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Xbox Series X vs PS5 Specs Explained: Which Is More Powerful?
The competition between Microsoft and Sony is heating up as both corporations have officially unveiled their upcoming game lineup, and since the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will likely be releasing around the same time, choosing between either console can be a difficult decision. Given that the two systems share a lot of overlap, there are only a couple of features which differentiate them between one another.
A full specs breakdown of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 has been out for sometime. While there are very few areas in which the consoles vary, Microsoft has made claims that their newest Xbox console is approximately four times more powerful than the PS5 system. The best way to see whether that's true is to see Xbox's games in action. Given the mediocre response during the Xbox Games Showcase, it seems PlayStation currently has the advantage.
Looking at processing power, the Xbox Series X has a slight advantage over the PlayStation 5. The new Xbox CPU clocks in at 3.8 Gigahertz in comparison to PS5's 3.5 Gigahertz. Both systems will be running a custom Zen 2 eight-core processor, but the Xbox will feature two processors, giving it a moderate advantage over its competition. When it comes to GPU, Xbox has the upper hand. While both systems will be running RDNA 2 graphics, the Xbox Series X features 12 TFLOPS across 52CUs while the PS5 runs 10.28 TFLOPS across 36 CUs. With 1.7 more teraflops, Xbox has a higher computing speed which allows for faster and smoother graphical performance. Although both consoles can reach 8K resolution at 120 FPS, the two are aiming for the standard 4K 60 FPS. From a specs perspective, Xbox is more promising as far as being capable of rendering out graphics to such a degree.
What To Expect From The Xbox Series X And PlayStation 5
When it comes to storage and memory, both consoles are adopting a new Solid State Drive system. The SSD will reduce load times, allowing players more time in-game than in loading screens. The PS5 has a custom 825GB SSD which can process a stellar 5.5GB/s (8-9GB/s compressed) of raw data. On the other hand, Xbox has a larger SSD card at 1TB, but its quite a bit slower at 2.4GB/s of raw data. Both consoles will allow for storage expansion, either through USB hard drives or SSD add-ons. This ensures that players are not limited to the internal storage of their respective consoles.
The games the consoles offer and how consumers can play them is critical. Both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will feature backwards compatibility, but to different degrees. Xbox has expressed that all Xbox One games will function on the next-gen console. Through a new process called Smart Delivery, all Xbox One titles will be upgraded to their optimized Xbox Series X version, free of charge. PlayStation, on the other hand, is limited how many PS4 games will be moving onto the PS5 and is primarily focusing on their top 100 titles. As far as cloud gaming is concerned, Xbox takes the lead with its Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud inclusions. This offers players a library of thousands of games to play across consoles, PC, and mobile devices. PlayStation 5 will have support for PS Now, but their library is not as extensive as Xbox's. Nevertheless, with the new hardware and software on both consoles, cloud gaming is going to improve.
Based on the technical specs, the Xbox Series X has an advantage over the PlayStation 5 across the board. While it is due to be quite a bit slower than the PS5, the Xbox Series X promises massive storage and graphical capabilities never before seen on an Xbox console. Pricing for either system has yet to be confirmed, but both consoles are set to release during the 2020 holiday season. While some players may want to pick up one of these consoles the moment they drop, others may wish to wait and see exactly how the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 stack up against each other.
