compare and contrast xbox and playstation essay

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Compare and Contrast: Xbox and Playstation

• Categories: Digital Era Video Games

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Words: 717 |

Published: Jan 8, 2020

Words: 717 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Works Cited

• Alhaqbani, B., & Bahattab, A. (2019). A Comparative Study between Xbox and PlayStation Game Consoles. International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, 19(3), 194-202.
• Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2019). The Rise of Competitive Gaming eSports and Its Influence on Console Gaming. In Proceedings of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.
• Chandler, H. L. (2019). Console Wars: An Analysis of the Competition between Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox (Master's thesis). Elon University.
• Hamilton, M. (2017). Comparing the User Interfaces of PlayStation and Xbox Game Consoles. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 61(1), 679-683.
• Griffiths, M. (2018). The Relationship Between Video Gaming and Gambling: Comparison of Gaming Use and Gambling Behavior in Adolescents and Young Adults (Doctoral dissertation). Nottingham Trent University.
• Cutri, R. M., & McCurry, L. K. (2019). Console and Cloud: A Case Study in Product Development Strategies. In 2019 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference (ProComm) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.
• Brown, M., & Appelbaum, L. G. (2018). Video Games for Entertainment and Education. In Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Myths and Realities (pp. 87-100). Springer.
• Sheth, A., Shukla, M., & Naik, K. (2019). An Analysis of Gaming Consoles and Their Role in the Gaming Industry. International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 8(12), 724-728.
• Hartmann, T., & Klimmt, C. (2019). eSports and Competitive Gaming: An Introduction. In eSports Yearbook 2013/14 (pp. 1-7). Springer.
• Juul, J. (2019). A Casual Revolution: Reinventing Video Games and Their Players. MIT Press.

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PlayStation 4 vs. Xbox One

The PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One video game consoles offer significant improvements over — and break compatibility with — the previous generation consoles in their respective families: the PS3 and Xbox 360 , each of which sold over 100 million units. Both the PS4 and Xbox One offer souped-up graphics processors, more memory than previous systems, redesigned controllers, and all-in-one access to “apps” like Amazon Prime, Netflix , Hulu , and NFL Network, among others.

This comparison of the two leading consoles in the market examines their hardware specs and performance, price, gameplay, and rules governing the purchase and play of online games.

Both consoles are priced similarly; a $399 Xbox One console without the Kinect is priced to match the PS4. When Microsoft first released the Xbox One, it was priced at $499 and the Kinect was bundled in, offering a camera and motion sensing capabilities.

Comparison chart

Contents: playstation 4 vs xbox one.

• 2 Interface
• 3 Backwards Compatibility
• 5 Used Games
• 6.1 Xbox Elite Wireless Controller
• 7 Removable and External Hard Drives
• 9 Applications
• 10 Bluetooth Capability
• 11.1 Xbox Live Gold
• 11.2 Security Issues
• 12 Exclusive Games
• 13.1 Early Problems with PS4
• 13.2 Early Problems with the Xbox One
• 13.3 Xbox One vs PS4 sales figures
• 14 References

In unveiling the next generation - the 8th generation - in video game systems, Sony and Microsoft are introducing two distinct consoles that will appeal to game players in different ways.

One noticeable difference between Xbox One and PS4 is the price. PS4 costs $399 and a comparable Xbox One costs — with many of the same features, including 500 GB of storage, 8 GB of memory, voice command, state-of-the-art AMD processors, and cloud storage — now costs only $349. The 1 TB version of Xbox One costs $399 and Xbox One with the integrated Kinect camera and motion sensor is priced at $499. Indeed, the Xbox One costs $90 more to build compared with the PS4, and most of that additional cost is due to the Kinect system.

Both consoles look similar - each is a simple black box with vertical or horizontal standing capability.

New York Times tech columnist Molly Wood reviews both consoles in terms of design and usability and declares a winner in the following video:

The Xbox One interface appears similar to the newer Windows 8 computer operating system. You can navigate the interface using the controller, Kinect, or voice commands. Xbox One offers “snapping” of applications - that means you can open your app window on screen while you play.

A "dynamic" menu system exists on the PS4, allowing you to select games, view your profile, see activity on social media, and more. A major new feature on the PS4 is the ability to share a recording of your gameplay online; this can be done easily by pressing a button on the controller. Xbox One offers a similar service, but only to Xbox Live gold subscribers.

Backwards Compatibility

One major difference between Xbox One and earlier consoles is that it won’t allow you to play older Xbox 360 or Xbox games directly. Microsoft has said that it’s possible to rig an Xbox 360 through an Xbox One using an HDMI cable to play older games.

