PS5 or Xbox Series X: Which one is the better game console? Today, I will try to shed some light on the matter.
When looking at the gaming industry; Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are the clear contenders when buying a next-generation game console, controllers, and everything else in their ‘special edition’ packages. But which of the three should you invest in today?
Pricing
When thinking about prices, Sony’s is the more expensive option; especially when it’s asking its hard-dying fans to pay an extra £100 for a disc drive (£449). If we are taking those terms into account, the price of the Xbox Series X is cheaper and better. However, they share a similarity: The Xbox Series S, the smaller version of the next-generation Microsoft console, doesn’t have a disc drive either, therefore, it’s cheaper (£249) version is still an incomplete machine. But, is that going to stop us from buying one, or both of them? Probably not.
Design
The consoles’ designs are so subjective that my preference does not really matter here. The PS5 is objectively a more interesting looking console, but it hasn’t proven to be unanimously praised. Both being so similar, it all comes down to what gamers are mostly looking forward to in a new console: games. That is where the PS5 beats the Xbox Series X. Microsoft provided us with a handful of reasons to be excited for the potential of Xbox’s platform, but Sony has directly pandered to my tastes with its game launch line-up.
The games
LittleBigPlanet is one of my favourite games ever, making Sackboy: A Big Adventure seem like the perfect nostalgia trip. We are also getting the incredible Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the adorable Astro’s Playroom and the looter-slasher Godfall, Hitman 3, and its snagging irresistible PlayStation exclusives such as The Last of Us series. With Sony, there has undoubtedly been more creativity, variety and intrigue in those games than in anything Xbox has shown to date. Even titles like Stray, Bugsnax and Horizon Forbidden West were filled with unique landscapes, splashes of vibrant colours and bizarre premises. Xbox, on the other hand, showcased a line-up of dark, dreary post-apocalyptic games and Halo: Infinite gameplay which looked unfinished; as it turned out, it was.
Hardware
And although the Xbox Series X can be considered as the most powerful next-generation console to date, the PS5’s hardware is also a big plus to get Sony’s latest gaming station (if you haven’t pre-ordered it yet). Sure, it’s less powerful and much larger than the Xbox Series X, but the custom SSD and 3D audio in the PS5 have the potential to make tangible enhancements to gameplay. Not to mention the new Dual Sense controller with its haptic feedback and dynamic triggers. In the end, it’s hard to imagine how Microsoft could win me over in the coming months.
Critique
The PlayStation 5 is my choice. Seeing as the new console comes out on 12 November, I’m thinking of telling them:
“Dear Sony, just take my money.
Best regards, a broke student.
P.S. Who needs to eat these days anyway?”