Sony finally revealed the price of the PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition at yesterday’s PS5 showcase. However, many fans are now feeling overwhelmed with which console is best for them in terms of longevity, value and other features. Find out which one you should get by looking at our comparison of all 3 consoles and each individual factor that will influence your purchase as a buyer.
Before we start, here is a table comparing the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series X, and the PlayStation 5/PlayStation 5 Digital Edition.
| Xbox Series X | Xbox Series S | PlayStation 5 / PlayStation 5 Digital Edition | |
| CPU | 8X Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.66 GHz w/SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU | 8X Cores @ 3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz w/SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU | x86-64-AMD Ryzen™ “Zen 2” 8 Cores / 16 Threads Variable frequency, up to 3.5 GHz |
| GPU | 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU | 4 TFLOPS, 20 CUs @1.565 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU | AMD Radeon™ RDNA 2-based graphics engine Ray Tracing Acceleration Variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS) |
| RAM | Memory. 16GB GDDR6 w/320 bit-wide bus Memory Bandwidth. 10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s. (I/O Throughput. 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed, with custom hardware decompression block) | Memory. 10GB GDDR6 128 bit-wide bus Memory Bandwidth. 8GB @ 224 GB/s, 2GB @ 56 GB/s. I/O Throughput. 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed, with custom hardware decompression block) | GDDR6 16GB 448GB/s Bandwidth |
| Storage | 1TB Custom NVME SSD | 512GB Custom NVME SSD | 825GB 5.5GB/s Read Bandwidth (Raw) |
| Video Targets | 4K at 60FPS, other resolutions at 120FPS. HDR up to 8K HDMI Features. Auto Low Latency Mode. HDMI Variable Refresh Rate. AMD FreeSync. | 1440p at 120FPS, other resolutions also 120FPS. HDMI Features. Auto Low Latency Mode. HDMI Variable Refresh Rate. AMD FreeSync. | 4K at 60FPS, other resolutions at 120FPS. |
| Sound capabilities | Dolby Digital 5.1 DTS 5.1 Dolby TrueHD with Atmos Up to 7.1 L-PCM | L-PCM, up to 7.1 Dolby Digital 5.1 DTS 5.1 Dolby TrueHD with Atmos | “Tempest” 3D AudioTech |
| Ports & connection options | HDMI. 1x HDMI 2.1 port USB. 3x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports Wireless. 802.11ac dual band Ethernet. 802.3 10/100/1000 Accessories radio. Dedicated dual band Xbox Wireless radio. | HDMI. 1x HDMI 2.1 port USB. 3x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports Wireless. 802.11ac dual band Ethernet. 802.3 10/100/1000 Accessories radio. Dedicated dual band Xbox Wireless radio | USB Type-A port (Hi-Speed USB)USB Type-A port (Super-Speed USB 10Gbps) x2 USB Type-C® port (Super-Speed USB 10Gbps) Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/axBluetooth® 5.1 |
| Power consumption | – | – | PS5: 350W PS5 Digital Edition: 340W |
| Weight | 4.44 Kg (Weight 9.8 lbs.) | 1.93 Kg (Weight. 4.25 lbs.) | PS5: 4.5kg (Weight. 9.92 lbs.) PS5 Digital Edition: 3.9kg (Weight. 8.60 lbs.) |
| Physical dimensions | Dimensions 15.1cm x 15.1cm x 30.1cm (Width x height x depth) | Dimensions. 6.5cm x 15.1cm x 27.5cm (Width x height x depth) | PS5: Approx. 39cm x 10.4cm x 26cm (width x height x depth) PS5 Digital Edition: Approx. 39cm x 9.2cm x 26cm (width x height x depth) (excludes largest projection, excludes Base) |
| Price | $499 | $299 | $499/$399 |
With all of the above out of the way, let’s get into all the different factors that can influence your purchase.
Value for your console
This is where the Xbox consoles win hands down. Yes, Sony put up a spectacular show yesterday, but if you read our previous comparison article, you will find out all the features and benefits you’re getting by paying the $34.99 / $24.99 monthly for your Xbox Series X / Xbox Series S respectively.
In one neat bundle, you’re getting the console, Xbox Game Pass, EA Play, and Xbox Live Gold. Stretched out for 2 years, for money you would spend on coffee in a week or two.
So far, Sony has just offered the PlayStation Plus Collection, a library of first-party and third-party PS4 titles that can be downloaded and played if you already have PS+. In addition, Sony has stated 99% support for PS4 games, but nothing as enticing as Game Pass or EA Play is present, or any bundled deal.
Winner: Xbox Series X/S
Storage options
Both consoles tie up here. While it is rumored that the 1TB expandable storage for the Xbox Series X/S could cost $220, we also don’t have any news on Sony’s custom SSD solution.
