🆕PS5 Vs Xbox Series X Specs And Full Breakdown

After what seems like eons of waiting, we finally have all the information we need to talk about Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X in a proper head-to-head battle.

Right?

I mean, it’s not really a proper head-to-head battle. Both consoles have less expensive SKUs – namely, the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S – that muddy the waters a bit. And Sony’s still being coy about a couple of features that Microsoft is being upfront about. And the pre-orders…oh, for Christ’s sake, the pre-orders.

Does any of that matter? Can we compare both lineups fairly? Or are we jumping to conclusions without all the information needed?

You know what? To hell with it! Sony finally coughed up prices for both its next-gen consoles. I don’t care that one of the Xbox consoles is “next-gen”, with the quotations as emphasis. And I don’t care that Sony is being vague with some details, like what the hell they mean when they say “99 percent” of PS4 games are playable on the PS5. Let the comparison begin!

Ground Rules

I’m going to be approaching this comparison from the perspective of a person who’s not interested in buying any of them at launch. Because I’m not. I am not the early adopter of the crew; Punisher and Agent Joe have that aspect on lock. I’m going to be looking at the full lineup of next-gen consoles in as detached a way as I possibly can.

Also, this is not meant to be a guide on what console to get at launch. Most people who may stumble across this piece already know which console they prefer. I won’t be trying to sway anyone’s opinion here.

I have several categories that I’m going to judge them on. For each category, I’ll give my unbiased opinion, then I will give my totally biased, this-is-what-I-expect-at-launch opinion. The goal is not to sway your opinion with this comparison. I want to put all the publicly available information together into one concise point of reference. Hopefully, you’ll be able to sift through this information and make an informed decision when the time comes to buy into one of these platforms.

Or you could fanboy yourself into a frenzy and call me a shill for saying anything bad about your favorite console. Knock yourself out!

Oh, and don’t worry. I’m also going to rip into both console families as well. I’m just going to present the facts and objective opinion before I throw the nastiness about. Let’s talk about the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 like civilized people first, then let’s rip the XSeX and PisS5 apart like ignorant man-children along the way.

Price and Specs

Objective Take: PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X

This will be the longest segment in this article by far. A full dissection of the hardware offerings from both Sony and Microsoft could demand a 4000-word article on its own. I’ll try to keep it shorter by simplifying a lot of the jargon listed in the specs. That includes glossing over terms like TFLOPs, CUs, and SMT.

To begin my dive into the specs, let me get this out of the way: my Digital Crack partner-in-crime Punisher was right about the price.

I believed that both the PS5 and Xbox Series X would retail for over $500. A large part of that belief was attributed to the specs for each console. Both sport custom Zen 2 CPUs with 8 cores and a custom RDNA 2 GPU. The GPU are brand new and haven’t even made their debut for PCs; the CPU is about a year old and is still pretty cutting-edge for its manufacturer, AMD. Those parts, plus the 16GB of GDDR6 RAM and speedy SSDs for both consoles, made me think they’d both retail for at least $550.

I guessed that low because I knew Sony and Microsoft would take a hit on the console’s price. They historically see their consoles as loss-leaders and willingly sell them for less than it costs to manufacture. They do so planning to recoup those losses in software sales and – in Microsoft’s case especially, we’ll get to that later – subscriptions. So, it was assumed that both companies would take a hit. I, and others that know way more than I do, didn’t think they’d take that big a hit. But it seems Microsoft definitely did.

For the $500 asking piece, you’re getting a pretty beefy platform either way. Since the CPUs are custom made for the consoles, I can’t use an exact PC CPU as a comparison, but their specs are somewhere between the Ryzen 7 3700X and 3800X. Those are pretty powerful CPUs. The clock speed and feature differences are intriguing.

The CPUs on both Microsoft consoles allow SMT – which doubles the number of instructions the CPU can execute at a time – to be turned on or off. When on, there’s a slight clock speed drop. For the Series X, that means that with SMT on, the CPUs clock speed drops from 3.8 to 3.6 GHz but will jump from 8 to 16 threads, or the number of cores times the number of instructions processed per core. The PlayStation 5 doesn’t enable SMT, so it’ll perform at the same 3.5 GHz clock speed for all 8 of its threads.

