Are you an avid video game player? Which one is your best game: PlayStation or Xbox?
If you are new to the video gaming world, then welcome. Today we are comparing two of the best video game brand in the gaming market.
Both have unique designs and features, and the opinion of being the best may vary. However, today we will look into some of the gaming system’s features starting from their brands.
For a better comparison, we will look at the gaming system’s latest consoles, i.e., PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S. The consoles were released in 2020.
Which is the Best Game: PlayStation or Xbox?
We have prepared this article from various trusted sources on the internet like NBCnews.com, Trustedreviews, etc.
1. Introduction
The PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X and Series S were released worldwide in November 2020. Here is a short introduction of both the consoles for those who are new.
The Xbox Series X and Series S is the ninth generation and is a home video game console and successor to the Xbox One family. Microsoft is the console developer, while Flextronics and Foxconn are the manufacturers.
The PlayStation 5 is also a ninth-generation home video game console and is the successor of the PlayStation family.
Sony Interactive Entertainment is the console developer, while Sony and Foxconn are the console manufacturers.
2. Hardware, Performance & Graphics
The Xbox Series X has higher-end hardware and supports higher display resolutions. It also features higher frame rates and real-time ray tracing.
Similarly, it also has a high-speed solid-state drive that reduces the loading times.
The Series’ target performance is to render games at 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. Its CPU is four times more powerful compared to the Xbox One, and the graphic proceeding unit (GPU) is two times as powerful.
It can support up to 120 frames per second and render up to 8k resolution. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series S has the same central processing as the Series X, but its GPU is less powerful.
It runs with the same CPU but with slightly slower clock frequencies. Likewise, it has memory and internal storage.
Unfortunately, it does not include any optical disc drive; therefore, the users must gain all the software from digital distribution.
The PlayStation 5’s leading hardware includes a solid-state drive customized for high-speed data streaming.
It also features an AMD GPU that has the capability of a 4K resolution display at up to 120 frames per second and hardware-accelerated ray tracing for realistic lighting and reflection.
Similarly, the PlayStation 5 has the DualSense controller with haptic feedback, backward compatibility, and the Tempest Engine for hardware-accelerated 3D audio effects.
3. System Software
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S feature a similar user interface to the Xbox One. However, 40% of memory has been reduced to improve speed. In addition, the systems also feature Quick Resume.
The features allow the users to suspend and resume more than one game at a time. This will also come in handy for the users to continue the suspended games after the reboot.
Sony has redesigned the user interface for the PlayStation 5 to provide real-time updates of friends’ activities, multiplayer activities, and single-player missions and rewards.
Similarly, the central design concepts and motifs have got redesigned into a new home screen user interface. The new user interface has improved responsiveness, accessibility, and simplicity.
4. Games
Microsoft has optimized new games to be cross-generation for both the Xbox One and the new console. In addition, the game developers have optimized Xbox One games’ existing and newly released Xbox Series X and S versions.
As a result, the games previously played on Xbox One that you can play in the new Series have been marketed with an “Optimized for Series X” logo.
Similarly, Microsoft has offered a distribution framework called “Smart delivery.” This will automatically download Xbox Series X or S versions of backward compatible games for the console when available.
The PlayStation 5 consoles come with a pre-installed game designed to demonstrate the DualSense controller called “Astro’s Playroom.”
Furthermore, the games are not region-locked; therefore, the players can easily play the game purchased in one region in all regions.
Similarly, unlike the Xbox Series cross-generation games, the PlayStation 5 has console-exclusive games. This has widely been interpreted as an era-defining shift.
Few significant games like the Horizon Forbidden West were developed as simultaneous releases for PlayStation 4 and 5.
5. Backward Compatibility
The Xbox Series X and S support all existing games from the previous Xbox One except those requiring the Kinect sensor.
It also includes the Xbox 360 and original games currently supported through backward compatibility on the Xbox One. The Quick Resume feature also helps backward-compatible games.
In 2021, Microsoft introduced FPS Boost to enhance the select backward-compatible games’ framerate on the Series twice to four times. FPS Boost supports ninety-seven updated games as of May 2021.
The PlayStation 5 backward-compatible is designed for over 99% of PlayStation 4’s 4000+ game library. Similarly, the console is also compatible with the PlayStation VR.
The backward compatibility is enabled in part by a similar hardware architecture.
The compatible versions of PS4 games are visible and available for download on the PlayStation 5. Furthermore, you can copy the matches via USB or Wi-Fi.
6. Entertainment
For the first time, Apple TV+ is available on the Xbox consoles. In addition, several videos and streaming media services are available through system software.
The players will need to get the game subscription service Xbox Games pass. The pass will give the users unlimited access to hundreds of downloadable games.
Similarly, the users can stream games remotely from their console onto a supported mobile device via Microsoft’s cloud game-streaming platform xCloud.
However, you must buy this feature separately from the Game pass.
The PlayStation 5 supports many streaming services and also subscription-based cloud gaming services.
The subscription-based services enable the users to play games from older generations of the PlayStation consoles.
Sony has updated the software through which the users can transfer their downloaded games to an external USB hard drive.
Likewise, the new feature Game Trials always allows users to download and play the full version of the game for a fixed time. After which, the users can purchase the game to continue playing.
Conclusion
So which console is the better? Honestly, both. The price of the consoles is also not much different. Although the Xbox Series S is cheaper, it has half the storage of the Xbox Series X.
The weights of the consoles have negligible differences. The specific designs are also iconic, and it all comes down to the user’s preference. Both the consoles are impressive and offer various improved features.
If you are thinking of buying anyone, we hope this article was able to provide a few critical pieces of information to help you decide. But whichever you choose, any of these consoles guarantee to offer you hour-long entertainment and fun.