Similarly, PS4 won’t offer backward compatibility, though Sony may offer a cloud-based emulation service for PS3 or older games.

Well-known blogger and hardware reviewer Anand Shimpi of AnandTech had this to say about the graphics capabilities of the PS4 vs. the Xbox One [1] :

In fact, the PlayStation 4 has appreciably more graphics horsepower under its hood than the Xbox One, there's no way around that fact. Both firms have licensed the same GPU (graphics processing unit) architecture, but Sony's chip has 1152 "cores" compared to Microsoft's 768. Microsoft runs its cores at a slightly higher speed, but the maths works out to Sony having about a 40% peak potential graphics performance advantage.

Microsoft attracted criticism for a now-revoked policy that would’ve restricted the sale and reuse of used games. Integral to that old policy, the Xbox One unit would require users to connect to the Internet once in every 24-hour period to synchronize games. If a user refused to do this, they would not be able to use stored games. Microsoft retracted those policies in June 2013, eliminating the connection requirement, among others.

Sony does not restrict trading of disc games between PS4 users. Neither system allows digital game sharing.

Controllers

The PS4 DualShock controls feature a game DVR share button, a clickable touchpad, a built-in mono speaker and headphone jack, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and a stereo camera interface that senses players’ surroundings. The controller uses Bluetooth 2.1 to connect to the console.

While the Xbox One controller appears similar to older Xbox controllers, Microsoft touts 40 upgrades. Microsoft added “menu” and “view” buttons. Users can recharge the controller using a USB cable.

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller

In June 2015 Microsoft announced the release of their Xbox Elite Wireless Controller , priced at $149 and with availability starting in October 2015. The new controller adds swappable parts that allow gamers to personalize it to fit their needs, preferences and playing style. The new parts include 4 bumper pads (under the grips), hair-trigger locks for more precise control and faster firing in FPS games, and a textured rolling pad to replace the standard D-pad.

Removable and External Hard Drives

Only the PS4 offers a removable hard drive, which means that users can upgrade the factory 500 GB unit if necessary.

Xbox One also offers a 500 GB hard drive, but users cannot replace. Xbox One does include two USB ports intended to offer external storage in case console owners use up all 500 GB. There is also a 1TB version of the Xbox One that costs $50 extra ($399 total), which is a better choice for gamers seeking more storage space.

In March 2017, Sony announced the 4.50 "Sasuke" update to the PS4 and PS4 Pro consoles. This update lets PlayStation VR headset owners watch 3D Blu-ray movies and also supports external hard drives up to 8TB. The external hard drive connects to the PS4 via USB and you can install games on the external hard drive instead of the PS4's built-in hard drive. The Xbox does not support external hard drives.

Unlike Xbox One, Sony will sell the motion-sensing PlayStation 4 Eye separately for $59.99. Microsoft’s Kinect camera is included with the Xbox One. The Kinect allows users to control the Xbox One system using biometric scanning. The Kinect can recognize different users based on the sound of their voice.

Applications

PS4 will offer free access to some applications, including Amazon Prime , Netflix and Hulu Plus . Subscriptions to these services do not come free with the system, only access to the applications. Xbox One users must subscribe to an Xbox Live Gold subscription to access those apps, as well as Skype.

Bluetooth Capability

Only the PS4 will use Bluetooth technology for connecting console peripherals. Aside from the controllers, PlayStation Move and, PS4 headsets, the console can connect with Bluetooth keyboards and mouse.

Subscription Services

Both PS4 and Xbox One will require subscriptions to their respective services to play games online. This is a first for PlayStation gamers, as a PlayStation Plus membership was free with prior versions of the console. The PS+ subscription will run gamers $5 per month.

Similarly, Xbox One requires a $60 per year Xbox Live Gold membership to access many features of the console, including online game play, free game demos and previews, and face-to-face chat using the Kinect. The subscription to the Xbox Live Gold service is often available at a discount on Amazon.com .

Xbox Live Gold

Before June 2014, Microsoft required an Xbox Live Gold subscription to use apps like Netflix and Hulu . Microsoft has since opened up the Xbox One platform so all owners can use these streaming apps, as well as other online services like OneDrive , Skype without needing a subscription.

Xbox Live Gold subscribers now get the benefit of the Games with Gold and Deals with Gold programs, which offer free games and discounts on games and content in the Xbox Store. Membership cost is around $60 per year.

Security Issues

In December 2014, a hacker group calling itself Lizard Squad took down Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network via DDoS attacks. While Microsoft was able to bring Xbox Live back up relatively quickly, Sony took more time before being able to get PlayStation Network back to normal operations. [2] Sony's security record has been spotty given several hacking incidents that it has been a victim of.

