PS5 and Xbox Series X: The Latest in Gaming Innovation

Computer games have come a long way from the first and second-generation consoles, such as the Magnavox Odyssey and Atari 2600, and titles like Pong and Space War. These days it’s all about online games like Fortnight, Minecraft and other gaming options that can be found by visiting https://www.johnslots.com/en/slots/.

Gamers worldwide are waiting with bated breath for November 2020. That’s when you’ll see the release of both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X gaming consoles and their digital counterparts, the Xbox Series S and PlayStation Digital Edition. These digital alternatives don’t have disk drives for extra storage and have less powerful processors.

Microsoft and Sony, the makers of PlayStation, have been going head-to-head for years, fighting for the most significant share of a growing market. However, Microsoft stated recently that it no longer views Sony as their main rival. Could this be the start of the end to a decades-long competition? 

Let’s take a look at how the two compare.

Dimensions

It appears that in 2020, size does matter, at least when it comes to gaming consoles. You may need to rearrange your entertainment centre to make space for your new addition.

The PS5 is the biggest PlayStation console yet, and in fact, now has the dubious record of being the largest gaming console in recent history. It stands at a whopping 15.35 inches high, 4.09 inches wide and is 10.23 inches deep. The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition is slightly sleeker as it doesn’t have the disc drive.

The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, although quite a stocky console, is substantially shorter at 11.85 inches. Its depth and width are equal at 5.94 inches. 

In contrast to the PlayStation 5, the digital edition of the Xbox, Series S, is the smallest Xbox console ever. It stands at 11 inches high, 2.6 inches wide and 5.94 deep. It’s also the lightest of the four consoles, weighing in at 4.25 pounds.

Hardware

In terms of hardware and functionality, the upper hand flip flops between the two consoles. Xbox has a faster processor, but Sony has faster RAM (even though it’s the same amount as Xbox). 

Both consoles allow external storage in the form of a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD). Xbox goes one step further with optional one terabyte expansion cards that plug into the back of the console. These provide additional storage space without compromising on game performance.

Both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 support 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray, which allows you to play Blu-ray discs. Some previous Xbox consoles were already able to do this, but this is the first PlayStation console that has this feature.

Games And Backwards Compatibility

You’re likely to have amassed a number of games compatible with previous editions of either PlayStation or Xbox, depending on your brand preference. One of the exciting features with the new next-gen consoles is that they both allow backwards compatibility. This feature enables you to play older games on a newer-version console. 

Xbox has the edge over PlayStation with this feature. Xbox games dating back to the Xbox One will work on the new console. If you’re a PlayStation user, you’ll be able to play the majority of your PS4 games on the latest PS5 console.

Both Xbox and PlayStation have subscription services that allow you to download games and play online with friends or in gaming communities. Microsoft offers the Xbox Game Pass, and Sony has PlayStation Plus.

Currently, the Xbox Game Pass is a better option as it provides you with a rotating selection of games as opposed to just the couple offered each month by PlayStation. With the launch of the PS5, Sony will also make several PS4 games available on PlayStation Plus.

To coincide with the release of PlayStation 5 some new games will be available; however, Xbox has no new games available at launch. They are instead relying on third-party games at this stage.

Price Point

There’s not much between the two consoles when it comes to price. They’ll both retail at around £450. The PlayStation Digital Edition and Xbox Series S are cheaper, but neither has the additional storage space provided by disk drives. You’ll have to purchase games rather than download them unless you buy an external storage option.

Final Thoughts

Whether you buy an Xbox or PlayStation doesn’t always come down to price. You may opt for the brand that your friends prefer or the one that fits in better with your entertainment area. You might just like the look of one as opposed to the other.

Further developments in gaming are likely to take place over the next few years. There are already moves to implement cloud gaming, where no console will be necessary. Instead, you can stream games provided you have a fast and reliable internet connection. Google and Amazon have large cloud-computing businesses and could be leading the way with cloud-gaming in the coming years.