Gabe Newell chooses the Xbox Series X over the PS5 in the next-gen console war

Gabe Newell, the co-founder of Valve, announced on a New Zealand current affairs show that he believes the Xbox Series X to be superior to the PS5 console.

Newell, who was in New Zealand on a break after the release of Half-Life: Alyx, has not been able to return to the USA after the Covid-19 pandemic.

He appeared on The Project to promote his free concert called 'We Love Aotearoa', hosted in Auckland as a thank you to the citizens for welcoming him to their country. Here's what he had to say about the next-gen consoles.

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What did Gabe Newell say about the Xbox Series X?

When questioned about the next-gen consoles, Newell told the presenters that the Xbox is the better console.

The Valve co-founder followed up by adding, "I don't have a stake in that race," alluding to Valve's focus on the PC gaming market, before admitting that "Of the two, I would definitely go for an Xbox."

When asked why he thought the Xbox is the best next-gen console, Newell simply replied, "Because it's better."

You can see Gabe Newell's full interview below:

Why does Gabe Newell prefer the Xbox?

Newell's view that the Series X is better is not one shared by the wider gaming community, who seem excited for Xbox Game Pass but prefer the PlayStation 5 as a console.

However, Newell's choice may be down to the Xbox Series X's similarities to a Windows PC and overall power advantage over the PlayStation 5.

Newell may also prefer Xbox as a partner due to their greater support for the PC as a gaming platform, having made most of their Xbox One exclusives available on the PC via the Microsoft Store or Steam.

PlayStation is also expanding into the PC market, though at a much slower rate, with Horizon Zero Dawnreleasing onto Steam in August.

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