PS5 vs Xbox Series X: which should you buy?

Last Updated: March 3, 2022

The next generation of consoles has been on sale for well over a year now, offering 4K gaming to the masses, at a fraction of the cost of a PC. Stock has been a bit of an issue with the PS5 and Xbox Series X making upgrading quite hard but before you rush into a console this year, which is best?

We are going to be comparing the PS5 vs Xbox Series X to highlight their differences if any, and make your life a bit easier when it comes to choosing. We have already looked at the PS5 vs the PC and while they aren’t as comparable, these next-gen consoles offer a lot of value to gamers looking to play in high resolutions.

PS5 vs Xbox Series X: Which should be your next console?

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X offer gamers quite a lot for their money. The next generation is here and in terms of looks, performance, and the varied amount of games you can play, there is no wrong choice.

As is often the case, the main reason to choose an Xbox Series X over the PS5 and vice-versa comes down to games, whether or not there is cross-platform support, and what console your mates are getting. Exclusive titles can sometimes be the deciding factor too but we are going to be taking a look at the main differences in specifications, overall design, performance, and controller design.

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PS5

Sony PS5 Disc Edition

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Xbox Series X

Microsoft Xbox Series X

PS5 vs Xbox Series X specifications

As you can see both consoles vary in size, with the PS5 coming in slightly taller than the Xbox Series X. The Xbox is clearly more of a rectangle in comparison to the PS5’s unique shape but other than that, the specs are quite similar.

The PlayStation 5 weighs around one pound more than the Xbox and upon release, the PS5 shipped in black and white, while the Xbox Series X was completely black.

Controller differences

Starting with Sony’s controller, the DualSense. This is one of the best controllers to ever grace a console gamer’s hand and the name change from DualShock to DualSense comes from Sony dropping the rumble motors in favor of haptic feedback. The new tech inside these makes games feel more immersive, with resistance in the analog stick and variable resistance in the triggers, both of which simulate in-game responses.

The PS5 controller’s battery life has been extended over its predecessor and obviously, the design has been tweaked. The overall shape is pretty close to the older controllers we are used to from PlayStation, however, this sort of looks like a hybrid between Microsoft and Sony’s two pads.

The Xbox Series X controller essentially looks identical to its predecessor, only now with the all-new share button incorporated at the front. The directional pad (D-pad) has been updated and now resembles/ performs like the Xbox One Elite 2 controller. There are no real technological changes and the shape and feel are the same as ever. If you love Xbox controllers then there is nothing new to get used to here. These new Series X controllers feature cross-generation capabilities with the Xbox One and charge via a USB-C cable.

Design

Both consoles refreshed how their flagship gaming devices looked this time around, with the PS5 looking a bit like a modern art installation and the Series X taking a more stealthy approach.

The PS5’s design is a bit love/hate for some, with a curved, asymmetrical design. The front of the PS5 is glossy making it a fingerprint magnet, whereas the Xbox Series X features a matte finish.

Both consoles can sit vertically or horizontally but because the Series X is basically a cuboid, it feels a bit bulkier. That being said, both look sleek and would sit in the living room without a fuss.

Performance

Performance differences, for the most part, are unnoticeable/non-existent between the two.  Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are capable of 60 FPS 4K gameplay (game dependant). Both consoles also have the capability to run at 120 FPS on a 120Hz monitor, which again is game-dependent.

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X feature fast NVME SSD devices inside, however, the one featured in the PlayStation is slightly faster. You are hardly going to notice any speed difference but it is worth pointing out you get a 1TB drive in the Xbox and only 825GB in the PS5.

PS5 vs Xbox Series X price

Both consoles retail at roughly the same price, with the Xbox Series X and PS5 Disc variant both coming in at $499. The digital PS5 is $100 cheaper and obviously doesn’t come with a disc drive.

For those that have already done away with discs, the digital PS5 offers a lot of value in the gaming world. That makes it the cheapest platform to play a AAA title in 4k, impressive.

PS5 sales vs Xbox Series X sales

Sony reported that its quarterly sales reached 17.3 million globally as of December 2021. This makes the PS5 the fastest-selling, most popular console of all time. Microsoft’s Xbox Series X however has only just surpassed 12 million sales, which may be less but still equates to $16.28 billion in revenue for 2021. In fact, total gaming revenue, content and services revenue, and hardware revue are all up for Xbox, which ultimately shows how impressive the PS5 has been for Sony.

PS5 vs Xbox Series X games

A lot of games come out for both the Xbox Series X and PS5 but we all know there is the odd exclusive that can sway what we end up buying. What has been excellent in the last few years is the increase in cross-platform games. Cross-platform between games helps take the stress of getting the right system out of the equation, however, there are still some that you indeed to know about,

PS5 has exclusive games such as God of War, The Last of Us, Demon’s Souls, Gran Turismo, and Horizon Forbidden West.

Xbox Series X exclusive titles include Halo Infinite, Forza, Gears of War, and a few others. Microsoft acquired Bethesda and Activision, so who knows what the future holds.

What about backward compatibility?

The PS5 has some backward compatibility, with it able to play PS4 and PSVR games. The PS5 is also backward compatible with the Sony VR headset, which is all a first-time thing for the Sony console.

The Xbox Series X supports previous-generation games just like we saw with the Xbox One. This means you can play Xbox original, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S games all on this one machine. 

VR support

VR support is another area both the PS5 and Xbox Series X excel in. Some argue that the PS5 comes with better VR controllers and headsets though, meaning the Sony device has a slight edge.

As previously mentioned, the original PSVR headset works on the PS5 as long as you have the necessary adaptors. The Xbox allows you to use Oculus Rift S, Quest 2, and other headsets such as the HTC Vive Pro. As it stands Xbox refused to create a proprietary VR system to keep costs down.

Cloud gaming

Both gaming systems allow users to download and play their favorite games without a fuss. The PS5 has PlayStation now, which allows you to stream old PS3 and PS4 games, at a monthly subscription cost.

Xbox Series X has a similar feature known as Game Pass Ultimate. The Game Pass costs more than its PlayStation counterpart but will let you stream games to android, Windows PCs, Macs, iPhones, and Series X/S / Xbox One consoles.

Final word

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are a great way to jump in and play games at 4K resolution. Gaming PCs cannot touch value in this sense. For the most part, it looks as though the PS5 maybe has a slight edge but this is only because you can get the digital version for a lot less.

Aside from that, these are on par, so you are going to have to base your decision purely on the exclusive game titles coming out in the future.