Will SMT and the clock speed differences matter? It’s hard to say right now. Yes, the consoles use what is essentially PC hardware, but they won’t be utilized the way they are on a PC. These consoles have custom operating systems that will definitely not have to deal with the excess baggage that PCs have when running Windows, MacOS or Linux. I figure they’ll run similar to how the PS4 and Xbox One do now, where one core handles system functions and housekeeping while the remaining cores run a game. PC games don’t really benefit from having more than 4 threads available, but will console games? If so, Microsoft’s SMT may prove to be an advantage.

One area where the Series X has a definitely larger on-paper advantage is in GPU power. The RDNA 2 GPU in the Series X sports 52 CUs versus the PS5’s 36. A CU, or Compute Unit, is the rough equivalent of a bank of cores. RDNA 2 CUs have 64 cores each, so the Series X’s GPU will have 3,380 cores versus the PS5’s 2,304 cores. That’s a massive advantage in CU/core count in the Series X’s favor. However, the PS5’s CUs run at a much higher clock speed; 2.23 GHz compared to the Series X’s 1.825. The stated total TFLOPs for the GPUs are 12.15 for the Series X and 10.28 for the PS5. All those specs the Series X a numerical advantage graphically.

Both consoles sport 16GB of fast GDDR6 RAM, but again the Series X is more powerful with a wider 320-bit data bus compared to the 256-bit data bus on the PS5. Here, though, the Series X pulls off some strange trickeration. The first 10GB of GDDR6 RAM has a memory bandwidth of 560 GB/s in the Series X, but the remaining 6GB has a smaller 336 GB/s bandwidth. The PS5’s memory bandwidth remains steady at 448 GB/s. Could Microsoft be outthinking itself with its memory like it did with the Xbox One’s complex DDR3/ESRAM setup? That setup cost the Xbox One some performance when compared to the PS4.

The Series X has a numerical advantage versus the PS5 in every category except one: I/O throughput, or the speed at which data is transmitted between devices. Think of it as the speed in which the SSD can send information to the CPU to process. The PS5 has an impressive 5.5 GB/s of raw data throughput versus the Series X’s 2.4 GB/s raw throughput. When the data is compressed, the PS5’s 8-9 GB/s is also superior to the Series X’s 4.8 GB/s.

So, while the Series X theoretically has more graphical grunt than the PS5, the latter’s I/O throughput is superior. How this will translate into overall gaming performance remains to be seen. I look forward to the eventual Digital Foundry teardowns and comparisons.

Objective Take: PlayStation 5 Digital Edition vs Xbox Series S

This comparison is, in my opinion, the more interesting one. Whereas the more expensive consoles are relatively similar in price and hardware, the PS5 Digital Edition and Series S vary wildly in the same metrics. People looking for an inexpensive next-gen console will have to make a choice: do they want cutting-edge specs and features? Or do they want a more financially flexible “next-gen” console?

That “next-gen” in quotes is for the Series S, which is next-gen in name only. A “next-gen” console that can barely match the specs of the previous-gen’s most powerful console is not making a proper next-gen case. All specs are slowed down across the board for the Series S, and the resulting capabilities are hampered. It’s bigger brother, the Series X, is aimed squarely at 4K gaming and tries to talk up 8K gaming (not realistically possible, but still); the Series S targets 1440p gaming. That should definitely drive away resolution snobs like my fellow Digital Crack mate, Agent Joe, but it won’t drive off everyone. Sure, the PS5 digital Edition is identical to its bigger brother minus the Blu-Ray drive, but its $100 additional cost may make the Series S more palatable to some.

This is the classic case of getting what you pay for. For an extra Benjamin, you get a true next-gen gaming experience. In order for the Series S to counter that, it should provide value in other areas. And we’ll get to that later on.

