10 Biggest Differences Between PS5 and Xbox Series X Consoles

Microsoft and Sony have both taken different approaches to their next generation console designs. The Xbox Series X looks like a matte black cuboid. It measures 30 x 15 x 15cm (hwd), weighs 4.45kg and works with a 130mm fan that draws cool air up through vents in the bottom and sends hot air out through outlets at the top. There’s no HDMI input or optical output which was present in the previous generation. When both PS5 and Xbox Series X are placed side by side vertically, clearly PS5 towers over. It is slimmer and looks very sci-fi. Its curvaceous lines and glossy white finish contrast with the Xbox’s sharp, geometric silhouette and stealthy matte black paint. While standing it can be easily fit into the TV stand but it can cause space issues when laid horizontally as you have to allow space around it for air to flow. Secondly, when it comes to accessing internals Sony is allows PS5 owners to open up the console and clean out dust. You even expand its storage capabilities through an M.2 SSD slot. But , the Xbox Series X doesn’t invite or allow you to open it up, and storage expansion is handled by proprietary expansion cards.

Both consoles come with new controllers, but let’s find out which one is better. PS5’s controller features the DualSense technology while the Xbox Series X controller is a refined version of the last with more ergonomically designed body. Talking about the basics – both controllers have two thumbsticks, four face buttons (a continuation of the shapes vs letters battle for supremacy), and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The D-pads are slightly different. Sony’s DualSense features a split four-button pad and the Xbox controller packs a hybrid D-pad with a cross pattern and rounded diagonals. Both controllers also have two bumpers and two triggers, as well as a top-mounted USB-C port. Overall, we would say, that though Series X controller is better than previous controller, but not drastically so. So, you can save some money and use your old controllers on the system on any game as they would work just fine. But it’s a different story with the PS5’s DualSense, which is a massive step up from the DualShock 4 that preceded it. It is packed with technology that helps immerse you in the games you play in new and inventive ways. Therefore, DualShock 4 pads are compatible with the PS5 for playing PS4 titles, but PS5 games are DualSense-only.

To experience virtual reality on console, you’ll have to invest in a PS5. Sadly, Microsoft has shown no interest as such in bringing VR experiences to its consoles so far. Therefore, Sony’s PS5 is your next-gen console if you are looking forward to experience the VR technology. Sony has confirmed that PS5 is fully compatible with Sony’s pre-existing PlayStation VR headset. Needless to say that the pre-existing PS VR headset has proven popular among PS4 gamers over the last few years. To use it with PS5, you’ll need the PSVR, the PS4 Camera, and a PlayStation Camera adaptor which is available for free to existing PSVR owners. The new PS5 camera is not compatible, but existing PSVR accessories like the PlayStation Move remotes and the Aim Controller will work just fine. There are some great games available for the platform, and we are hoping Sony will release a new PlayStation VR headset very soon.

Both PS5 and Xbox Series X support backwards compatibility, but to varying degrees. PS5 backwards compatibility let’s you play most of your PS4 games on the new system, with Sony even going as far as to commit to what it is calling “cross-generation” support, designed to ensure that PS4 players are able to play multiplayer games with those that have already made the jump to PS5. Unfortunately, the PS5 isn’t backwards compatible with games from generations before PS4. On the other hand, the Xbox Series X backwards compatibility feature spans “four generations” worth of Xbox games, proving that Microsoft understands how important it is that the best (and select) games released on the Xbox platform since 2001 are playable on Xbox Series X. If that weren’t enough, all Xbox One accessories and peripherals will work on Xbox Series X, and your games, achievements, progression, and accessories move forward with you. So, what do you prefer – an overall generation shift or a shift that doesn’t need to mean a change in the way you experience video games on your system of choice?!

