if price is the most important to you, then the Xbox Series S is for you. By the same token, if you are neutral with regards to brand loyalty, then the deciding feature is the controller. As shown above, the PlayStation DuleSense absolutely has the edge.
In the final analysis, if you are focused on price then we recommend the Xbox Series S. If however your priority is features then either version of the PlayStation 5 would be the right choice.
Other Resources
If you want to know more about PlayStation5 and Xbox Series X and S, then check out the following resources. The most important would be the complete PlayStation Specs balanced against Xbox specs. In order to view this chart, you can click here. Equally important is to compare the PlayStation controller with the Xbox controller. In order to view this article, you can click here.
If you liked this article, then please check out our other articles. Do you have joy con drift? If you want to know the best solution, then click here. Do you want to start playing Fortnite? If you want to become a pro builder, then click here. Having trouble sharing content from your Xbox? If you want to record for longer than 10 minutes, then click here.
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