Analysis for those who have not yet decided which camp to join.
Console wars: what to expect from the confrontation between Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5
Next-generation game consoles will soon hit store shelves. We decided to figure out which is better: Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. No fanboy, only balanced arguments.
Design
Both consoles are not like the devices of previous generations, but show different design approaches. Some admire the shape and curves of the PlayStation 5, while others praise the Xbox for its minimalism and utility. What is more important, however, is what function the design serves.
Xbox Series X vs. PlayStation 5: Design Comparison
Microsoft has already revealed all the details of its console, and they are impressive. The Xbox Series X chassis is like a turbine blown by a 130mm fan at the top. Cold air is drawn in through the drip tray, cools all components and expelled through openings at the top.
Considering the power consumption of 315 watts, the system heats up decently. Therefore, inside there is an evaporation chamber and a massive radiator that removes heat from the CPU, video accelerator, memory and power circuits.
Inside the Xbox Series X is a vapor chamber and massive heatsink
This arrangement is effective in an upright position, but engineers ensure that the console can be flipped on its side without the risk of overheating. In addition, the noise level will not be higher than from the Xbox One X.
Sony is in no hurry to share details about the PlayStation 5. The only thing that is - the approximate dimensions of the console in comparison with the Xbox Series X and other models. Enthusiasts compared them by USB-connectors and disk drives, the picture turned out as follows.
PlayStation 5 is the largest console on the market. Hopefully this allowed Sony to address the noise and heat issues that plagued all PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro owners. In the meantime, the design of the new Xbox seems to be more rational.
Performance
Sony and Microsoft set-top boxes are built on similar hardware, but there are fundamental differences. For clarity, we have compiled a table with the characteristics of both consoles.
The graphics performance of the PlayStation 5 is 10.28 teraflops (floating point operations per second). For comparison, the Xbox Series X has this figure reaching 12 teraflops. It turns out that the console from Microsoft is more powerful? In fact, everything is not so simple.
This performance estimate is very rough and simplistic; it does not take into account many architectural features. In addition, the set-top boxes use different power control schemes.
Features of the architecture of the Xbox Series X
Xbox Series X operates at fixed frequencies. In contrast, Sony has made the frequencies variable. The algorithm monitors the load on the CPU and GPU and delivers power to where it is needed.
Microsoft says fixed clocks will make it easier to optimize games and improve overall stability. At the same time, Sony's approach is smarter: it will reduce power consumption and heat, making you work faster when you need it.
In addition, the PlayStation 5 outperforms the competitor in data access speed. In the Xbox Series X, 16GB of GDDR6 memory is split into two segments, with 10GB running at 560GB / s and the remaining six at 336GB / s. When used together, the average speed reaches 392 GB / s.
In the Sony box, all 16 GB of memory runs at 448 GB / s bandwidth. Also, the PlayStation 5 received a faster SSD-drive (5.5 GB / s versus 2.4 GB / s). This will radically change how data is handled: many of them will be stored on SSDs on demand, rather than clogging up RAM.
PS4 HDD
PS5 SSD
Bandwidth
50-100 MB / s
5.5 GB / s (8-9 GB / s compressed)
Data retrieval time
2-50 ms
Instantly
Download speed
1 GB in 20 sec.
2 GB in 0.27 sec.
Despite the difference in performance, both consoles are quite powerful. Most likely, the stable frequencies and performance of the GPU in the Xbox Series X will manifest themselves in multi-platform games, and the potential of the PlayStation 5 will be revealed in exclusive projects tailored for the console.
Games
Computing power itself is of no value - you need games that can unleash it. In this regard, Sony has a noticeable advantage: the company has long cooperated with many developers and sponsored exclusives for its consoles. The most striking example is the studio Naughty Dog, which gave the world Uncharted and The Last of Us.
Microsoft does not sit idly by either. Since 2018, Xbox Game Studios has expanded to include Ninja Theory, Playground Games, Undead Labs, and Compulsion Games. And that's along with The Coalition and 343 Industries, which are responsible for the Gears and Halo series. In total, the company has 15 studios working on content for the Xbox Series X.
15 studios working on content for the Xbox Series X
The main trump card of the Xbox Series X is support for all games of previous generations. That being said, you can expect increased frame rates and better graphics. The PlayStation 5 will also be backward compatible, but not with all older games. At first, they promise about 100 projects, then everything depends on the developers.
In any case, both consoles will have something to play at the start, and this strikingly distinguishes the new generation from the previous one. Those who bought the PlayStation 4 in the first year after its release will not let lies.
Services
One of the latest trends is subscription services that provide content for a specific time. In the case of Sony and Microsoft, these are PS Now and Xbox Game Pass. However, with a similar model, these services are noticeably different.
PS Now is not officially available in Russia. You can connect it, but you have to put up with the lack of localization in many games and difficulties with payment. A month's subscription costs $ 10, and you can also get it for three or 12 months for $ 25 and $ 60, respectively.
In Russia, Xbox Game Pass is distributed through electronics retail stores. Prices start at 900 rubles per month, for which you get access to 400 games. For comparison, the PS Now library contains almost 800 games.
However, you need to understand that the Microsoft service offers relatively new projects, and most of those available in PS Now were released before 2016. In addition, the average rating of games in Game Pass is significantly higher (76.4 vs. 67.3 points).
Image
Source: STOPGAME
Image
Source: STOPGAME
The Xbox service is much more profitable and convenient, but AAA projects still have to be purchased separately. Still, Microsoft is betting on a subscription model, so Game Pass could get even better in the coming years. Sony is in no hurry to launch PS Now in Russia and make the service competitive.
Support
The PlayStation 5 is positioned as a completely new generation console. New games will not be available to owners of previous models, even though they can technically run on the PlayStation 4 Pro.
Unless Sony's policy changes, the next console will do the same: users will be forced to buy a new model in order to play exclusive games. The problem is that the lifecycle of this generation of consoles could be shorter at five years.
At the same time, Microsoft is not tied to generations, relying on the availability of content. Xbox head Phil Spencer said that new projects from internal studios will not be exclusive to Series X, but will be compatible with Xbox One.
Of course, it is now impossible to predict the state of affairs in 5-7 years, however, with the current trends unchanged, the Xbox console will remain relevant longer.
Price
We will soon find out the cost of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. So far, insiders believe that the Microsoft console will be cheaper due to the company's reimbursement of production costs to the contractor who is engaged in the assembly. This will make the console more attractive at the start of sales.
However, in the long run, the price of consoles is not that important. The main thing is the quality and quantity of games. It's nice that Sony and Microsoft understand this and are guided by the opinion of gamers. So this time the competition will be fierce, which will benefit all of us.
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