The next generation of gaming upon us. With the Sony PS5 and and Xbox Series X/S out just before the holiday season, you might be in a tough spot deciding between the two.
While both new generation consoles are serious gaming machines, there are a handful of key differences between the two that might sway you one way or another. If you’re trying to decide between grabbing a standard
Further reading:
- I own a PlayStation 5 and an Xbox Series X, but only one of them stole my heart
- All cross-platform games (PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC)
- Xbox Series X vs. PS5
PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S Specs
Right off the bat, we need to point out that the
The main difference between the two on the surface is that the Series S lacks a disc drive, while the standard
Another main difference in specs is attributed to the
Here’s what to expect from each system, in terms of specs.
PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series S | |
Dimensions | – | – |
Weight | 10.54 pounds | – |
Color | Black and White | White |
CPU | 8-core, 3.5GHz Custom Zen 2 | 8-core, 3.6 GHz, AMD Zen 2 |
GPU | 36 CUs, 10.3 TFLOPS, 2.23GHz | 20 CUs, 4 TFLOPS, 1.565GHz |
Memory | 16GB GDDR6 | 10GB GDDR6 |
Memory bandwidth | 448GB/s | 224GB/s |
Storage | 825GB Custom SSD | 512GB NVME SSD |
Optical drive | 4K UHD Blu-ray drive | No, digital only |
4K | Yes | 1440p, scalable 4K |
HDR | – | – |
Ports | Includes USB and NVME slot | USB |
Online subscription | PS Plus | Xbox Live Gold |
Connectivity | – | – |
Price | $399/$499 | $299 |
Availability | November 12, 2020 in the US (November 19 in other territories) | November 10, 2020 |
Digital Trends review | Coming soon | Coming soon |
PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S graphics
But what about visuals? This is yet another possible major factor for some when choosing between the two. Despite the noticeable difference in specs, either one will offer beautiful visuals — it just comes down to what you’re looking for in a console. But let’s compare each system’s teraflops (TFLOPS), as it’s a great place to start when evaluating the visual fidelity of the machines. You’ve probably seen or heard this term pop up recently as a buzzword throughout the marketing of each system. A TFLOP is a measurement of a computer or console’s performance, and it refers to the ability of a machine to calculate one trillion floating-point operations per second.
When comparing the two, the
The
All in all, despite one being more powerful than the other, you might not “need” a system with 10.3 TFLOPS. Even with the less powerful Xbox Series S, it’s still a beast compared to what we have now, and it’s able to deliver faster load times and higher (and more steady) frame rates, all thanks to the Xbox Velocity Architecture.
PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S resolution
In terms of resolution, you’ll notice a difference between the two machines — particularly in that the
Both machines seem to offer support of “up to 120 frames per second,” though you’ll need a display that can render these fast frame rates. With each system, you’ll have a much better visual experience with less screen tearing if you’ve got a monitor that features 120Hz refresh rates — which the Xbox Series S and
In yet another attempt to future-proof, both will feature an HDMI 2.1 port, and despite this not being the standard quite yet, the systems will be ready to go once
Again, if high resolution is important to you, the
PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S storage
Yet another important factor with each system is the amount of onboard memory they’ll come with, and the two differ in this regard. The Xbox Series S comes with a 512GB NVME SSD, while the
This decompression of file sizes is key and will free up space and lower the amount of texture pop-in — allowing files to be read in milliseconds. This means that despite the seemingly low hard-drive size of the
The PS5 plays most PS4 games, and we got to see footage of just how fast the SSD will work, last year. Takashi Mochizuki of Bloomberg uploaded a video of the
Sony's official video comparing performance of PS4 Pro vs next-gen PlayStation pic.twitter.com/2eUROxKFLq
— Takashi Mochizuki (@6d6f636869) May 21, 2019
As for the Xbox Series S, it, too, will feature an SSD, though it is different than the one included with
And if you’re worried about storage space on your machines, both the
While we know how fast both SSDs will be based on sheer numbers, it’s not exactly clear how they will perform in practice, as it will ultimately depend on what you’re trying to run. As the technology improves, the size and scope of games likely will, too, so everything seems to be scaling upward. At the end of the day, the
PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S price
Price is likely the most important factor for consumers looking to purchase a next-generation machine. In fact, many potential buyers will not compare specs at all, and will purchase whichever system is less expensive. For this reason, Microsoft has prioritized low cost with the Xbox Series S, making it easy for consumers to jump into the next generation of games. The Series S is less powerful than the
Microsoft is offering the Series S as part of its All Access program, allowing you to pay a monthly amount to gain immediate access to the system and Game Pass Ultimate with no upfront cost — just like buying a new smartphone. With the Xbox Series S, specifically, it will cost you $24.99 (34.99 for the
When it comes to the
PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S games
Aside from price, the other major factor that will sway consumers is the games available on each machine. Both will feature many of the same third-party titles like Cyberpunk 2077, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, Fortnite, and Resident Evil: Village. We already know of a lot of games that will appear on both systems, and will likely find out more as we approach their launches.