My Take: PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X/S

I have no proof for this, but I believe that Sony changed its pricing for both PS5 variants after Microsoft announced their prices. It wouldn’t be the first time they wait for a competitor to act first and then counter; ask SEGA. Still, I don’t have proof.

Whether Sony adjusted its prices after Microsoft announced theirs or not, the result is very intriguing. For the high end, Both Sony and Microsoft have adopted the same strategy: pack as much horsepower as they think is needed to have the most powerful console. Save for a couple of odd choices on Microsoft’s part regarding SMT and memory bandwidth, the consoles are pretty comparable. It’s at the low end where things get wonky. Sony’s willing to eschew the physical drive in the PS5 Digital Edition to drop the console’s price $100 and leave it at that, but Microsoft wants to redefine the value proposition of a low-end console entirely. Their Series S sheds $200 and simultaneously sheds lots of horsepower to make the price drop financially palatable.

Whether or not it’s wise, I admire Microsoft’s gumption. They’re willing to lose as much as $100 per unit to make the Series X competitive, and they’re doubling down with a $300 “next-gen” console in the Series S that’s meant to entice budget gamers.

My fear is that next-gen Xbox games will suffer because of the Series S’s specs.

Agent Joe proclaims – and I agree – that next-gen games on the Series X may suck if they’re being held back by the Series S. The games have to be able to play on both consoles. Will the games default to 1440p in the Series S and go balls-out on the Series X automatically? Or will they have to program two different versions of the game to accommodate the hardware? The latter will complicate development for next-gen Xbox games. Halo Infinite was supposed to be a launch title. Now it’s pushed back to 2021. Developer 343 Industries blames the current coronavirus pandemic for the delay. What if developing for two wildly different console architectures (and also supporting the Xbox One – more on that later) was another factor?

I’ve said several times that Microsoft wants Xbox to be a platform and not just a couple of consoles. Will it pan out? Will their games suffer as a result? All that depends on their ecosystem, and we’re not ready to talk about that yet.

Objective Take: Peripherals

While we can debate endlessly about the console hardware from now ‘til launch, one area where Sony has a decisive advantage is in its peripherals. Sony’s been talking up the PS5’s DualSense controllers and how the controller’s Haptic Feedback will revolutionize gaming. For once, the hype seems to line up with reality.

I recommend reading EuroGamer’s excellent write-up of the DualSense controllers to get a better feel for its goodness, but the short version is that DualSense really helps immersion in games. The Xbox Series X/S controllers are undoubtedly adequate; Xbox controllers have been great controllers over the years. But DualSense promises to eclipse whatever the Xbox controllers bring to the battlefield. Microsoft currently has nothing to compete here.

Sony also gains extra kudos for supporting PlayStation VR with their newest consoles. Whether or not VR is for you, the ability to use the tech in the newest generation of consoles is a definite plus. The fact that Microsoft hasn’t embraced VR with its consoles is mind-boggling, especially since Minecraft, a Microsoft title, is adding VR features soon.

As great as the PS5’s DualSense is, it’s also the only way to enjoy all of the PS5’s benefits with PS5 titles. The PS4’s DualShock 4 controller are technically compatible with the PS5, but only to play PS4 games. That “backward compatibility” (note the quotes again) will be discussed later.

Fortunately, all Xbox One peripherals are expected to be compatible with Series X and S. That includes the Adaptive Controller, which means Microsoft is still committed to allowing gamers of all kinds, regardless of ability or disability, to game on their platform.

My Take: Peripherals

Normally, I wouldn’t care so much about controllers. Full disclosure: my favorite all-time controller is the OG Xbox’s Duke launch controller. The ungainly thing was beefy as fuck, and my squid-like fingers loved wrapping around that beast. Point is, I’m not the guy to ask about ergonomics, feel, and other nonsense like that.

What I do know is that Sony’s not playing around with its controller features. Haptic feedback is definitely gonna help with immersion, and Microsoft doesn’t seem to have anything in its ballpark. And to be honest, that suits Microsoft just fine.

