It is that time of the year again, and in this particular holiday season the options for consumers looking for a brand new console are vast. The Xbox Series X, and the PlayStation 5 are finally here, and we are grading them based on technical specifications, games, and services.
Both, Sony and Microsoft offer new, and powerful machines. Each with its own set of strengths. Nintendo on the other hand, is sitting at a comfortable position with its Nintendo Switch Handheld/Console hybrid.
This Holiday season, more than any other in recent times, promises to be an exciting one for gamers around the globe.
The ‘Next Gen’ Consoles:
Xbox Series X
Price: $499
Specs:
- Custom AMD Radeon RDNA 2 architecture;
Series X: 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz (GPU) - 16GB of GDDR6 SDRAM
- Custom AMD 8-core Zen 2;
Series X: 3.8 GHz, 3.6 GHz with SMT (CPU) - Supported Resolutions: 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 2160p (4K), 8K
- Media: Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, CD, Digital distribution
- Storage: 1TB SSDÂ Speed: 2.4 GB/per second
- Sound:Â Custom Project Acoustics 3D Audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X 7.1 surround sound
Strengths:
- Hardware power is unrivaled on home consoles.
- Xbox Ultimate Game Pass Subscription Service.
- Financing programs available on the console
- Back compatibility with Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games
- Bethesda’s Future Games are likely to be exclusive to Xbox, and PC.
Weaknesses:
- First party big hitters, and Bethesda’s own big titles will not arrive until late 2021 and beyond.
- Lack of AAA first party titles in the near future.
- Weak first party launch lineup.
Why You Should Buy an Xbox Series X:
The Xbox Series X, is the most powerful console on the market, CPU and GPU wise. While the difference between the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 on current cross generational games is negligible. Over the next few years Microsoft’s machine should outperform Sony’s in performance and graphical fidelity of 3rd party game releases.
With Bethesda’s buyout, Microsoft has destroyed the perception that “Xbox has no games.” The possibility of the Elder Scrolls 6 – along with Fallout 5 – being Xbox exclusive titles, is a very real one at this point.
We can add Halo Infinite, The next Gears of War installment, the Forza series, the Fable Reboot, and offerings from Obsidian, Rareware, among others, to that list of exclusive games. The future is certainly bright for the Xbox Series X.
The Xbox Series X’s biggest advantage over the PlayStation 5 comes in the form of Xbox’s premier game subscription service. Xbox Ultimate Game Pass, is far and beyond superior to the PlayStation 5’s PS Plus/Now Service. Its large amount of AAA games, and the addition of Electronics Arts’ vast catalogue of titles makes it a more attractive service than Sony’s own paid subscription offering.
The advantage with Ultimate Game Pass, however, is that unlike Sony, Microsoft’s own first party lineup will appear, free of charge on its paid subscription service from day one. By contrast, Sony’s PS Plus/Now ( you need both in order to match Xbox Ultimate Game Pass’ services) is and will be composed of its excellent line up of first party titles. But only after the games have been out for a year or two on the market.
No contest. Microsoft simply has the best video game subscription service, and Xbox Live is also now included within the Ultimate Game Pass subscription $14.99 (monthly) price. What is not to like?
Why You Shouldn’t Buy an Xbox Series X:
You don’t care about hardware horsepower, video game subscription services, and/or Microsoft’s first party lineup (which now includes Bethesda’s offerings).
Most of these great Microsoft exclusive titles will not arrive until late 2021-2023. So, time is on your side, and the PlayStation 5 is likelier to receive highly anticipated first party games such as God of War: Ragnarok, and Horizon Forbidden West before Xbox’s big hitters arrive.
Perhaps, you are an Xbox fan and own the Xbox One X. The Xbox One X, judging by early cross generational game comparisons will still hold its ground (against the Xbox Series S at least) for the next year or so. Again, if this is the case, you might not have much of an incentive to upgrade to the Xbox Series X at this point.
Grades:
Hardware: A+
Launch Games: B-
Subscription Service: A+
2021 Game Line-up: B
Beyond 2021 Game Line Up: B (‘A’ if Bethesda’s games are exclusive)
Overall: A
‘Future proof’ is a term that is important to consider when pondering the purchase of a next generation console at launch. Barring any factory defects, the Xbox Series X is the most ‘future proof’ console on the market right now thanks to its CPU and GPU specifications.
