Fans of PlayStation and Xbox will soon - finally - be able to play next-gen games on the companies' new systems, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Although pre-orders for the consoles quickly sold out when they initially opened, Sony and Microsoft will most likely have more systems available for purchase either before the end of the year or in early 2021, and that gives consumers some time to decide if the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S is a better purchase.
Both consoles' pre-order dates were met with a fair amount of chaos. PlayStation 5 pre-orders were meant to go live the day after Sony's September PlayStation 5 Showcase, but several retailers wordlessly opened them that night, forcing fans to scramble and crashing seller websites. Xbox pre-orders went much better, as Microsoft announced the exact launch time and threatened to punish retailers who opened pre-orders early, but certain retailer websites still crashed under the sudden jump in users attempting purchases.
With the initial rush to secure a PS5 or Xbox out of the way, Sony and Microsoft are likely to be transparent about future availability. Fans of either console will want to keep their eyes on each company's social media accounts for specific announcements. In the meantime, those unsure which console is more worthwhile can find a breakdown of the systems' different aspects below.
The coming console launch differs from previous generations in that not many of its games are actually exclusive to the new systems. In fact, no Xbox launch games will be exclusive to the Series X/S, as Microsoft has opted to make its games cross-platform for some time after launch. The PlayStation 5, on the other hand, will have just three exclusive launch games.
Xbox Series X/S's Exclusive Launch Titles
- None
PlayStation 5's Exclusive Launch Titles
- Astro’s Playroom
- Demon’s Souls
- Destruction AllStars
All other upcoming Xbox console exclusives will be playable on Xbox One and PC, and PlayStation's other upcoming console exclusives can be played on PS4. The only notable exception is Godfall, a PS5 launch title that will also be playable on PC but not PS4.
There's currently no real consensus among those in the games industry about which console is more powerful, but it's at least clear PlayStation and Xbox are approaching similar power in different ways. On paper, the Xbox Series X has a more powerful graphics processing unit than the PS5 (with more teraflops), but the PS5's SSD is faster. The differences in game performance on each system, then, will likely depend on how developers choose to utilize these different assets. And of course, Microsoft's smaller, cheaper Xbox Series S model is less powerful than either console. Ultimately, the real difference between the consoles is the separate goals Microsoft and Sony seem to have: Xbox appears to be building a cross-platform ecosystem for Xbox Game Pass, and Sony appears to be focusing all-in on its unique, first-party experiences.
More details:
- Xbox Series X vs PS5 Specs Explained: Which Is More Powerful?
- PS5 & Xbox Series X GPU Difference Doesn't Really Matter, Dev Explains
The PlayStation 5 comes in two variants: The disk drive-less Digital Edition and the standard version (with a disk drive). Both have exactly the same power and capabilities, but the Digital Edition will not be able to play physical game disks. Each has a corresponding price point:
- PlayStation 5 price: $499 USD
- PlayStation 5 Digital Edition price: $399
As mentioned above, Microsoft's next-gen console versions have more significant differences than Sony's. The Xbox Series X is the "true" successor to the Xbox One, with power comparable to the PS5. The Xbox Series S, meanwhile, is a lower-powered system meant as a cheaper - but less future-proof - starting point for next-gen gaming.
- Xbox Series X price: $499 USD
- Xbox Series S price: $299 USD
The PlayStation 5 will launch on November 12, 2020, and the Xbox Series X/S will launch on November 10.
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