The Big M from Redmond, WA, has a habit of nickel-and-diming its customers for years. Say what you want about DualSense, but at least it’ll be wireless and chargeable from launch. Microsoft loves to make its customers buy a 24-pack of AA batteries for its stock controllers. A play-and-charge kit has been an extra purchase for Xbox consoles at launch since the 360.

With this generation, extra storage is an extra purchase and proprietary. Sony and Microsoft both have extra proprietary storage or their consoles, but Microsoft has attached a price for their storage: $250 for 1TB! While I understand that the I/O infrastructure for both consoles demands that they use storage that’s faster that can be provided in standard USB 3.0 external HDDs, asking players to pay $250 for storage is a big ask for someone already paying $500 for a console, $60-70 for a game, and possibly another $60 for a second controller.

Sony will most likely nickel-and-dime PS5 owners for their storage solution, but Microsoft is bound to nickel-and-dime more. That is an objective opinion backed up by historical data, but the irrational asshole in me agrees. And also, PS VR is a thing, and Microsoft doesn’t have it.

Objective Take: Exclusive Titles

It’s difficult to be objective with this category, but I’ll do my best.

Sony’s list of confirmed console exclusive titles is a veritable Murderer’s Row of high-hype games. Here’s a partial list of the heaviest hitters:

• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• Horizon: Forbidden West
• God of War: Ragnarok
• Gran Turismo 7
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
• Demon’s Souls Remastered
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Deathloop (timed console exclusive)

I’d keep going, but that’s an impressive list as-is.

Xbox also sports an impressive list of console exclusives, but it may not have as much oomph as the list touted by Sony:

• Halo Infinite
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Fable
• State of Decay 3
• Forza Motorsport
• Avowed
• Everwild
• As Duck Falls
• The Gunk (timed console exclusive)
• T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (timed console exclusive)
• Tetris Effect: Connected (timed console exclusive)

While the Xbox Series X may end up have some great titles, Sony has more mindshare with many recognizable franchises and anticipated games.

My Take: Exclusive Titles

I’m a knows hater of console exclusive titles. Do I understand why titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales and Forza Motorsport are hoarded by platform owners? Yes. It’s good business, and I get that it’s just business. Do I like it? FUCK NO!

That whiny diatribe notwithstanding, Sony is wiping the floor with Microsoft in this category. Microsoft’s biggest weakness in this generation and the upcoming one is its dearth of exclusive titles. Console exclusives sell systems, and Sony’s stable of games is selling the fuck out of the PS5. All Xbox head Phil Spencer seems to be selling is an ecosystem, not killer games. Speaking of ecosystem…

Objective Take: Ecosystem

What Microsoft may seemingly lack in exclusive titles it more than makes up with its ecosystem. While Sony is announcing the upcoming games for the PS5 as a major selling point, Microsoft is hell-bent on selling Xbox as a rich ecosystem filled with choice.

It starts with its subscription services. Xbox Gold is Microsoft’s existing service that allows Xbox owners to play games online. It also offers subscribers up to four free games every month. The games currently encompass all three generations of consoles from the OG Xbox to the Xbox One. No matter how you feel about the older games being offered, the fact that you get a number of generally good titles thrown at you for free is a bonus.

PlayStation Plus also gives you free games when you subscribe to its service, but it’s currently limited to two games a month, and only games for the PS4. I’m sure PS4 titles will continue to be offered with Plus after the PS5 launch, similar to the PS3 and Vita games offered along with PS4 through much of the PS4’s life cycle.

Sony has already announced PlayStation Plus Collection, a list of 18 curated PS4 titles that will be available to play for PS5 owners subscribed to Plus. The list of titles includes favorites like God of War, Bloodborne, and The Last of Us Remastered. Taken as-is, that’s also a pretty good list of titles.

The Xbox ecosystem is much more robust than the PlayStation ecosystem. Xbox’s killer app is Game Pass, a subscription service that gives Xbox owners access to a huge library of games to play. Those games include first-party titles in the Gears of War, Halo, and Forza series. All first-party games are also day-and-date Game Pass releases, which means that first-party games released on the Series X/S are instantly available to play on Game Pass. Xbox also offers Game Pass Ultimate, a service that allows subscribers to play a large amount of Xbox titles on their PC or mobile. Game Pass is the closest thing available to my vision years ago of the perfect Netflix-style service for games.