At some point, Sony’s Machine will struggle with Ray Traced, 4KÂ games running at 60 frames per second. Right now, Demon’s Souls can’t run at 4K 60 fps on Sony’s PS5 and it has no ray traced visuals. And – to be fair – similar issues will affect the Xbox Series X.
However, we are betting that as games and the engines powering them grow ever more ambitious over the next 3 years. It will be the Xbox Series X, with its more powerful GPU and broader RAM bandwidth configuration that fares better under the heavy load.
PlayStation 5
Price: $499 ($399 Digital edition)
Specs:
- Custom AMD RDNA 2,
36 CUs @ variable frequency up to 2.23Â GHz (GPU) - 16GB of GDDR6 SDRAM
- Custom 8-core AMD Zen 2,
variable frequency, up to 3.5Â GHz (CPU) - Supported Resolutions: 720p, 1080p, 2160p (4K), 8K
- Media: Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, CD, Digital distribution
- Storage: 825 GB SSDÂ Speed: 5.5 GB/per second
- Custom Tempest Engine 3D Audio
Strengths:
- Powerful Hardware
- Dual-Sense Controller offers haptic feedback, and pressure sensitive triggers that can offer different degrees of resistance. The PlayStation 5 is the only next-generation machine that offers ‘next generation’ feedback because of its ingenious Dual Sense Controller.
- Excellent First Party Lineup for 2020 – 2021, including a AAA Launch Exclusive in Demon’s Souls (92 Metacritic)
- Backwards Compatibility with enhancements available for PlayStation 4 games.
Weaknesses:
- The machine is already struggling to hold 4K resolutions at 60 fps.
- In most third party game comparisons it underperforms slightly in contrast to the Xbox Series X.
- PS Plus/Now is relatively empty in comparison to the robust Xbox Ultimate Game Pass subscription service.
- Backwards Compatibility only extends to most PS4 games, so there is no PS3, or PS2 backwards compatibility at the moment.
Why You Should Buy a PlayStation 5:
The PlayStation 5 is weaker than the Xbox Series X. Yet, we might have reached a point in technology where both consoles are too close in power. Consequently, the difference maker will lie in how much talent and resources development studios possess when developing a game. This, as opposed to just pure brute hardware power.
Case in point: Demon’s Souls. It is the best looking game available on both systems right now. It didn’t matter that the Xbox Series X is more powerful. But, it mattered that Sony’s Bluepoint Studios crafted a real next gen AAA exclusive for the console’s launch.
The above paragraph has been true throughout the last generation. Even when Microsoft eventually launched the more powerful Xbox One X. Sony’s first party titles were visually unmatched by Microsoft Studios’ efforts with Forza Horizon 4 being the notable exception.
The fact that Sony’s own studios seem to be the very best in terms of visual presentation in games will keep the PlayStation 5 neck and neck with its more powerful foe. Also, 2021 looks like a prime year for the system with games such as God of War: Ragnarok, and Horizon Forbidden West scheduled for release.
If you love first party, single player, and story driven experiences, you just can’t go wrong with Sony’s machine. Until Bethesda’s buyout begins to pay its dividends, the PlayStation 5 is the place to be for great exclusive AAA games.
Last but not least, the PlayStation 5 grants you immediate access to Sony’s successful, and critically lauded PlayStation 4 first party games. Many of the games are immediately enhanced by the console.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy a PlayStation 5:
You never owned a PlayStation 4, and could care less about Sony’s masterful, and numerous first party games. You survived this long without a PS4. Perhaps, remaining within the Xbox ecosystem, and its wonderful Game Pass service might be the right thing for you.
Both the PS Plus and PS Now services are archaic, and lack value when stacked up against Microsoft’s subscription service. Development costs are rising, and so are game price points. Games are expected to cost about $69.99 throughout this generation. Thus, paying a monthly fee for Ultimate Game Pass offers the kind of value that Sony just cannot match.
Finally, the PlayStation 5’s has GPU limitations (on paper) when stacked against the Xbox Series X. The system’s ability to tackle more demanding third party games at 4k, and 60fps should be a bit concerning when looking towards the future.
