Which is superior, the PS5 or the Xbox Series X?

The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, the upcoming generation of consoles, debuted in 2020 and have since become enormously popular with players. Not to mention the updated small PS5s and the less powerful but less expensive Xbox Series S.

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A revolution in resolution was usually brought about by previous console wars, but this time around, the mid-generation Xbox One X and PS4 Pro handled the transition to 4K and HDR.

Alternatively, the revolution in frame rate and ray tracing is embodied by the PS5 and Xbox Series X. While 4K is still the goal, games have improved in speed, responsiveness, and overall aesthetics.

Although this may not seem as significant to some as the upgrade from, say, the PS3 to the PS4, it’s crucial to keep in mind that both the PS3 and the PS4 were capable of 1080p output. The PS5 and Series X really mark significant power increases.

Check out the whole comparison between the Series X and PS5 below. The whole tale is more intricate than you may imagine, not to mention the debate over 4K Blu-ray playback and the best streamer.

PS5 versus Xbox Series X: cost comparison

Sony increased the price of the PlayStation 5 (disc edition) in a few regions in August 2022. The price is now £480, $499, or AU$800. The Xbox Series X costs £449 / $499 / AU$749 in the UK and Australia, which is a little discount.

For every console, there are less expensive disc-free versions. It just costs £249 / $299 / AU$499 for the Xbox Series S. The PS5 Digital Edition costs £390 / $399, or AU$650, which is significantly more.

Additionally, Sony has released thin versions of both PS5s. Pricing for the disc edition Slim is the same as for the original; however, it’s interesting to note that the disc-less Slim costs £389.99 / $449.99 / AU$679.95, which is little more than the original.

For your disc-less Slim, you can get a disc drive, but the pleasure will set you back £100 / $80 / AU$159. Also, none of the PS5 Slims comes with a vertical stand; if you’re interested, you can purchase one for £25 / $30 / AU$49.

Sony has said publicly that only Slims would be sold when the original PS5’s supply runs out, which hasn’t happened as of this writing. Thus, the PS5 Slim really represents the PS5’s future.

While the Xbox Series S has some performance compromises in comparison to the Xbox Series X, the PS5 Digital Edition is just a regular PS5 without the disc drive. Put differently, the two next-generation consoles without a disc aren’t intended to directly compete with one another.

PS5 against Xbox Series X: layout

The Xbox Series X’s appearance is reminiscent of a tower PC that is matte black and can be arranged horizontally or vertically. This distinguishes it significantly from the Xbox One. It has dimensions of 30 x 15 x 15 cm (hwd), weighs 4.45 kg, and has a 130mm fan that pulls cold air up via bottom vents and expels heated air through top outlets. In contrast to earlier Xbox versions, there isn’t an optical or HDMI output.

The PS5 has a more futuristic style than the Xbox Series X, which has a more practical design. Its sleek white finish and curved contours juxtapose with the Xbox’s geometric design and covert matte black paint job.

According to some, the white shell of the PS5 resembles a high-collared catsuit. It also includes an aperture that forms a ‘V’ and may indicate that it is the fifth generation PlayStation.

In terms of size, the PS5 is incredibly large. It’s somewhat smaller than the Xbox Series X (14 cm vs. 15 cm), but it stands much taller (39 cm vs. 30 cm). Although the PS5 may be arranged horizontally if desired, its size can still provide problems for people whose equipment racks are small, especially as you need to leave room for air to circulate around it.

Similar to the Xbox Series X, the PS5 cools itself using a single, remarkably huge (for a console) fan, and it does it extremely silently. Although it’s not totally silent like the Xbox Series X, the steady whirr is modest enough to be muffled by any noise from your TV or sound system.

The disc drive is louder than the fan on both systems, especially when a 4K Blu-ray is being played. But in this case, the PS5 is estimated to be around 5dB quieter than the Xbox. That’s sufficient to create a difference, and although while neither will interfere with the music of your favorite film, you’re more likely to notice the Xbox during the quietest parts. At least when it comes to games, it isn’t a problem because even those that are purchased on disc use the consoles’ internal storage primarily.