No doubt, both the consoles have an incredible game selection, but undeniably PS5 has the more exciting game selection. Just in terms of first-party titles, the PS5 launched with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, Sackboy: A Big Adventure and the surprisingly delightful Astro’s Playroom. But Xbox Series X, didn’t have any exclusive titles at launch. Instead, Microsoft released a list of 30 “optimized for Xbox Series X/S” titles, including fan favorites like Gears 5, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Forza Horizon 4. While the Xbox Series X optimizations are indeed impressive, not all of these games are brand new, and they’re all available on Xbox One, PC or both. Beyond that, both consoles are well-stocked with third-party titles, like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Borderlands 3, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and so forth. They’ll both get Cyberpunk 2077, Madden 21 and Destiny 2, with third-party parity continuing into 2021 and beyond.

Each of the new consoles is clearly and significantly more powerful than their predecessors, but by how much? And which is the most powerful full stop? The Xbox Series X is “four times more powerful than Xbox One X”. It sports a custom Zen 2 eight-core processor running at 3.8GHz per core.The PlayStation 5 runs on an eight-core Zen 2 processor too, but at 3.5GHz per core. Both feature a similar RAM of 16GB GDDR6. They also both run RDNA 2 graphics. Both display excellent handling over games with ray tracing, full resolutions, even 60fps enabled. However, the Xbox Series X has a slight upper hand with its GPU having 12 TFLOPS of power across 52 CUs. In comparison, the PS5 has 10.3 TFLOPS of power across 36 CUs.

Both consoles are capable of up to 4K (2160p) resolutions at 60 frames-per-second. They can also output 120fps, which will be an option on some games, but likely only at up to 1440p on Series X, 1080p on PS5. They each include support for ray tracing, which will put them on a par with modern PC graphics cards. It introduces accurate and realistic lighting to great effect. Only the Xbox Series X supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM). These effectively send signals to a compatible TV to both switch it into game mode and prevent screen tearing in games (by directily matching the frame rate if it is dynamic).

Both have adopted solid state drives for storage in order to speed up loading times. The Xbox Series X features a 1TB internal SDD, with approximately 802GB available to the user after system software, etc. It is capable of read speeds of up to 2.4GB/s (or 4.8GB/s uncompressed). The PS5 has less storage space. Its SSD offers 825G, but only 667GB of that is available to the user.  It runs quicker though, up to 5.5GB/s. Both have the ability to increase that storage through expansion cards. In the case of Xbox, you can purchase an official 1TB Storage Expansion Card that slots into a dedicated port on the rear. The Sony machine will also be able to be boosted through third-party PCIe Gen4 SSD cards, but that option has not yet been activated. Each of the consoles can also play games stored on external hard drives and SSDs, but some of the next-gen features, such as loading times, will not work in that case. In fact, PS5 games stored on an external drive will not work at all – external storage is for PS4 games only, therefore.

Xbox has Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (formerly known as Project xCloud). It comes as part of the monthly Game Pass Ultimate subscription service and allows you to play over 100 Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S games on mobile devices. The PlayStation 5 supports PS Now – Sony’s own cloud gaming service – but it is not as fully formed as xCloud and only available on PlayStation consoles and through a PC app. We can definitely expect more importance to be placed on cloud streaming by both companies in the future. 

The biggest difference that is a gamechanger between these two powerful consoles is the Game Pass. Game Pass, in case you don’t know, is a service that gives users access to a ton of games. While both the companies offer such subscriptions, Xbox Series X have a clear advantage over the PS5. It is all thanks to Microsoft’s huge investment in services such as Xbox Live, Play Anywhere, Games With Gold, and Xbox Game Pass. The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate comes at a $10 per-month subscription service. It lets you download more than 100 games across a variety of genres, and play them on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC and even Android. Meanwhile, PlayStation announced additions to its PlayStation Plus service in the form of the PlayStation Plus Collection, a huge library of PS4 games to PS5 at launch. It comes with a subscription service fee of $60 a year where you get two PS4 games and a new PS5 game each month. But it’s easy to see how the Xbox Series X in particular benefits from a massive selection of on-demand games via Game Pass.

Hope you enjoyed our list of 10 Biggest Differences Between PS5 and Xbox Series X Consoles. Tell us in the comments which gaming console are you planning to buy? Do not forget to give this video a big thumbs up!