Exclusive Games

Writing for Forbes , Paul Tassi said that the exclusives gap between the PS4 and Xbox One has widened :

Sony has grown a garden of must-play games on PS4, while you can only say the same for a few titles on Xbox One, and even in that case, it helps to be a huge fan of X series in the first place. ...the power dynamic has shifted, and Microsoft feels lost, like they’re clinging on to old series that have long stopped improving or innovating much, and they’re failing to plant seeds for the future. Sony isn’t perfect and has its own missteps (*cough* The Order), but trying to be as objective as I’m able, I just don’t think the exclusive line-ups of both systems are even comparable at this point. Sony is coming out on top time and time again, and as we prepare to have The Last of Us 2 square off against State of Decay 2 and God of War 4 against Crackdown 3, and so on, I just don’t think that’s going to change.

There are many popular games that are available on both systems, including Call of Duty: Ghosts, Madden 25, NBA Live, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Plain, and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

But each console also has exclusive games that are only available on that console.

PS4 exclusives include Horizon Zero Dawn, Until Dawn, Uncharted 4, Bloodborne, The Last Guardian, Nioh, The Last of Us 2 and God of War 4. Older PS4 exclusives announced at the time of launch are Dark Sorcerer, Deep Down, Drive Club, Killzone Shadow Fall, Infamous Second Son, Knack, Secret Ponchos, Order 1866, PlayRoom, RIME, Shadow of the Beast, and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture.

Xbox One exclusives include Halo, Gears of War, ReCore, Forza, Sunset Overdrive, Dead Rising, and State of Decay. Older exclusives for the Xbox platform were games like Titanfall, Below, Crimson Dragon, D4, Dead Rising 3, Forza 5, Killer Instinct, Powerstar Golf, Quantum Break, and Ryse: Son of Rome. Microsoft commissioned but then cancelled exclusives like Phantom Dust, Scalebound and Fable Legends.

Early Problems with PS4

In mid-November 2013 when the first PS4 units started shipping, many customers reported that the units they received were dead on arrival.

In spite of these problems, Sony reported strong sales of the console. The company said they sold 1 million units on the first day and expect to sell 5 million PS4 consoles in the first 5 months of launch.

Early Problems with the Xbox One

The Xbox One also faced some problems when it was first launched, with some customers complaining about noisy or non-functional disc drives. [3]

Xbox One vs PS4 sales figures

In March 2016, games company EA estimated that the Xbox One and the PS4 have sold a combined 60 million units worldwide. Considering that Sony had reported 36 million units a couple of months before that, it was estimated that a little over 20 million units of the Xbox One had been shipped as of March 2016. [4]

As of January 2016, PlayStation 4 sales have reached 35.9 million units worldwide, with 5.7 million units sold in the December 2015 holiday season. [5]

In late November 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported that Sony had sold over 30 million units of the PS4, making it the fastest-selling PlayStation product in history, considering the first two years since launch. The WSJ news story also reported analyst opinion that the PS4 is "running far ahead of Xbox One" [in terms of sales figures].

As of March 1, 2015, Sony had sold 20.2 million units of the PS4. [6] The latest available official sales figures for the Xbox One were announced in November 2014, when Microsoft announced they had sold nearly 10 million units. The holiday shopping season was strong for Microsoft so the current number is certainly much higher; however, the Xbox still trails the PS4 in worldwide sales.

Sony's PS4 outsold the Xbox One in the U.S. in every single month from January to June 2014. In June, Microsoft announced a $399 version of the Xbox One without the Kinect and said the move led to a doubling of its monthly sales but did not release any specific numbers. [7] [8]

As of April 17, 2014, Microsoft had sold over 5 million Xbox One consoles worldwide and Sony had reported sales of over 7 million PS4 units globally. [9]

The lower price of the PS4 helped sales and Sony's console outsold Microsoft's Xbox One in first few months of release. In January 2014, the PS4 outsold the Xbox One two to one in the United States. [10]

But in February 2014, perhaps bolstered by the upcoming release of Titan fall in March, the gap narrowed significantly. Sales for the PlayStation 4 were still higher than Xbox but the margin was much smaller. [11] Another theory for the surge in Xbox One sales in February 2014 is that Sony was unable to manufacture enough consoles to ensure that supply meets demand:

Sony is still well ahead of Microsoft in global sales. The company has said that it sold more than 6 million PlayStation 4s worldwide as of March 2 [2014]. Microsoft shipped 3.9 million Xbox Ones through the end of 2013, the last time it released such a sales figure.