Grades:
Hardware: A
Launch Games: A
Subscription Service: C-
2021 Game Line-up: A
Beyond 2021 Game Line Up: A
Overall: A
The PlayStation Brand is as strong as ever. The PlayStation 4 featured the best looking, and most critically acclaimed first party titles of the last seven years. New IP’s such as Horizon Zero Dawn, and Ghosts of Tsushima became instant hits.
Sony keeps its strong tradition of stellar first party software with the release of Demon’s Souls as a next generation exclusive launch title for the PlayStation 5.
The Dual Sense promises to immerse gamers in ways that we haven’t seen – or should I say felt? – before. The new controller demonstrates Sony’s commitment towards innovation. This is something that Microsoft hasn’t quite pushed forwards with its more conventional approach on the Xbox Series X.
The PlayStation 5 is not the most powerful machine out there. But with Sony’s first party studios’ game making craftsmanship. Does it even matter if it is not more powerful than the Xbox Series X?
Xbox Series S
Price: $299
Specs:
- Custom AMD Radeon RDNA 2 architecture; 20 CUs @ 1.565 GHz (GPU)
- 10 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
- Custom AMD 8-core Zen 2; 3.6 GHz, 3.4 GHz with SMT (CPU)
- Supported Resolutions: 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 2160p (4K)
- Media: Digital Distribution
- Storage: 512GB SSDÂ Speed: 2.4 GB/per second
- Sound:Â Custom Project Acoustics 3D Audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X 7.1 surround sound
Strengths:
- Low Price Point
- Xbox Ultimate Game Pass Subscription service
- Financing programs available on the console
- Back compatibility with Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games* (Xbox One compatibility scales up the Xbox One S version of games, instead of the Xbox One X version of games).
- Bethesda’s Future Games are likely to be exclusive to Xbox, and PC.
Weaknesses:
- By far the weakest next gen console, some games actually look better on the current Xbox One X.
- No disc drive = Digital Distribution, and the console only has a 512 GB SSD. This means that the “Savings” made on its $299 price point will be nullified by the need of an external Xbox SSD drive which costs $179-$199. In the end you will be left with a underpowered machine for the same price point as the ‘future proof’Â Xbox Series X.
- As with Xbox Series X,the bulk of its exclusives will likely arrive 2-3 years from now.
- The Series S’ ability to handle future real next generation games at acceptable resolutions in the midst of the 4K era remains a question mark.
Why You Should Buy an Xbox Series S:
The Xbox Series S, has been designed with the budget gamer in mind. Perhaps, impulse buyers who nabbed a PlayStation 5 might give Xbox and Game Pass a try by snatching a relatively cheap Xbox Series S.
So yes, Xbox Series S offers a mildly compelling option if you are curious about the awesomeness of Xbox Ultimate Game Pass, but do not want plunge head first into a $500 system. This would be especially true after paying that amount for a PlayStation 5.
If you don’t own a 4K TV, even though they are cheap these days (some sets costs as little as $249), and have no interest in acquiring one, for $299 the Xbox Series S is the ultimate 1080p machine.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy an Xbox Series S:
Oh boy! Where to start? A powerful argument can be made that the Xbox Series S doesn’t represent a major leap over current generation systems. This is true if you own a PlayStation 4 Pro, but it is specially true if you own an Xbox One X.
So far, a large amount of games either run comparably on the Xbox One X’s performance mode as they do on the Xbox Series S (Forza Horizon 4). Or, even look a bit better on Xbox One X, as the 2017 console was made for 4K gaming.
Also, Xbox Series S’ backwards compatibility is hindered by the fact that the console only enhances Xbox One S versions of games. Consequently, improvements on textures and resolutions made on Xbox One X versions of games are missing on Xbox Series S.
Xbox Series S’s newer architecture, however, does offer the option of Ray Traced visuals in some games (Watch Dogs: Legion), but at sub 1080p resolutions which might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Especially, when both the Xbox Series X, and the PlayStation 5, completely blow it out of the water in every area.
So, if you are a PlayStation 4 Pro, or Xbox One X owner, the Xbox Series S offers little to get excited about in terms of a generational leap.
