Console gamers assemble, the lead up to the next generation of gaming consoles is intensifying and with each passing day, we get closers to full reveals for both systems.
Yesterday, Sony revealed the specs of the PlayStation 5 following Microsoft’s Xbox Series X reveal two days earlier.
From a spec perspective the two consoles will look like this;
| Tech Specs | PS5 | Xbox Series X |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.5GHz (variable frequency) | 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU |
| Die Size | — | 360.45 mm² |
| Dimensions | — | 151mm x 151mm x 301mm |
| Expandable Storage | NVMe PCIe4 SSD Slot | 1 TB Expansion Card (matches internal storage exactly) |
| External Storage | USB HDD Support | USB 3.2 External HDD Support |
| GPU | 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (variable frequency) | 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz |
| GPU Architecture | Custom RDNA 2 | Custom RDNA 2 |
| I/O Throughput | 5.5GB/s (Raw), Typical 8-9GB/s (Compressed) | 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed, with custom hardware decompression block) |
| Internal Storage | Custom 825GB SSD | 1 TB Custom NVME SSD |
| Memory | 16GB GDDR6/256-bit | 16 GB GDDR6 w/ 320b bus |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448GB/s | 10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s |
| Optical Drive | 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive | 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive |
| Performance Target | — | 4K @ 60 FPS, Up to 120 FPS |
| Process | — | 7nm Enhanced |
| Weight | — | 4.45 kg |
From the raw specs, a lot of people have been declaring that the Xbox Series X is the superior console and whilst the TFLOPS suggest that might be the case – anyone who has followed the console generations in the past will know that raw spec is important but not the be-all and end-all of the battle.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about both consoles with the PS5 being the biggest offender in that regard. We don’t know what it will look like, how much it will weigh or even the target performance of the console. Ultimately though we don’t know much the PS5 or Xbox Series X will cost which will be one of, if not, the most important factors come launch of both systems.
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The PS5 is a going to have a better experience –
– the “I/O” performance is going to be critical in giving the developers better tools to create better games for players.
– the fact that you will be able to buy off the shelf NVME SSD’s to expand the storage which will be cheaper than the custom SSD that Microsoft have created will also be an advantage.
The way I see the SSD issue playing out is as follows; initially the Microsoft custom external SSD will be cheaper and easier to use out of the box while those looking to buy an extra SSD for PS5’s will pay an arm and a leg because right now in the market there aren’t any SSD’s that meet PS5’s standard yet meaning these will initially be very expensive.
Later on in the console generation however, the PS5 will offer cheaper expandable storage because as you say their solution is off the shelf but Microsoft’s memory card like solution will probably hold it’s price for a significant portion of the generation.
You know what? In the end what matters is the feel and comfort of all xbox controllers. In fact ps has had to copy the central divot on the joysticks of the xbox controller in order for the gamers thumbs to be more comfortable over long periods of play.
Plus the position of the left joystick of an xbox controller (which does more work than the right joystick) is closer to the edge of the controller and therefore your thumb in relation to the hand maintains a more natural position resulting in less fatigue
You would not have to stretch your thumb away from the hand to reach the joystick.
Ps3 controllers and below have no divot on the joystick and I remember how the rounded head always dug into my thumb. I played ps3 and xbox360 extensively before deciding on the xbox. Also online FPS gameplay in zim was difficult for ps3 and below with a lot of lag as the service was free whereas xbox online(paid service) was smooth as far back as 2012 and this was on Telone internet for both consoles.
True the Xbox controller has always been a touch above. Pros and cons on both consoles
Lol more like a slap above. Indeed, pros and cons are there.
This is not an “either or” contest. You just buy what you want, even both, if you can afford them. Some titles aren’t available on both consoles anyways. In my experience, titles are the primary basis for choosing a console.
Initial specs could also be intentionally downspec’d, to allow for a later release of a PS5 Pro or XBox X+, to keep the gravy train going. Better specs don’t necessarily mean better gameplay either, because in the beginning, most games don’t fully utilise the hardware.
If you are a Xbox or PS hardliner, you’ll miss out on great pleasures just for the purpose of sticking to your guns.