Should you choose to get a PS5 Slim, it is around 30% smaller and either 24% or 18% lighter, contingent upon your preference for a disc drive. The Slim’s design is largely similar to the original, however it has a sleeker overall appearance because it isn’t as bulky as its larger sibling.

It’s also important to note that the PS5 Slim does not come with a vertical stand; therefore, you will need to purchase one separately if you intend to use your PS5 Slim upright. Sony includes plastic feet to lay your PS5 Slim horizontally, however these may not be suitable for all setups and require an extra purchase.

In the end, the Xbox is the more useful of the two systems even if it has a less appealing appearance. But the PS5 Slim variant significantly lessens the weight of the original model, which makes it simpler to squeeze into confined areas.

Specs: PS5 vs. Xbox Series X

Prior to delving into the specifications, it is crucial to note that two PS5 variants are now in circulation: the CFI-1000 launch version and the updated CFI-1100 edition.

There isn’t a new PS5 system available yet, so don’t panic. The modifications include a few small external adjustments as well as inside heatsink adjustments. Thankfully, early concerns about the newer model running hotter have been allayed because both consoles provide the same performance and gameplay. Now that this is obvious, let’s get started:

The Xbox Series X seems to have the upper hand against the PS5 in the battle of the spec sheets. Both devices include eight-core AMD CPUs, while the PS5’s and Xbox’s clock speeds are 3.5GHz and 3.8GHz, respectively. AMD graphics processors are used by both systems; the Xbox’s graphics processors can produce 12 teraflops of power, compared to the PS5’s 10.28 teraflops.

Instead of using mechanical hard disk drives, both consoles employ solid-state drives, or SSDs; Microsoft offers a terabyte of storage compared to the PS5’s 825GB. However, the PS5’s storage is so quickly built and integrated by Sony—more than twice as quick as the Series X’s, in fact—that it practically improves console performance as a whole.

The revised Slim variants have the same full-fat 1TB internal storage as the Xbox Series X, whereas the original PS5 had 825GB. You will save a little space if you choose the original PS5, while supplies last, but you will have to pay a bit more if you choose the thin disc-less model.

However, neither console delivers 8K using its full potential. 8K isn’t an option in either machine’s menus, despite both firms mentioning it on different occasions in the lead-up to launch. Rather, the performance aim in both scenarios is 4K at 60Hz, with 120Hz and/or certain fancy next-generation graphics enhancements made accessible by some games.

The most important of such next-generation graphics elements is ray tracing. With the capacity to change nearly everything you see on screen, this new (console) technology greatly enhances lighting, shadows, and reflections, giving games a far more realistic visual. It is supported on both consoles.

Games frequently give you the option to select between presentation and performance, which essentially comes down to choosing between ray tracing and greater frame rates. It is important to note, however, that gaming at 120 frames per second is only possible if your TV can receive 4K@120Hz signals, which not many do at the moment. Actually, the LG OLED48CX is the only model under 55 inches that offers 4K@120Hz that we are aware of. For inspiration, see our list of the top gaming TVs.

TVs are increasingly featuring VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), with the latter being especially beneficial for gaming. However, these are presently only compatible with the Xbox Series X. Along with adding VRR capability to the majority of its 2022 and 2021 TVs, Sony also integrated VRR to the PS5.

In the end, there’s not much of a performance difference between the two consoles when it comes to gaming. When the same game is played on both systems, the graphics fidelity, performance, and loading times are almost the same. As truly made-for-next-generation games get more complex and graphically demanding, any performance gaps could become more noticeable, but for now, they’re essentially tied. A recent update for the PS5 appears to have made a slight difference in certain titles (about a 1-3 percent performance bump), but overall, the competition is still extremely close.