Last but not least, it is hard to see the Xbox Series S keeping up with the other two consoles as the generation marches forwards with more complex and graphically intensive games.
The fact that Microsoft only attached a 512 GB SSD to the machine, makes it likely that Xbox Series S consumers will eventually have to buy an external SSD which will cost $199. Thus, in hindsight making the Xbox Series X the wiser purchase.
Grades:
Hardware: B
Launch Games: B-
Subscription Service: A+
2021 Game Line-up: B
Beyond 2021 Game Line Up: B (‘A’ if Bethesda’s games are exclusive)
Overall: B-
Microsoft wants to tap into the “Companion/2nd console” market. They understand that the PlayStation 5 will sell extremely well. At $299, however, the Xbox Series S certainly offers a compelling impulse purchase for Sony gamers looking to test the Ultimate Game Pass Waters.
Personally, I don’t find the console attractive. Its internal 512 GB SSD is insufficient for next generation games, and buying an external SSD will drive up the Xbox Series S cost to parity with the Xbox Series X. Thus, the digital only Xbox budget console looks like a weird purchase when one reflects deeply on the eventual consequences of having such a small SSD embedded in the machine.
Nintendo Switch
Price: $299 ($199 Lite)
Specs:
- 256 Maxwell-based CUDA cores @ 307.2 MHz–768 MHz (GPU)
- 4Â GBÂ LPDDR4Â @Â 1331/1600 MHz
- ARM 4Â Cortex-A57Â + ARM 4Â Cortex-A53Â cores @Â 1.02Â GHz (CPU)
- Supported Resolutions: 480p, 720p, 900p (Docked), 1080p (Docked)
- Media: Game Card, Digital distribution
- Storage: 32 GB eMMC
- Undocked: Linear PCM 2.0 ch stereo speakers (with pseudo-surround) Docked: Linear PCM 5.1 ch
Strengths:
- Portability.
- Nintendo’s First Party Lineup.
Weaknesses:
- As a home console the hardware is outdated.
- Nintendo’s first party games remain prohibitively expensive even in digital form.
- Nintendo’s $3.99 Game subscription service is laughable at best.
- Nintendo has refused to fix the Joy-Con’s ‘drift’ design flaw.
- Rumors of a ‘Switch Pro’ are getting louder by the passing month.
Why You Should Buy a Nintendo Switch:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Super Mario Odyssey are two of the greatest games ever made. On that statement alone the Nintendo Switch is worthy of a purchase. The fact that Nintendo’s ever growing library of titles includes beloved Pokemon games, the Mario Kart series, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, make the little hybrid handheld the place to game at either playing solo, or with friends.
The system has also become the home of many PS3/360 era remasters, with steadier frame-rates and better resolutions. The fact that even current generation games like The Witcher 3 are running on a portable machine is impressive.
Basically, if you want to play Nintendo’s lineup of all time great games, and you want to take the big home console experience on the road, there is no better machine out there for you than the Nintendo Switch.
Ramblings about the ‘Next Switch’ are growing louder, but with an installed base of nearly 70 million Nintendo Switches sold, it is highly unlikely that Nintendo abandons its huge (and rapidly growing) market anytime soon.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy a Nintendo Switch:
In the unlikely event that you are one of the three people in the world that doesn’t like Zelda or Mario, there is no reason for you to own a Switch other than the fact that you can finally play massive games like Dark Souls, and The Witcher 3 on the go.
That said, the big home console experience that the Switch is supposed to provide portably has been compromised over the last year and half. Games like Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla are too technologically advanced to be ported over to Nintendo’s Machine.
Obsidian’s Outer Worlds was ported to the Switch to disastrous results. The Switch’s longevity as a viable portable machine for AAA third party games has come to an end.
The Nintendo Switch’s underpowered, and rapidly aging hardware, coupled with the arrival of the Xbox Series X, and the PlayStation 5 is signaling the need of a successor from Nintendo.
Buying a Nintendo Switch now might not make much sense to you, if in all likelihood a ‘Switch Pro’, or a full blown ‘Switch 2’ is rumored to be announced next year.
