PS5 v Xbox Series X: Which should you buy?

If you are one of those who cannot decide between the two consoles, and we have our Xbox Series X review for you to read, here are some details about both that may help you make up your mind. And there is a lot to consider other than just the price, with the games, specs, power and the speed of the console all with considering before making the investment.

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Xbox Series X v PS5: Quick Facts

Price: Both consoles clock in at £449 here in the UK, but the digital versions of each have a difference. The PS5 digital console costs £359.99 while the Xbox Series S is priced at £249.99.

Release date: There wasn't much in it for the main releases for both consoles with the Xbox Series X launching November 10th worldwide while the PS5 landed, in most places, on November 12th Here in the UK, however, we had to wait a little longer for the PS5 which is set to come out on November 19th.

Which is more powerful? The two main consoles are pretty evenly matched for the most part when it comes to key system factors (although Xbox certainly has the edge) , but there are certainly differences between the two digital consoles The PS5 wins hands down here with the Xbox Series S not being the full next-generation machine that many had hoped- leaning closer in terms of specs to the Xbox One X.

Games: A win for Sony here- at least when it comes to exclusives. Xbox has been trailing for some time in this area with the Playstation having far more original content up their sleeves at the time of writing. But Xbox does have Gamespass that now includes EA Play and that comes with a huge amount of games to download and play for a low monthly cost- and they have recently purchased Bethesda.

Reactions: Again, things are evenly matched between the two with pros and cons to be found for both. For the Xbox, the lack of new games to play is a downside, while faults aimed at the PS5 include a lack of storage space and no current way to get more. But overall, regardless of the console, reviews for each have been largely positive.

PS5 v Xbox Series X price

The Xbox Series X costs £449 at its launch price($499 for you readers in the USA). Interestingly, there are plans available that will allow you to have, not only the new console but Gamespass, which will soon include EA Play, at a monthly cost. If the idea of not forking out nearly £500 in one go appeals, then you will be able to play next-gen for £28.99 a month.

GAME and Smyths Toys will be the ones to go to for this deal here in the UK while in America, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Microsoft Store and Walmart will be your port of call. As with all credit plans, this will be subject to eligibility.

Or you can take advantage of places that allow you to pay for things monthly, such as John Lewis - when they are back in stock of course.

Xbox does also have the smaller, digital-only, budget version of the console, the Xbox Series S that hit shelves on the same day too which costs £249. Both will be available for pre-order on September 22nd with a release date of November 10th.

PlayStation 5 has matched the Xbox when it comes to the main console at a £449.99 price, but its digital-only version will cost significantly more coming in at £349.99. Both PlayStation consoles will release on the same day too, November 19th in the Uk- it came out on November 12th in certain parts of the world.

PS5 v Xbox Series X Specs

For all you technically minded people out there, here are the specifications of the upcoming PlayStation 5:

CPU: AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores at 3.5GHz (variable frequency)
GPU: 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (variable frequency)
GPU architecture: Custom RDNA 2
Memory interface: 16GB GDDR6 / 256-bit
Memory bandwidth: 448GB/s
Internal storage: Custom 825GB SSD
Expandable storage: NVMe SSD slot
External storage: USB HDD support
Optical drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray drive

And here is what we know about what the Xbox Series X has to offer:

CPU: 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU
GPU: 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU
Die Size: 360.45 mm2
Process: 7nm Enhanced
Memory: 16 GB GDDR6 w/ 320b bus
Memory Bandwidth: 10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s
Internal Storage: 1TB Custom NVME SSD
Expandable Storage: 1TB Expansion Card (matches internal storage exactly)
External Storage: USB 3.2 External HDD Support
Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive

Read more: Best Nintendo Switch games

PS5 v Xbox Series X Design

The PlayStation 5 has a sleek design with the new console looking just as much at home sitting upright than it did with consoles of the past - something that helps with the space that they can take up. The white colour addition is a new and welcome change and the blades on either side of the console will allow it to stay cool and remain much quieter than the noise that the PlayStation 4 was known for making. It looks the part for a next-generation console and will look sleek as part of any home entertainment set up.

The Xbox Series X has opted for a design that really represents that the power behind the console. It has changed the style from previous versions and does resemble a PC tower now, albeit one that is much smaller, but the simplicity of it really is something to be commended and it too will look great next to your TV.

Both consoles also support 4K Blu-rays which was a strange and controversial omission from the last PlayStation console (Microsoft included this from the launch of the One S) although it was prone to errors, which is something we hope they have rectified now.

PS5 v Xbox Series X Games

Here's where things get interesting. The PlayStation, without question, leads the way when it comes to exclusive games and it has done for years. There really is no comparison as the quality of the titles, and the amount of them, far outweighs that of Microsoft. And that looks set to continue with the PlayStation 5 already having new exclusive titles ready to go; including Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Check out our list of the all the games coming out on the PS5.

But while the PlayStation does have PlayStation Now as a subscription service to play a wealth of games, Microsoft is leading the way here with Gamespass, soon to be merged with EA Play (formerly EA Access) at no extra cost, giving gamers access to a staggering amount of games. And while Xbox is trailing with exclusives, it does add them to Gamespass as soon as they are available which is a massive saving for fans of popular titles such as Gears, Halo and Forza.

That could be about to change though following Microsoft purchasing Bethesda, and the recent rumours that they may be looking to get their hands on Sega. If they do make a lot of these games exclusives, that would certainly level the playing field- games like Fallout being exclusive to the Xbox would be huge. For what is confirmed so far, here is our list of all the Xbox Series games due for release.

Games to buy on PS5 and Xbox Series X

• Assassins' Creed Valhalla on the PS5 £51.99 on Amazon
• Far Cry 6 on the PS5 £59.99 on Amazon
• The Falconeer on Xbox Series X £33.59 on Amazon
• Watch Dogs Legion on Xbox Series X £54.99 on Game

Verdict

Both consoles are powerful, fast, and look incredible when played on a 4K HDR-ready TV and there are certainly arguments to be made for both. If you want a console that will give you tons of exclusive games that are normally critically acclaimed, then the PlayStation is for you. But if you're looking to play something that can give you access to countless, continually updated games and the chance to play exclusives at a reasonable monthly cost, you may want to cast your eye in Xbox's direction.

Other than it looking as though the PlayStation 5 will be a bit quicker than the Xbox One X and will likely leave you spending slightly less time staring at loading screens, the two consoles are fairly evenly matched when it comes to the technical aspects. The choice is yours, but either will be a worthy investment and games will never have looked better on either.

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