PS5 vs Xbox Series X: How will each console stack up against one another

After months of waiting, the Xbox Series X debuted in 2019. Sony finally made its next move to introduce the PS5. While Microsoft has already unveiled how the commercial version would look like, the new PlayStation's design remains a mystery. The only clue the public has about the console's appearance comes from the leaked photos of its dev kits. Earlier, lead system architect Mark Cerny shared some key information about the new machine.

From a popularity standpoint, it is too early to determine which game system will dominate the next-generation market. Nintendo, on the other hand, does not seem threatened by what its rivals have prepared. So far, on paper, it looks like Microsoft has the upper hand when it comes to specifications. Yet analysts predict that Sony will rely on platform exclusives just like it did with the PlayStation 4

Specifications

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will be using a custom octa-core AMD Zen 2 chipset with an AMD RDNA 2 GPU. The former runs on a 3.5 GHz clocks peed, while the latter operates slightly higher at 3.8 GHz. Meanwhile, a graph presented by The Verge confirms that Sony's 10.28 teraflops is less powerful than the 12 teraflops of Microsoft's version.

Again, the two consoles have matching RAM specifications at 16 GB GDDR6, while other common features include support for 4K-8K resolutions, HDR, NVMe SSDs, and Blu-ray drives. The Xbox Series X internal storage size is listed at 1 TB, while the PS5 oddly shows 825 GB only.

Features and design

The only features Sony was able to reveal is related to its innovative "Tempest" 3D Audio technology. Cerny claims that it will deliver a more immersive sound experience. Microsoft opted for a full reveal which even offered a demonstration for some journalists to support its claims.

As promised the Xbox Series X was able to switch between up to five different titles with minimal loading times. This is possible thanks to its ultra-fast NVMe SSD which can save multiple save states so players can immediately pick up where they left.

Once more, The PS5 is clearly left behind as the Xbox system developers even presented a non-working demo unit. Unlike the actual working prototypes, each component was assembled using magnets so journalists can see how everything is assembled.

Both next-generation game system will have hardware-accelerated ray tracing and will support PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives for storage expansion.

Controller Upgrades

Aside from Xbox Series X console, Microsoft even presented its new controller, which now includes a dedicated share button and a USB Type-C port for charging. All Sony has revealed about the DualShock 5 is the new haptic feedback system and adaptive triggers.

Availability and pricing

It appears that Sony and Microsoft are still working on how to price their consoles respectively. As for the availability, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is expected to affect the production and shipments of all products in 2020. Therefore, there is a possibility that the PS5 and Xbox Series X will launch in limited numbers or have their release dates pushed back to 2021.