Sony does not offer an analogous service. Its closest competitor, PlayStation Now, offers quite a few games, but only older PS4 titles and games for previous consoles. There are no day-and-date releases in PlayStation Now.

Microsoft’s ecosystem also plans for the continued support of both current-gen and next-gen consoles and is bending itself backward to help you get into their ecosystem. Their Smart Delivery program gives Xbox One customers the ability to buy a new first-party game for the current-gen console and upgrade to the next-gen version if they upgrade to the Series X or S. Several third-party publishers like CD Projekt Red and Ubisoft have pledged to do the same.

(Note: Sony is also allowing customers who purchased PS4 versions of their new games to upgrade to the PS5 version for free.)

If you want an Xbox Series X or S but can’t fork over the full retail price, Microsoft’s even dusting off their All Access program. All Access will allow you to finance a new Series X/S console, including Game Pass Ultimate, over two years. If you’re content with current-gen hardware, Microsoft has pledged support for the Xbox One for at least two years after the Series X/S launch.

One touchy topic that line of talk brings up is cross-gen gaming. Every new generation, first-party exclusive games are earmarked solely for the new generation. We saw that with the launch of the Xbox One and PS4. Titles like Ryse: Son of Rome and Knack were exclusive to the newer consoles and not available for the previous-gen Xbox 360 and PS3. The reasoning has always been that those newer games feature graphics and features that the previous-gen consoles couldn’t replicate.

In the announcements touting the Xbox Series X and S. Xbox head Phil Spencer has gone out of his way to say that cross-gen gaming will be a thing, something he’s had to defend. Any first-party exclusives will be available on both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. That’s riled up some people who believe that next-gen games should stay next-gen only. Those people pointed at Sony and how they believed that PS5 first-party exclusives would stay on the PS5 and not be next-gen.

Except that Sony recently announced that three games – Horizon: Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Sackboy: A Big Adventure will be cross-gen titles. This contradicts what Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said regarding first-party exclusives back in November 2019.

“We have always said that we believe in generations,” Ryan said. “We believe that when you go to all the trouble of creating a next-gen console, that it should include features and benefits that the previous generation does not include. And that, in our view, people should make games that can make the most of those features.”

Whether or not that sounds like double-speak now (and we’ll get to that), the bottom line is that both Microsoft and Sony are trying to expand their ecosystems to be more inclusive.

My Take: Ecosystem

I do have to applaud Phil Spencer’s desire to include as many people as possible in the Xbox ecosystem. Not everyone can rush to GameStop and pre-order a brand-new console, and he doesn’t want to leave anyone behind. But I think his inclusion strategy is bass-ackwards and will actually screw with the next-gen consoles.

The whole point of making a new console has traditionally been so the company can, you know, sell a new console. You know, a new console that they’re making right now. The whole point of first-party exclusives has been to sell people on the new console. Microsoft’s selling a new console, but it’s almost like they’re embarrassed to ask you to buy it. “Hey, we have the Series X and Series S coming out, but don’t worry, I know you’re busy and maybe you’re trying to save money, so you don’t have to buy it. It’s OK, just play on the Xbox One. Or on your PC with Game Pass Ultimate. Maybe your Galaxy Note 10? Hey, our games play there, too.”

It’s great that you can play Xbox games outside of their new consoles with Game Pass Ultimate…but don’t you want to sell new consoles, too? I mean, you went out of your way to make them. Maybe, you know, try to actually SELL the fucking things? You don’t have many compelling exclusive titles, and you don’t seem to think that buying the console is a priority. Yea, we’d all like to play your games. But maybe make games we want for the new console?

