An In-Depth Xbox Series X Vs. PS5 Comparison

Are you struggling to decide between the Xbox Series X and PS5? Our comprehensive PS5 vs Xbox Series X guide will help you create a distinction between the two and make the right decision.

In the past, the easiest way to choose a console would have been to choose the same brand your friends were using, especially if you were worried about multiplayer gaming. With contemporary games now offering cross-platform and cross-play capabilities, multiplayer gaming has become less of a concern, with the conversation now shifting towards raw horsepower and many other specs.

In this article, we are going to pit Xbox Series X against PlayStation 5, compare everything from performance, design, and game libraries to crown an overall champion, and help you make an informed decision when choosing the best gaming console for you.

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Xbox Series X vs. PS5: Price

Let’s start with the basics. Using pricing as the metric, both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 seem to tie as they cost $500 per piece. With that said, however, the standard PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X aren’t the only variants available as there’s also the PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S, which cost $400 and $300 respectively.

Both the PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition are almost identical, with the only difference being a 4K Blu-ray physical disc drive in the PS5, which is missing in the latter. The Xbox Series S, on the other hand, comes with a significantly less powerful GPU, less RAM, a smaller SSD, and so forth.

Although the two consoles have cheaper variants, their full-fledged systems cost the same price, which is what we’re solely focused on at the moment.

Winner: Draw

Xbox Series X vs. PS5: Design

Both the Xbox Series X and PS5 look strikingly different. For starters, the Xbox Series X comes with a matte black tower PC, which is a clear departure from the older Xbox One. In terms of size, it measures 30 x 15 x 15cm and weighs 4.45kg, making it portable and ideal for small spaces. Under the hood, the Xbox Series X is fitted with a 130mm fan, which helps keeps it cool through the vents located at the top and bottom of the body. And unlike in its predecessors, the Xbox Series X does not come with optical output and HDMI input.

The PS5, on the other hand, comes with sci-fi and a futuristic design. The body features a glossy white finish, silhouette against a stealthy matte black paint, making it appear like a device from the future. In the dimensions department, the PS5 is huge. Coming in at 5.4 x 4.1 x 10.2 inches, it is the largest console out there, which may cause issues for people with limited space, considering you need to leave space around it for sufficient airflow.

And just like the Xbox Series X, the PlayStation 5 uses a single fan, although it is unusually large if the prevailing console standards are anything to go by. This huge fan is relatively audible in a silent room, although it is easily drowned out by the sound coming from your TV set.

But perhaps the most exciting element of the PlayStation5 is its DualSense controller. It leverages haptic feedback, which simulates all subtle hand vibrations, making the gaming experience more immersive.

When it comes to the disc drives, both consoles are noisier compared to their fans, especially when playing a 4K Blu-ray. Ultimately, the practicality of Xbox Series X makes it the better option, at least in the design department.

Winner: Xbox Series X

Xbox Series X vs. PS5: Specs

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X take a similar approach in the specs department, although there are several key differences to point out.

Right off the bat, the PS5 is powered by a custom-built, third-generation AMD Ryzen chipset, which packs 8 cores and Zen 2 architecture and Navi graphics. This is compounded by a 3.5GHz CPU and paired with a 2.23GHz GPU, 16GB of GDDR6, and 825GB SSD, which allows the PS5 to
support features like ray tracing.

The PlayStation5 also supports up to 8K screen resolution, which is an abrupt departure from the increasingly popular 4K resolution. Still, the 120Hz refresh rates allow you to enjoy super-smooth game movement, especially when using HDMI 2.1 compliant display. And to support 3D output and multiple sound sources, the PS5 utilizes Sony’s new Tempest Engine.

The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, puts its best leg forward by using the custom AMD Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architecture of the PS5, which makes it 2x more powerful compared to the Xbox One X.

In terms of performance, the Xbox Series X GPU churns out 12 teraflops of computing performance and runs at a locked 1,825GHz. Better yet, the GPUs don’t fluctuate between speeds, ensuring you enjoy consistent clock speed regardless of the unit’s temperature or the game you're playing.

The unit is also fitted with a customized 8 cores and 16 threads AMD Zen 2 CPU. Interestingly, you can disable simultaneous multithreading (SMT) to ramp up the speeds to a peak of 3.8GHz.

In terms of resolution, the Xbox Series X supports 8K resolution, and 120Hz 4K, when using an HDMI 2.1 compliant TV. the unit also offers DirectX ray tracing capabilities which put it at the same level as the PS5. it is also fitted with an internal 1TB NVMe SSD, which can be utilized as virtual RAM to pump up the load speeds by up to 40x. The Xbox Series X also includes a pleasing update with the inclusion of 16GB RAM.

So far, these specs show a tight contest between the two consoles, especially on the raw performance front. With that said, however, the inclusion of features like the Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate for HDMI 2.1 support, and communication improvements gives the Xbox Series X a slight lead over the PS5.

Winner: Xbox Series X.

Xbox Series X vs. PS5: Games

When it comes to the games libraries, both Sony and Microsoft take fundamentally different approaches. In the Xbox Series X, for example, the manufacturer assumes that you’ll pick up the same catalog previously found on the Xbox One and that you’ll want optimized gaming performance across all your favorite games. The PlayStation5, on the other hand, offers a bevy of exclusive game titles, most of whom were launched alongside the new console.

To be fair, PS5 offers a more exciting game catalog. In terms of first-party titles, the PS5 offers Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Astro’s Playroom, and Demon’s Souls. The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, didn’t have any exclusive games at launch, but instead released 30 “optimized” titles for Xbox Series X/S, including Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

Beyond that, both the Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles offer a decent mix of third-party titles, like Borderlands 3, Fortnite, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Call
of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and many others. Still, both units have excellent backward compatibility features, making it easier to play even when using different variants of the consoles respectively.

Winner: PS5

Xbox Series X Vs PS5: Which Console Wins?

From the above comparison, it is extremely hard to call the battle in favor of either Xbox Series X and PS5, meaning there isn’t any conclusive winner. To provide a very simple answer, the best gaming console for you is the one that offers exactly what you’re looking for. On the one hand, the Xbox Series X is a complete entertainment package that is stonkingly powerful in terms of performance and well-equipped to cater to everyone.