When it comes to a first-party lineup of games, Sony will have a wider selection, at least at first. Microsoft has spent recent years acquiring more studios and focusing more on exclusive games, but it will likely be a while before we’ll see those games come to fruition. We know the
As for Microsoft, we know we’ll be getting a new Fable, Forza Motorsport, Obsidian’s new RPG, Avowed, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and of course, Halo Infinite. It takes time to acquire studios and develop games, so expect to see more from Microsoft as the generation progresses. When comparing the lineups of both platforms, there are a lot of similarities, especially with the third-party games.
Microsoft seems like it’s focusing more on shooters and online experiences like Gears, Halo, Sea of Thieves, and State of Decay — while the games you’ll get on the
Here are the games confirmed to come to
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | Dustborn | Hogwarts Legacy | Oddworld: Soulstorm | Scarlet Nexus |
Astro’s Playroom | Dying Light 2 | Hood: Outlaws and Legends | Outriders | Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One |
Atomic Heart | The Elder Scrolls Online | Horizon: Forbidden West | Overcooked: All You Can Eat | Solar Ash |
Battlefield 6 | Far Cry 6 | Hyper Scape | Outriders | Spider-Man: Miles Morales |
Bugsnax | FIFA 21 | Immortals: Fenyx Rising | Paradise Lost | Stray |
Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War | Final Fantasy VII Remake | JETT: The Far Shore | The Pathless | Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League |
Chivalry 2 | Final Fantasy XVI | Just Dance 2021 | Planet Coaster: Console Edition | TemTem |
Chorus | Fortnite | Kena: Bridge of Spirits | Pragmata | Tribes of Midgard |
Control | Ghostwire: Tokyo | Little Devil Inside | Project Athia | Unknown 9: Awakening |
Cris Tales | Godfall | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Quantum Error | Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 |
Cyberpunk 2077 | Goodbye Volcano High | The Lord of the Rings: Gollum | Rainbow Six: Quarantine | Vampire the Masquerade – Swansong |
Death Loop | Gotham Knights | Madden 21 | Rainbow Six Siege | Warframe |
Demon’s Souls Remake | Gothic | Marvel’s Avengers | Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart | Watch Dogs: Legion |
Destiny 2 | Gran Turismo 7 | Maquette | Recompile | The Witcher III: Wild Hunt |
Destruction: All Stars | Grand Theft Auto V | Metal: Hellsinger | Resident Evil: Village | Worms Rumble |
Dirt 5 | Haven | NBA 2K21 | Returnal | WRC 9 |
DOOM Eternal | Heavenly Bodies | NBA Live 21 | Riders Republic | Yakuza: Like a Dragon |
Dragon Age 4 | Hitman III | Observer: System Redux | Sackboy: A Big Adventure |
12 Minutes | Dragon Age 4 | Hogwarts Legacy | MicroMan | Shredders |
Aragami 2 | Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age | Gothic Remake | Moonray | The Sims 5 |
As Dusk Falls | Dying Light 2 | Grand Theft Auto 5 | NBA 2K21 | Song of Iron |
The Artful Escape | Earthlock 2 | Graven | Nth^0 Infinity Reborn | Soulborn |
The Ascent | Echo Generation | Grounded | Observer (System Redux) | S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 |
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | The Elder Scrolls Online | The Gunk | Ori and the Will of the Wisps | State of Decay 3 |
Avowed | Everwild | Halo Infinite | The Outer Worlds | Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League |
Balan Wonderworld | Exo One | Haven | Outriders | Tetris Effect: Connected |
Battlefield 6 | Exomecha | Hitman 3 | Overcooked: All You Can Eat | Tell Me Why |
The Big Con | Fable | Hello Neighbor 2 | Paradise Lost | Tunic |
