The ultimate PS5 vs Xbox Series X buying guide: Which next-gen console is right for you?

It finally seems like we know everything we need to about the next-gen of console gaming. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are set to go head-to-head later this year as gamers across the world make the tough choice over which console to buy.

With both Sony and Microsoft adopting pretty different gaming philosophies for this generation, even though cross-platform gaming is slowly becoming the norm, picking the correct console is an important decision that needs to be made, quickly.

Luckily, if you're one of the few yet to make up your mind, or are looking to buy one for somebody else, then you've come to the right place! We've compiled a non-bias, fair comparison between all the most important elements of console gaming, so you can make your decision.

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PS5 vs Xbox Series X price

Ultimately, many purchases will boil down to the basic cost of the product. In the case of the next-gen consoles, both Sony and Microsoft have chosen the same price points for their respective products.

ThePlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X both cost £449/$499, meaning when it comes down to the simple pricing of the core product, nothing can separate the two. This is in contrast to when the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launched in 2013, with the PS4 releasing at $399 compared to the Xbox One's $499 price tag.

Both PlayStation and Xbox are expected to continue their premium subscription services, Xbox Live Gold and PS Plus, meaning neither platform will offer free multiplayer gaming.

PS5 vs Xbox Series X release date

This is where the differences start to creep in. The Xbox Series X releases slightly earlier than the PlayStation 5, hitting the shelves on November 10. The PlayStation 5 will launch on November 12.

However, the PlayStation 5's will only release on November 12 for customers in the following countries: USA, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. For those outside of these countries, the console will launch on November 19 instead.

Ultimately, both consoles will be released in November, just ahead of the profitable holiday season, and there's not enough of a difference between the dates to give either console an advantage.

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PS5 vs Xbox Series X design

Both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 have diverted from the traditional console design as we go into the next generation of console gaming.

When it comes to dimensions, the Xbox is slightly smaller than the PS5, coming in at 30.1 x 15.1 x 15.1cm. The PS5 comes in at 39.0 x 26.0 x 10.4cm. The PS5 weighs 4.5kg compared to the Xbox Series X's weight of 4.45kg.

If you're lacking in space for your console, the Xbox is slightly more compact, but both consoles mark a significant increase in size compared to their predecessors.

As for the aesthetic design of the console, it all comes down to personal preference. If you prefer a simplistic, darker design, this is offered by the Series X. If you like a more futuristic, slimmer console, then the PS5 might be for you.

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PS5 vs Xbox Series X specs

Which console is more powerful? In terms of sheer specs, the Xbox Series X boasts more power than its competition.

The PS5 includes an eight-core 3.5GHz chip built on Zen 2 architecture, while the Xbox Series X utilises an eight-core 3.8GHz chip with similar Zen 2 architecture.

Comparing the GPUs, the Xbox Series X's GPU boasts a whopping 12 TFLOPS of power compared to the PS5's 10 TFLOPS. However, when it comes to the GPU, both consoles utilise RDNA2 architecture, and will perform similarly.

The Xbox Series X and PS5 will both use 16GB of GDDR6 RAM and SSD storage, meaning both consoles will see reduced loading times. The SSD storage on the Series X is slightly more than on the PS5, with the Xbox having 1TB of storage space compared to the PS5's 825GB.

Ultimately, the Xbox Series X is the more powerful of the two consoles, but the differences are pretty minimal when it comes to actually playing games. Both consoles will support ray-tracing, 4K gaming, and offer a significant improvement on the previous generation.

For the full specs breakdown, check out the article below.

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PS5 vs Xbox Series X games

This is probably the most important comparison. Looking at the previous generation of games, the PlayStation 4 boasted a much more impressive library of exclusives than the Xbox One. So will this continue with the PS5 and Xbox Series X?

At launch, unfortunately, yes. The PS5 will launch with multiple exclusives, including Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon's Souls, Astro's Playground, Destruction All Stars and Sackboy A Big Adventure. The Xbox's big exclusivetitle, Halo Infinite, was slated for release alongside the console, although it has since been delayed until 2021.

However, the future looks bright for both Xbox and PlayStation games. In terms of confirmed exclusives, Xbox has a pretty hefty lineup of games set to launch in 2021 and beyond. These include Halo Infinite, Hellblade 2, State of Decay 3, Avowed, Everwild and Fable. As for the PlayStation 5, God of War: Ragnarok, Horizon ForbiddenWest,and Ratchet and Clank, Stray and Returnal will be available exclusively on PlayStation consoles.

Based solely on these facts, the PlayStation 5 library of games looks the more enticing of the two, especially given the track record of PlayStation Studios over the past few years. However, Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda for $7.5bn could change that.

While Microsoft has not ruled out releasing these Bethesda games on other consoles, they suggested it would be on a "case by case basis" rather than a given. It's likely that for series such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout and DOOM, the best, and first place to play these games will be on Xbox consoles.

If you're concerned about the cost of all these games, then when it comes to sheer pricing, Xbox offers the best price points for its first-party titles through Xbox Game Pass - a subscription service starting from £7.99/$9/99 a month. This service includes all first-party Xbox games, alongside select third-party titles, and Microsoft announced all future first-party titles will come to Game Pass at no additional cost. This means that for £96 a year, you will get access to all the first-party Xbox games, while that would cover just under the price of two PlayStation 5 games.

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