Xbox Series X vs PlayStation 5

Fletcher Smith, Reporter

The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 (PS5) are being released in November, and the PS5 appears to be the dominant console, and the one consumers should buy.

This isn’t the first time Sony and Microsoft have competed to outsell each other. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were both released in 2013, and, since their release, PlayStation 4 sales have dominated compared to those of the Xbox One, with a total of 109 million to about 49 million units.

The two consoles have made major upgrades since then, and the results have the two consoles appearing very similar. The Xbox Series X will be released Nov. 10, and will cost $499. It has 1 terabyte of storage, and it supports both 4K and 8K video display.

The PS5 will be released two days later on Nov. 12, and also costs $499. It has 825 gigabytes of storage, and also supports 4K and 8K video display.

The sizes of the two consoles are very different from their predecessors. The PS5 is nearly 16 inches tall, which is about three inches taller than the PlayStation 4, and is about one inch wider, at roughly four inches.

The Series X is just as tall as the Xbox One, at 12 inches, but is over three inches wider at about six inches. The PS5 and Series X are three inches shorter in length than their previous generations, at nine and six inches, respectively.

These dimensions show both as bulkier consoles, and it may be hard for buyers to find places to properly display them, but the Series X is smaller than the PS5, which is an advantage for those with limited space for their console. However, I like the design of the PS5 more than the Series X, as the PS5 has a nice futuristic look that gives it personality, whereas the Series X’s design is, simply, a giant box.

With both consoles being similar in size and power, the PS5’s exclusive games are, overall, better than the Series X’s. Although the Xbox does have some great exclusives, like the Forza and Halo series, the PlayStation’s commercially successful and critically acclaimed exclusives, like God of War and Spider-Man, already have sequels announced for the PS5, with Spider-Man: Miles Morales being released the same day as the PS5, and God of War: Ragnarok having a planned released in 2021. This, along with other successful exclusive games from the PlayStation 4, like Uncharted 4 and Ghost of Tsushima, that will be backwards compatible with the PS5, make the PS5 the better console, and the clear choice to buy this November.