Blood Bowl 3 | The Falconeer | Hood: Outlaws and Legends | Party Crasher Simulator | Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 |
Bright Memory: Infinite | Far Cry 6 | Hyper Scape | Phantasy Star Online 2 | Unexplored 2 – The Wayfarer’s Legacy |
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | FIFA 21 | Immortals: Fenyx Rising | Planet Coaster | Unknown 9: Awakening |
Call of the Sea | Fortnite | In Sound Mind | Pragmata | Vampire the Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 |
Chivalry 2 | Forza Horizon 4 | In Sound Mind | Psychonauts 2 | Vampire the Masquerade – Swansong |
Chorus | Forza Motorsport | Lake | Psyhotel | Warframe |
Control | Gears 5 | Last Stop | Rainbow Six Quarantine | Warhammer 40,000: Darktide |
Cris Tales | Gears Tactics | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Rainbow Six: Siege | Watch Dogs Legion |
Crossfire X | Gotham Knights | Little Nightmares 2 | Resident Evil: Village | Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood |
Cyberpunk 2077 | Gothic Remake | The Lord of the Rings: Gollum | Sable | White Shadows |
Cygni: All Guns Blazing | Grand Theft Auto 5 | Mad Streets | Scarlet Nexus | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt |
Demon Turf | Graven | Madden NFL 21 | Scorn | WRC 9 |
Destiny 2 | Grounded | Marvel’s Avengers | Sea of Thieves | Yakuza: Like A Dragon |
Dirt 5 | The Gunk | The Medium | The Second Extinction | |
Doom Eternal | Halo Infinite | Metal: Hellsinger | Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 |
It’s also worth touching upon the notion of backward compatibility — which both systems will indeed include, though each platform will be handling this feature differently. The Xbox Series S and Series X will handle backward compatibility the same way as Xbox One. It all works through software, instead of “true” backward compatibility in the traditional sense. The solution Microsoft has come up with is consumer friendly, cost efficient, and works with a huge library of games from the original Xbox to current titles.
With the
We do know a large selection of current-generation games will feature upgrades to the next-generation versions within the same family — some free, and others will cost a small fee. For example, games like The Witcher III, Cyberpunk 2077, Grand Theft Auto V, Rainbow Six Siege, and Control will all be upgradable, and the list continues to grow as we get closer to this holiday season. Do keep in mind that the Series S versions of these games will be presented at a lower resolution than the Series X counterparts — as well as the
PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S controllers
Both the
The
The biggest change comes with the DualSense’s appearance — dropping the solid color found with most PS4 DualShocks. What you get is a mix of black, white, and blue, mirroring the
Both seem comparable, but the true test will be how each will feel in your hands. At this point, we have a better idea of what the Xbox controller will feel like, since it’s modeled after the same one from this generation. However, the DualSense seems to be a lot different than what we might be used to.
It’s currently unknown how much the Xbox controllers will cost, but we do know the price of the DualSense. With the Xbox Series S controller, we have a better understanding of its value since it’s so similar to that of the Xbox One, which you can purchase new for between $50 and $65. We assume we’ll have more info about accessory pricing once Xbox pre-orders go live on September 22. As for the DualSense, the PS Blog explained that they will cost $69.99.
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