Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5? Which next-gen console to buy
This holiday season brings a special treat for gaming fans as both Sony and Microsoft will be releasing their next-generation consoles in November.
However, since both consoles will be launching head to head it's quite confusing for buyers to decide which console to pick up.
Sony, which is making a stylistic departure from recent generations with the predominantly white PlayStation 5, is offering the version without a disk drive as digital downloads become standard.
The PS5 disc edition comes at a price tag of $499, while the digital edition will cost $399.
On the other hand, Microsoft's next-generation offering includes the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S and both consoles are equipped with different hardware.
The Xbox Series S will be priced at $299.99 and comes without a disc drive, while the more powerful Xbox Series X is priced at $499.99. Sony, widely seen as the victor of the last generation console battle, already offers cloud gaming via the PlayStation Now service, but this is not available on mobile devices.
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If we breakdown the hardware of both consoles, despite differences in hardware specifications both gaming systems will be offering its users 4K resolution at an average rate of 60 frames per second.
Some games will be able to run at 120 frames per second, such as Call of Duty.
The difference in graphics between current and next-generation consoles will be insignificant, for the casual gamer as someone playing ‘Ghost of Tsushima' on the PS4 Pro or ‘Forza' on Xbox One, is less likely to be blown away by the resolution of next-generation consoles, even with ray tracing.
However, all next-generation consoles will have minimal loading times, compared to the current generation systems, a difference that will be noticeable for gamers.
Sony's PS5 digital edition that comes at a lower price point offers the same performance as its premium version.
Whereas, Microsoft's cheaper option (Series S) has a lower resolution compared to its premium Series X model (1080p-1440p vs 4k), but it will be the cheapest next-generation console in the market.
In terms of games, subscribers to the Xbox cloud service will be able to play hit titles like “Sea of Thieves” and “Gears 5” at no additional cost, besides the monthly fee. The games library is seen as key for the incumbents looking to maintain their lead.
Microsoft has also launched its Xbox cloud gaming service priced at $1 for new users' first month, in a major drive to attract casual gamers with the promise of cutting ties to the living room and as competition with Sony heats up.
Subscribers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, priced at $14.99 monthly, will be able to play more than 150 games via the cloud on Xbox consoles, Android devices, and PCs.
While Sony said the latest edition of the controversial blockbuster video game Grand Theft Auto, in which players engaged in rampant criminal activity, is being tuned for PS5 with expanded content and improved performance.
Games shown during the PS5 event included Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales and first-person shooter Deathloop in which rival assassins are locked in a time loop on an island rife with enemies. The car racing game Gran Turismo 7 was also shown off, along with a Resident Evil Village addition to the hit survival-themed franchise.
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The number of downloadable games using the PlayStation subscription is limited, forcing users to stream games – a pointless option for people in Pakistan.
On the contrary, Microsoft's subscription service enables users to download all the games available in their Game Pass library, without any restriction.
Those opting to purchase Xbox subscription service will not have to spend money on games such as Halo, Gears of War, Forza, while PlayStation owners will need to spend an additional fifty to sixty dollars per game on new games like Spiderman and Horizon.
To conclude, keeping hardware, pricing, and games in mind Xbox’s series offers better value for the money.
For $299, gamers get access to a next-generation console and by spending an additional $150 towards an annual subscription Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (which will also include EA access) you will never need to spend an additional penny on any game.
Hence, for a total spend of $450, you will be able to play hundreds of games, online and offline, all year and PlayStation 5 cannot compete with this offering.