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PS5 VS Xbox Series X & S
The PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X competition is still heated almost two years after their launches. Both game systems wowed us in our reviews and continue to do so even as the newest generation picks up steam and the machines get more capabilities and games. Finding out which one is best for you is important if you can only choose one. As a result, Tom's Guide put the two consoles up against one another. Without giving away the results, it was a very tight race between the two high-end platforms. Continue reading to find out how the PS5 and Xbox Series X fare in our comparison.
PS5 | Xbox Series X | |
Price | $500 (PS5); $400 (PS5 Digital Edition) | $500 |
Key Exclusives | Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon II: Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7 | Halo Infinite, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Motorsport 8 |
Backwards Compatibility | Almost all PS4 games, including optimized PS4 Pro titles | All Xbox One games / Select Xbox 360 and original Xbox games |
CPU | 8-core 3.5 GHz AMD Zen 2 | 8-core, 3.8 GHz AMD Zen 2 |
GPU | 10.3 teraflop AMD RDNA 2 | 12.0 teraflop AMD RDNA 2 |
RAM | 16 GB GDDR6 | 16 GB GDDR6 |
Storage | 825 GB custom SSD | 1 TB custom NVMe SSD |
Resolution | Up to 8K | Up to 8K |
Frame Rate | Up to 120 fps | Up to 120 fps |
Optical Disc Drive | 4K UHD Blu-ray (Standard PS5 only) | 4K UHD Blu-ray |
Although specs are useful to know, they only provide a partial picture of performance. This portion is not scored as a result. The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, boasts hardware that is more potent in terms of both GPU and SSD. To see how this hardware performs in use, refer to the performance section.
Xbox Series X vs. Playstation 5 Value
The only difference between the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition is that the former has a hardware 4K Blu-ray disc drive. The latter, as its name implies, lacks a disc drive. The Xbox Series S, on the other hand, contains hardware that is very different from the Xbox Series X, including a weaker GPU, a smaller SSD, less RAM, and other things.
The PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S both have valid uses; the former is for digital diehards, and the latter is for casual gamers or secondary setups. As a result, both consoles have less expensive versions, and both the PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S. It's challenging to choose a clear winner, though, because the Xbox Series S is a little different system and not just a console variant. The most crucial factor at this time is that both fully functional systems have the same price.
PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: Games
Game libraries are handled very differently on the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series X makes the assumption that you'll continue playing the same games you started on the Xbox One and will desire optimal performance for all of your favorites. Contrarily, the PS5 launched with a plethora of exclusive games, though to be fair, the majority of them are also playable on the PS4. (Our article comparing PS5 vs. Xbox Series X exclusive games takes a closer look at this subject.)
It's difficult to argue against the PS5's more interesting game collection right now. Just in terms of first-party games, the PS5 debuted with Astro's Playroom, Demon's Souls, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Demon's Souls. More recently, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart demonstrated exactly how a next-generation game ought to look.
Contrast this with the Xbox Series X, which had no launch-day exclusive games. Instead, Microsoft unveiled a list of 30 games that are "optimized for Xbox Series X/S(opens in new tab)," including well-known games like Gears 5 and Forza Horizon 4. Despite the fact that the Xbox Series X improvements are outstanding, not all of these games are recent releases.