Xbox Series X vs. PlayStation 5: Comparing the Next Generation of Gaming Consoles
As 2020 quickly nears an end, two of the most anticipated gaming releases of the year arrive Tuesday and Thursday: the Xbox Series X and the Playstation 5.
Both of these consoles start at $500. (Each console maker offers a more affordable model, with the Xbox Series S priced at $300 and the Playstation 5 Digital Edition priced at $400.)
The consoles have many similarities, but it’s the exclusives that are the determining factor for many consumers. One of the Xbox Series X exclusive titles is the highly anticipated “Halo Infinite,” although it will not be available at launch. Another title exclusive from Microsoft is “State of Decay 3,” a survival game in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with zombies.
Some of the exclusive titles for Playstation 5 include “Spiderman: Miles Morales” and “Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.” Both of these classic titles will be available to purchase on the Playstation 5 launch date.
Senior management student, Ben Perry, thinks that the Playstation 5 will be the superior of the two consoles.
“I would get the Playstation 5. I like the exclusive games,” he said, “I feel as though Sony actually innovated and changed things when their competitors didn’t.”
Perry’s favorite feature from Sony’s new product is the innovative controller.
Sony redesigned their controller introducing the DualSense controller. The new controller starts with longer, slimmer handles making it more comfortable for hands to rest through hours of playing.
Another feature we will see coming out of the Playstation 5 DualSense controller is the adaptive trigger functionality. This feature will change how hard it is to pull the trigger depending on what you’re seeing on the screen. For example, different weapons in games like “Call of Duty” will have a different feel for each weapon.
As for Microsoft’s new console, the Xbox Series X, the finest features we will see is the clean backwards compatibility and seamless quick resume. Quick resume is how you will be able to go from game to game in your library without having to sit through any loading screens, assuming that the game has already been started up in the past.
The game library on launch day for the Xbox Series X is not as plentiful or exclusive as the Playstation 5. Most of the titles from Microsoft will also be available on PC, as they are focusing more on the game being played itself, than selling their product through the games.
Header photo: Microsoft’s Xbox Series X, left, and Sony’s PlayStation 5 are the next-generation gaming consoles that are being released this week. (Microsoft and Sony photos)