Nintendo has yet to fix the system’s Joy-Con Drift issues, and maybe its successor will. Perhaps, your best bet would be going for the Lite version of the system instead.
However, if you have managed to survive this far without a Switch, you might be able to wait until 2021 to see if Nintendo announces a new hybrid system that can compete (or at least survive) against Microsoft’s and Sony’s new machines in terms of supporting modern AAA gaming ports.
Grades:
Hardware: C-
Current Games: A+
Subscription Service: F
2021 Game Line-up: A ( Assuming the Next Zelda arrives, and rumored Metroid Prime arrive )
Beyond 2021 Game Line Up: ?
Overall: B
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Super Mario Odyssey are two of the best games ever made. As stated above, that statement alone more than justifies a Nintendo Switch purchase.
Consequently, even though it is likely that Nintendo does announce a Switch successor in 2021, you certainly will not be wasting your money by acquiring a unit. The Switch has a vast library of titles to keep you coming back to it, and while its hardware has aged, there is no better way to game on the go.
The Verdict:
If consoles are available on store shelves – which at this time seems doubtful – heading into 2021, with the Xbox Series X, and the PlayStation 5 being closely matched in specs, gamers will have to ponder what is more important to them. Is it game services? It is exclusive content?
The lack of a true first party killer app has forced the Xbox Series X to rest on the performance of third party games that are also available on Sony’s console. Games like Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla (pictured) are carrying the console through this holiday season.
That said, Xbox offers what far and away is the superior game subscription service in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. As a result, the future looks bright for Xbox Series X owners, as Bethesda’s, and Microsoft’s own new first party efforts will be available on the program from day one.
Game Pass currently features a large number of 3rd party AAA games, and the recent arrival of EA to the subscription service has given gamers access to over 200 games from different Xbox eras. In this regard, Sony cannot compete.
However, Sony does have its amazing catalogue of first party titles. A catalogue filled with some of the best single player games released over the last decade. The Xbox Series X does not have a comparable line up, and it seems like a few years will pass before it does.
Microsoft’s console launch was largely dependant on third party games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and its Xbox Ultimate Game Pass service to draw customers in. Sony on the other hand, had two big AAA exclusives in cross generational game Spider: Miles Morales, and a real nex-gen gem in Bluepoint’s Demon’s Souls remake.
Between these two consoles, provided that you can’t afford both, it might come down to your answers to the following questions: Do you want the greatest single player experiences on the market(PS5)? Or, do you want the best gaming subscription service available (XSX)? Are you a big Halo fan, with roots to its online community? Or, are you emotionally invested in Sony’s story driven franchises?
Either way, both consoles seem to have a bright future, and many gamers will want both. Microsoft is hoping that some PS5 owners are swayed by the Xbox Series S’ budget price to purchase it as their second console.
On the other hand, the third player, Nintendo, has thrived over the last three years netting that ‘second console’ market space that the Xbox Series S seems to be primed at attracting.
With no big releases this season, Nintendo will rely on the strength of its brand, and its first party catalogue to carry the day. A strategy that so far this year has worked wonders for its Switch sales.
Needless to say, I expect Nintendo to sell extremely well in these Holidays. The Switch remains a hot a item, and Microsoft and Sony are having supply issues of their next generation systems at retail.
2020, COVID, and an Xbox-PlayStation Console Launch
2020 has been rough. It has been, perhaps, the darkest year in the collective lives of those of us still walking on this earth. The COVID- 19 Pandemic has changed our way of life. Simple things like sitting down on a restaurant with family and friends seem like distant memories from a different lifetime.
What once was a relaxing habit of entering a retailer such as Walmart, or Sam’s in search of a game – or a console – has turned into an anxiety filled exercise where masks, and spray bottles full of rubbing alcohol in order to combat this awful virus are the rule of the day.
Video Games have been a soothing balm over the last 10 months. Lockdowns, and social distancing have been made more bearable by epic releases such as The Last of Us: Part II, Ghosts of Tsushima, and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.
Amongst the darkness and chaos, lets us celebrate life together, and the fact that Sony, and Microsoft both had successful console launches against many odds.
Yes, we live in historically dangerous times, but the fact that we are discussing a new console launch with such excitement, in its own – familiar – way, is very comforting indeed.
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