Since the release of the original Xbox and PlayStation, there’s been a heated debate on which is better. With the release of the latest consoles, there are several factors that need to be addressed when deciding on what console to get. These range from price, specs and game selection.
One of the main benefits to gaming on consoles is the price. It is much cheaper to game on the Xbox One or PS4 than gaming on a computer. When deciding on which new console to get, the price will not have much influence. The Xbox Series X’s price will start at $499 when they hit shelves. The PS5 will have two options on launch day: the Normal PlayStation 5 that will start at $399 and the PS5 Digital Edition that starts at $499. The Digital Edition comes with the Ultra HD Blue-Ray Disc Drive that the regular variant does not.
Another thing most gamers will look at when deciding on which console to get is the specs. The PS5 has an 8x Zen 2 core 3.5 GHz CPU while the Xbox has an 8x core 2 core 3.8 GHz. The Xbox has the faster CPU then the PS5, and the Xbox also has the better GPU at 12.11 TFLOP 52 CUs running at 1.825 GHz. When it comes to memory power the Xbox also pulls ahead with the 16 Gb GDDR6 that runs at 320mb compared to the 256mb the PS5 offers. When it comes to specs, we can see that the Xbox is the faster, and frankly, better console.
Most gamers will know the pain of waiting for a game to be announced just for it to be an exclusive on whatever console they do not have. In the past, the PS5 has been known for having the better exclusives. The new consoles are no exception with exclusives such as Spider-man: Miles Morales, Godfall, Horizon Forbidden West, and many more. The Xbox Box Series X also has many good exclusives such as Halo Infinite, Fable, Sate of Decay 3, Forza Motorsport.
Another major factor when determining the console is personal preference or loyalty to a company. Most gamers grew up on a certain console before any other. Most gamers who grew up on the PS1 will be more likely to buy the PS5 than the Xbox Series X, with the same going for the Xbox. Over the years PlayStation has been much more popular over Xbox. Since their release in 2013, the PS4 sold twice as much as the Xbox One with 112.1 million compared to Xbox’s measly 50.2 million. Although not being as powerful as the Xbox, it is very likely that the PS5 will outsell the Xbox Series X over the next couple months and years just because of the PlayStation fan base already established.
Many gamers struggle to choose a new console, but most will decide based on specs, exclusives and price.
by Daniel Windham