My concern isn’t just for the sales of the console. It’s for the overall evolution of the games. People expect next-gen games with their next-gen consoles. I mentioned it back in my take on the console specs and I’ll reiterate it here: If Microsoft’s prime focus is to not leave behind gamers who can’t buy into next gen, will that affect the games’ quality? Halo Infinite is already delayed. Will Hellblade II and Forza Motorsport be delayed as well because the Xbox One needs to be supported?

Microsoft’s ecosystem is a great thing for gamers in concept. It’ll be a mistake for next-gen gamers if the games suffer because of it.

As for Sony’s about-face on cross-gen, it’d be too easy to just label CEO Jim Ryan as a two-faced liar and leave it at that. Truthfully, it makes sense to embrace cross-gen from a business standpoint. Both Sony and Microsoft are asking people to plunk down $600+ for their top-of-the-line next-gen consoles, and that may be a big ask, especially from people trying to get by during a global pandemic. Options are always good for the customer, and cross-gen is just that: options for the customer.

The only problem is that Jim Ryan purposefully made it seem like Sony wasn’t going to give customers that option. That fired up their hardcore base, who turned around and blasted Microsoft for embracing cross-gen. I heard dozens of variations to the theme of, “next-gen is supposed to be better, and if you can’t pay to get the better console, then you get left behind.” That kind of elitist bullshit pisses me off.

What pisses me off more, though, is that companies like Sony would rather let people come to false conclusions about their product instead of just coming out and saying things clearly. Whether you agree with Microsoft’s strategy or not, Phil Spencer clearly told you what that strategy was and defended it from the elitist hordes who want the cool toys only to themselves. Ol’ Jim Ryan? He was happier being vague and letting the hardcore Sony fanboys work themselves into a thick lather over some bullshit.

Jim Ryan, you’re an asshole.

My Take: Backward Compatibility

Speaking of vagaries:

I’m sure many people are like me care about backward compatibility on the next-gen consoles. But I’m not gonna be objective with this section. This is purely a “me” thing and I’m going to approach it from my perspective only.

PlayStation Plus Collection butts heads against true backward compatibility. Both Sony and Microsoft claim their next-gen consoles – even the “next-gen” Series S – will support backward compatibility with the PS4 and Xbox One, respectively. Microsoft has more recent history with backward compatibility; the 360 and Xbox One both had some backward compatibility with previous-gen consoles. Not all games have been backward compatible, but Microsoft has strived to make a more-than-decent library of games backward compatible. And not just as a digital download, physically.

Right now, I can pop a Crackdown, Ace Combat 6, or Call of Duty: Black Ops disc into my Xbox One and play them with little to no hitch. Sure, there may be a download that happens in the background to allow me to play the game, but the Xbone reads my disc and let me play the game in it. Microsoft hasn’t said, but past performance makes me feel the Series X will allow me to do the same with my Xbone games (I only have one physical game, Mega Man Legacy Collection. Shame on me.) as well as my 360 and OG Xbox games.

(Note: They probably still won’t let me play my physical copy of Deathsmiles, and the drive on my 360 is dead. Damn you, Microsoft!!!)

The last bit of similar backward compatibility a Sony console was able to brag about was on the PS3. Many of the original “fat” PS3 SKUs had backward compatibility with the PS2, and all PS3 consoles can play PS1 titles. We’re not getting any of that with the PS5. Ol’ Jim Ryan confirmed early rumors that the PS5 would not be backward compatible with any library other than the PS4. How the PS5 would be backward compatible with the PS4, however, has not been confirmed.

Again, I understand that backward compatibility is almost 100% a “me” thing. In an ideal world, The PS5 and Xbox Series X would play every disc ever pressed for one of their older consoles. That way, I could just have the PS5 and Series X out and either put the older consoles in the closet or keep them out as decorative pieces. But if you’re going to tout backward compatibility, FUCKING EXPLAIN IT, SONY! Don’t just say the PS5 “will have 99% compatibility with PS4 titles”. HOW are they compatible! Will I be able to pop my PS4 physical copy of Just Cause 3 and play it? Or will I have to wait for you to make it available as a PlayStation Plus Collection title?

I worry about stupid shit sometimes. But companies like Sony and Ol’ Jim Ryan don’t help.

