Jubenhimer
Member
With the next generation of console gaming just days away, the ultimate battle will be fought between Sony Interactive's PlayStation 5, and Microsoft Corporation's next generation Xbox line with the Series X and Series S. Unlike last generation, where Sony and the PlayStation 4 practically steamrolled an incompetent Microsoft and their disastrous initial plans for the Xbox One, The rivalry between the two this time is the closest it's ever been in years.
Sony's platform promises a substantial generation leap, with a heavily custom SSD allowing for supposedly, the fastest load speeds in gaming. 3D Audio with Sony's Tempest Engine. And an innovative DualSense controller with Haptics, and Adaptive Triggers. All that, plus the promise of exclusives, both from SIE's own Worldwide Studios division (AKA PlayStation Studios), or console exclusives from third party publishers that take advantage of the console's unique and cutting edge tech, along with backwards compatibility with all but 10 games from the PS4's 4,000+ library and counting.
Microsoft meanwhile, is going for more evolution than revolution. Learning from the mistakes of the Xbox One's initial pre-launch, the new line of consoles come out in a much stronger position. Leading the next gen of Xbox is the Series X. Microsoft is billing it as its most powerful Xbox yet, and is a more powerful machine overall than the PS5. It's backwards compatible with all Xbox One games, including Xbox and Xbox 360 titles previously made backwards compatible on the Xbox One, along with all the original controllers too, a big advantage over the PS5, which at the moment, is only capable of playing PS4 games, with DualShock 4 support limited to that. Xbox Game Studios has beefed up with a flurry of new studio acquisitions, and Microsoft is in the process of a $7.5 million merger with ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, effectively giving them two software publishing branches to work with. That, along with Microsoft making some of their own exclusive deals as well.
Both consoles so far have shown strengths and weaknesses. The PS5 has a much faster SSD than the X|S, but the X|S at the moment has more storage options. The X|S has more backwards compatibility support than the PS5, but the PS5 has shown more promising next gen games. The DualSense is far more innovative and feature rich than the new Xbox Controller, but the new Xbox Controller is also cheaper. The Series S is less powerful than the Series X vs. the PS5 Digital Edition essentially being the same machine, but the Series S is also the cheapest next gen option.
Really, both Sony and Microsoft have done a great job selling their visions for next generation, though I will say Microsoft has done a better job at consistent transparency compared to Sony, who for most of the year, more or less stayed radio silent on PS5 details. But ultimately, when these two inevitably release to the public, which one do you think will be more successful?
So far, I'm leaning towards the PS5 coming out on top. Microsoft may have "Consumer friendliness" on their side this time around, but the PlayStation 5 has simply shown off better games so far. Xbox's big exclusives are still up in the air, with the newest Halo delayed indefinitely, leaving only a small lineup of Xbox One ports as its first party launch titles. The PS5 meanwhile, at least has games like Miles Morales and Demon Souls Remake to play on day one, it even comes with a free built-in platformer. Plus, future exclusives like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Destruction AllStars, Returnal, and Horizon: Forbidden West all arriving shortly after launch, alongside console exclusive third party games like DeathLoop and Ghostwire Tokyo, and various indies. PS5 simply has a stronger lineup so far than the next gen Xbox, and with it being at a competitive price, I think more people are going to buy into Sony's offering until Microsoft starts actually showing some progress on their investments. Still, Xbox Game Pass, and the fact that you can play games stretching across 3 generations of Xbox on the new hardware will help Microsoft hold its own this time.
Sony's platform promises a substantial generation leap, with a heavily custom SSD allowing for supposedly, the fastest load speeds in gaming. 3D Audio with Sony's Tempest Engine. And an innovative DualSense controller with Haptics, and Adaptive Triggers. All that, plus the promise of exclusives, both from SIE's own Worldwide Studios division (AKA PlayStation Studios), or console exclusives from third party publishers that take advantage of the console's unique and cutting edge tech, along with backwards compatibility with all but 10 games from the PS4's 4,000+ library and counting.
Microsoft meanwhile, is going for more evolution than revolution. Learning from the mistakes of the Xbox One's initial pre-launch, the new line of consoles come out in a much stronger position. Leading the next gen of Xbox is the Series X. Microsoft is billing it as its most powerful Xbox yet, and is a more powerful machine overall than the PS5. It's backwards compatible with all Xbox One games, including Xbox and Xbox 360 titles previously made backwards compatible on the Xbox One, along with all the original controllers too, a big advantage over the PS5, which at the moment, is only capable of playing PS4 games, with DualShock 4 support limited to that. Xbox Game Studios has beefed up with a flurry of new studio acquisitions, and Microsoft is in the process of a $7.5 million merger with ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, effectively giving them two software publishing branches to work with. That, along with Microsoft making some of their own exclusive deals as well.
Both consoles so far have shown strengths and weaknesses. The PS5 has a much faster SSD than the X|S, but the X|S at the moment has more storage options. The X|S has more backwards compatibility support than the PS5, but the PS5 has shown more promising next gen games. The DualSense is far more innovative and feature rich than the new Xbox Controller, but the new Xbox Controller is also cheaper. The Series S is less powerful than the Series X vs. the PS5 Digital Edition essentially being the same machine, but the Series S is also the cheapest next gen option.
Really, both Sony and Microsoft have done a great job selling their visions for next generation, though I will say Microsoft has done a better job at consistent transparency compared to Sony, who for most of the year, more or less stayed radio silent on PS5 details. But ultimately, when these two inevitably release to the public, which one do you think will be more successful?
So far, I'm leaning towards the PS5 coming out on top. Microsoft may have "Consumer friendliness" on their side this time around, but the PlayStation 5 has simply shown off better games so far. Xbox's big exclusives are still up in the air, with the newest Halo delayed indefinitely, leaving only a small lineup of Xbox One ports as its first party launch titles. The PS5 meanwhile, at least has games like Miles Morales and Demon Souls Remake to play on day one, it even comes with a free built-in platformer. Plus, future exclusives like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Destruction AllStars, Returnal, and Horizon: Forbidden West all arriving shortly after launch, alongside console exclusive third party games like DeathLoop and Ghostwire Tokyo, and various indies. PS5 simply has a stronger lineup so far than the next gen Xbox, and with it being at a competitive price, I think more people are going to buy into Sony's offering until Microsoft starts actually showing some progress on their investments. Still, Xbox Game Pass, and the fact that you can play games stretching across 3 generations of Xbox on the new hardware will help Microsoft hold its own this time.