On March 21, 2014, Best Buy and Walmart started a promotion offering the Xbox One and Titanfall combo for $450, which is a $50 discount on the combined price. [12]

• The Exclusive Gap Between PS4 and Xbox One Has Become A Canyon - Forbes
• Xbox One - Official Website
• PS4 - Official Website
• How the Cheaper Xbox Could Shake Up the Console Wars - Bloomberg
• DualShock 4 (the controller for PS4)
• Launch Titles for the PS4 and Xbox One
• Xbox One costs $90 more to manufacture than PS4
• Microsoft removes Xbox One and Xbox 360 Gold paywall for Netflix, Hulu, and more - GameSpot
• Sony announces 4.2 million PS4 sales and new PlayStation Now game service - GeekWire
• PlayStation sales top 35 million - Engadget
• Wikipedia: PlayStation 4
• Wikipedia: Xbox One

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Comments: PlayStation 4 vs Xbox One

Anonymous comments (3).

January 3, 2014, 7:17pm Nice read by the way. Just add the battery part. — 166.✗.✗.42

January 3, 2014, 7:15pm Xbox one controller comes with two AA batteries. They can't recharge. You will have to buy a play n charge kit for $20 plus tax to be able to recharge your controller like the 360 did. Feel free to use AA batteries or buying your own rechargeable batteries — 166.✗.✗.42

November 17, 2013, 1:01am grrr im torn. i have an xbox 360 currently, but im considering switching to the ps4, but i also want the xbox one. i have a lot of friends choosing one or the other and i dont know what to choose xD bahahahah lol... — 71.✗.✗.143

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Difference Between PlayStation and Xbox

• Categorized under Gadgets , Technology | Difference Between PlayStation and Xbox

We have come a long way since the computer could only be described as surreal or a dream of the distant future compared to today’s PCs, laptops and gaming consoles. Talking about game consoles, the Magnavox Odyssey was the world’s first consumer device to allow people to play interactive games on their television. The Odyssey’s games were only played with white squares on a black background. While the video game craze began with the “Pong”, the system for the Odyssey set the stage for the modern age of video games and modern consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox. The PlayStation was a 32-bit console from the Japanese electronics giant, Sony and with its debut, it quickly established itself as a major player in the console market. Then came the Microsoft’s Xbox which was the direct competitor to the Sony’s PlayStation and other video game consoles such as Nintendo. Let’s take a look at some key differences between PlayStation and Xbox.

What is PlayStation?

The PlayStation was a 32-bit console from Sony which over time, went on to become one of the world’s most powerful video game consoles and the first console to ship more than 100 million units. The first PlayStation was launched back in 1994 and along with it, released massively popular game franchises like Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, and Metal Gear Solid on the masses. In 2000, Sony updated its line with a new model called the PSone, which was smaller and lighter than the original PlayStation and supported pairing with an optional LCD screen. In the United States, it was released at a $99 price tag alongside Sony’s new PlayStation 2. In 2013, Sony released its most advanced and powerful console, the PlayStation 4 or PS4. The PS4 was a game changer and one of the most popular video game consoles ever made.

What is Xbox?

Xbox is the video game console system created and owned by Microsoft. The American multinational technology giant released the first Xbox gaming console back in November, 2001 with a clear intention to be in direct competition with the Sony’s PlayStation along with other video game consoles. However, unlike other game consoles, the Xbox is not based on a specialized hardware platform designed specifically for playing games. Instead, it was based on the same hardware on which the Microsoft’s personal computer platform was based. The Xbox hardware is derived from the same electronic architecture as the standard IBM-compatible PCs. In 2005, Microsoft released its popular Xbox 360 to compete with Sony’s PlayStation 3, and in 2013, Xbox One was released as the successor of the Xbox 360 to compete with its arch rival PS4.

Difference between PlayStation and Xbox

– PlayStation is the brand name of the gaming console created by Japanese electronics giant Sony whereas Xbox is the video game console system created and owned by Microsoft. The first PlayStation was launched back in 1994 and the PlayStation has come a long way since then. The first Xbox was released back in November 2001 and in 2005, Microsoft released its popular Xbox 360 to compete with Sony’s PlayStation 3.

PS3 vs. Xbox 360

– The 2005’s released PS3 breaks from the traditional architecture commonly seen in video game consoles and it has 256 MB of XDR DRAM and 256 MB GDDR3 video memory, and Nvidia RSX graphics processor. On the Microsoft side, the Xbox 360 is an evolution of the original Xbox; however, it uses a custom triple-core IBM CPU instead of the Intel chipset with 512 MB main memory and ATI Xenos graphics processor. Both the systems clock at 3.2 GHz, however, the PS3 has more horsepower and it can perform more operations per second compared to its Xbox counterpart.