My Take: Pre-Orders and Announcements

This is gonna be another “me” topic, but I’m not the only one feeling this one. I’m just the only one writing it here.

Sony. Bruh. What in the actual FUCK with your pre-orders?

If you haven’t seen, the pre-orders for the PS5 have been a shitshow on a level equal to the last season of Game of Thrones. Sony finally announced the price of the consoles at the end of their Showcase on September 16^th…then promptly forgot to mention when pre-orders were going to be available. It wasn’t until Geoff Keighley – He of the Mountain Dew and Doritos – tweeted that pre-orders would open the next day that anyone knew.

Whoever is in charge of the messaging at Sony needs to be fired. Better yet, he or she needs to be tarred-and-feathered like in Ye Olden Days. This meme has never been more apt: “YOU ONLY HAD ONE JOB!”

Say what you want about Microsoft – and I have – but their messaging was not vague. Yes, they took a while to announce their consoles’ prices, and yes, it was “leaked” on Twitter before they officially announced it, but they did it AND set a proper time for pre-orders. The pre-orders go live on the 22^nd, a whole two weeks after the announcement. Sony couldn’t even bother itself to add a little note saying, “oh yeah, by the way, you can pre-order the thing tomorrow” during the Showcase. They had to let Mountain Dew Man make the announcement after the fact!

The result, of course, has been chaos. Punisher dashed off to GameStop immediately after the Showcase to hurriedly put down a deposit. He did so at the second GameStop he visited because the first GameStop spouted some nonsensical shit about having to pre-order a bundle and not just the console. Even the stores themselves didn’t have unified messaging!

I blame that last bit partly on GameStop. They love pulling shit like “you have to pre-order the bundle” on their customers, then shove their Pro Rewards program in their faces as an extra fuck-you. I may love hoarding physical copies of games like I’m the Smaug of the video game world, but I cannot wait until GameStop goes out of business. They’re as useless as my spleen, which is most likely in some surgeon’s office in a mason jar.

I will, of course, buy out all their used games when the liquidate. Because reasons.

Conclusion

After 5,200-plus words, what’s the verdict on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S? Other than my annoyances with a few things, none really. This head-to-head battle was mainly informational. It’s meant as a way to give people as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision. But after sifting through all the information and absorbing it, I have a few parting words.

I know Microsoft is the underdog in this race. They have what is numerically the more powerful console in the Series X, but their strategy of maintaining a cohesive ecosystem that includes cross-gen and proper backward compatibility is cheesing off some people. However, they at least have a cohesive strategy and they’re communicating it. They want as many people as possible to play as many of their games as possible, whether it’s on a Series X, Series S, Xbox One, PC, or mobile device. It’s part of his mentality of avoiding the “’console war’ mentality” and just focusing on providing a platform full of games.

That strategy clashes violently with the general mentality of gamers and gaming in general: my console is better than your console because it’s newer and better and fuck you for thinking that it’s not! It’s a mentality that Sony seems all too happy to stoke. For all the advantages the PS5 has in the eyes of many with their impressive first-party game lineup and focus on next-gen gaming, they have an equally large disadvantage in messaging. For Christ’s sake, they can’t even get pre-orders for the PS5 right, and there are hundreds of thousands of people lining up to pre-order just so they can throw their money at Sony.

In the end, whichever console you choose may depend on the mentality you believe in. If your goal is to have access to the most games possible regardless of where you want to play them, Microsoft’s Xbox platform may sing to you. If you want cutting-edge everything, want to be slightly snobbish, and don’t care much if the company making the cutting-edge thing seems to know what it’s doing, the PS5 might be right up your alley.

Of course, that’s silly reductive thinking. Buy whatever you think you will enjoy the most. Forget all the hype and shit-talking. At the end of the day, these are just video games. And video games are meant to be enjoyed, not fought over.

Then again, you can just build a gaming PC. You could be a snobbish prick like PlayStation fanboys and scream, “PC MASTER RACE BITCHES” while still playing Xbox games.