In the end, at the start of the console generation, you will have to make do with the storage you have until more market players compete for selling you the same storage solutions supported by the companies and buying the one that offers the best value.
While you can attach a USB 3.0 or above hard drive to your Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5/Digital Edition, this will most probably be for expanding your Xbox One/PS4 library access and won’t offer you the features of the Xbox Velocity Architecture or Sony’s fast loading tech.
For now, this is a stalemate as both consoles offer almost the same storage out the door, except the Series S which offers 512GB.
Winner: No One(yet)
Performance
The one thing we took away from the PS4/Xbox One console generation is that Teraflops are not a measure of power. The base PS4 offered a paltry 1.84 Terflops and the PS4 Pro offered 4.2 Teraflops versus the Xbox One 1.31 Teraflop, Xbox One S 1.40 Teraflop and the Xbox One X 6 Teraflops.
However, when it comes down to the wire, Sony made some absolutely breathtaking games in this generation such as Spider-Man, God of War, The Last of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, and so many other games that were visual marvels and with photo mode made the game into individual works of art.
Unfortunately, the Xbox One had only a few games under its belt such as Forza Horizon 3, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, Forza Motorsport 6, etc.
Yes, we had Halo and Gears games throughout, but none of them pushed the envelope or were as memorable like they did on the Xbox 360. Halo Infinite hopefully rectifies that.
In the end, Sony won with their exclusives in terms of commercial and critical reception.
With yesterday’s demonstration of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, Final Fantasy XVI, and more, Sony has shown that they are aiming for truly next-generation visuals. Games that will make you sit in awe and say “this is what I paid $499 for!”.
For now, we have yet to see any major title run on the Xbox Series X yet (yes, Dirt 5 was shown running on an Xbox Series S yesterday, but show me a new Gears Title running on an Xbox Series X instead).
Winner: PS5 (For now)
Size & Portability
You can see from the above the bulkiest consoles starts with the PS5 / Digital Edition, then the Xbox Series X, followed by the Xbox Series S. This is all with regard to physical size and weight.
While most console owners will seldom move their console, there are people who frequently move their consoles. Students who live in dorms, people who frequently travel for work etc.
This is where you have to look at the logistical expenses to see if you have enough room in that suitcase for your PS5 or an Xbox Series S.
Your mileage may vary, but this is where you have to give credit to the Xbox Series S for being smaller than the PS4, the lightest of either console while still packing a punch, and allows you to play 120FPS without breaking a sweat.
Winner: Xbox Series S
Online Play & options
While you could grab the Xbox Series X/S for $34.99 a month or $24.99 a month and get Xbox Live Gold bundled, you’re still going to have to pay for online games even free to play ones. This is worth keeping in mind since prominent games like Fortnite is headed as a launch title for the Xbox Series and PS5.
This is where Sony wins. As long as the base game is free, you don’t have to pay. Currently, Rocket League is set to go free to play on September 23rd, but Microsoft is still the only one that still makes Xbox One users pay for free to play online games such as Apex Legends, Call of Duty Warzone, Fortnite and more, and will also bring Rocket League in the umbrella.
PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch owners will go from needing PS+/Nintendo Switch Online to not needing either service to play online and still enjoy crossplay.
Keep in mind, a year of Xbox Live Gold costs $59.99 and while you do get a lot of perks with it, if you mainly plan on buying a console just for free to play online games/single player games, you’re better off buying the PS5.
Winner: PS5
Backward compatibility
The Xbox Series X can play Xbox games, Xbox 360, Xbox One that are supported in the backward compatibility program introduced with the Xbox One S. With Microsoft constantly adding new games to that list, it continues to grow and as such helps add variety to an already enormous library of games.
The Xbox One S can’t emulate Xbox One X optimised games, so it will downscale games to the Xbox One S compatibility guidelines in terms of graphics.
The PS5, however, will only be able to play PS4 games. There were rumors of the console being able to play PS1, PS2, and PS3 games as well, but Sony has confirmed that rumor to be false. As such, if you want the ability to play a mix of PS3 and PS4 games, you will have to subscribe to PSNow separately.
Winner: Xbox Series X
Summary
For now, the winner can’t be crowned conclusively. While I am personally inclined toward the PS5, you can read all of the above and decide for yourself which console best suits you for your needs.
If you’re eager to try Sony’s offerings of exclusives, the PS5 is a safe bet.
If you’re willing to play through the games offered by Game Pass and EA Play, along with other third-party titles like Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War, while waiting for Halo Infinite, the Xbox Series is the way to go.
The only major dividing factor is Microsoft’s reluctance to making free to play behind a paywall. If you plan on buying the Xbox Series consoles without the monthly plan, you’ll have to put $59.99 extra just for Xbox Live Gold to play Fortnite with your friends.
With all of the above, we hope we have given you enough information to help you decide which console is best for you.