PS4 vs. Xbox One

– The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is one of the most popular and powerful video game consoles by Sony. It was also the first console to ship more than 100 million units. It is available in a slim version and a dynamic 4K PS4 Pro version. The Xbox One was released in 2013 as the successor of Xbox 360 and like the PS4, it uses an AMD x86 processor and GPU. However, the PS4 has a faster 8GB GDDR5 memory whereas the Xbox One comes with a slower 8GB DDR3 memory. PS4 is a better gaming machine than the Xbox One.

Game Library

– While both the gaming consoles has some of the popular game franchises of all time including some exclusive titles, ports and indie games, the PS4 is probably the winner in the exclusives race. The PS4 offers some of the most popular and highest-rated AAA titles of the generation such as God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, etc., while the Xbox One is a treasure trove of some of the most popular first party games such as Halo 5, Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, etc.

PlayStation vs. Xbox: Comparison Chart

Summary of PlayStation vs. Xbox

Sony’s PlayStation offers some of the world’s most popular and highest-rated AAA game titles such as God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Dark Souls 3, Spider-Man, Metal Gear, Overwatch, and more. The PlayStation 4 is the most advanced and powerful gaming console the world has ever known. However, Xbox has its fair share of strengths and weaknesses too. Th Xbox One X seems to be better than the PS4 in terms of graphics performance and visual customization.

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Cite APA 7 Khillar, S. (2020, July 14). Difference Between PlayStation and Xbox. Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects. http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-playstation-and-xbox/. MLA 8 Khillar, Sagar. "Difference Between PlayStation and Xbox." Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects, 14 July, 2020, http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-playstation-and-xbox/.

big bad i lkike xbooks moer

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PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: How They Compare 1 Year Later

It’s been a year since I reviewed the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 , and a lot has changed in that time. We’ve had 12 months to live alongside them, watch their game libraries grow, and see developers harness the next-gen capabilities of both consoles. Or, we should have, at least. It’s been a year of supply shortages , so a lot of people are still stuck in ridiculous digital lottery waiting-lines in hopes of snagging a new console.

Usually, a “versus” article would pit the Xbox Series X/S versus the PS5 head-to-head, comparing their specs and stats and games. We’ll get to all that for sure, but the interesting question isn’t “How do they stack up?” It’s “How do they stack up, given, y’know, everything?”

By the end of September this year, Sony had sold 13.4 million PlayStation 5s . Microsoft doesn't release sales numbers, but an analyst for market intelligence firm Niko Partners estimated that it has sold around 8 million Series X and S consoles , combined. Those are some healthy numbers considering the supply shortages, but they don’t really paint a picture of how hard it still is to get your hands on either console. An entire year has passed, but it’s still a choice between paying extra to scalpers on eBay and Amazon or repeatedly signing up for up-to-the-second in-stock notifications and waiting in an online queue during a “drop" of new consoles at a retailer. They sell out in seconds, leading to a lot of disappointed would-be next-gen gamers.

Both the Wii and the Nintendo Switch were scarce and therefore hard to buy well into the second year of their lives, but it’s unusual for Xbox and PlayStation. Supply would usually start to match demand by now. You should normally be able to pick one up at any local electronics store or buy one for its actual retail price on Amazon. That's not the case.

It took a year, but both consoles’ game libraries are beginning to be decent. They're still not great, and there aren’t nearly enough tentpole titles to make either console a must-buy, but things are improving.

Exclusive titles still aren't here. We won’t see Halo: Infinite on the Xbox until the end of 2021, and Horizon: Forbidden West doesn’t come out for PlayStation until February 2022. Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls are fun on PS5, but the Xbox Series X/S feels like an echo chamber at this point.  Perhaps by design, it's also hard to tell whether a new game is actually a next-gen or previous-gen title. Aside from exclusives, most new games are still coming out with Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions at the same time.

The nice thing is, both consoles seem to have all the good third-party games. That’s good for anyone who manages to buy either console, but not so great for Sony and Microsoft, since there’s increasingly little to differentiate the two consoles.

The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 couldn’t look less alike. One’s a literal box; the other is a curvilinear space oyster that looks like a background doodad from Mass Effect . But on the inside, they’re practically twins.

Brenda Stolyar

Julian Chokkattu

Gabrielle Caplan

They’re the same price. They have the same 8-core AMD Zen 2 processors with slightly different clock speeds (the PS5’s 3.5 GHz to the Xbox’s 3.8 GHz), the same AMD RDNA graphics chipsets (again with minor differences in clock speed), the same 16 GB of RAM, almost the same off-the-shelf storage capacity—825 GB for PS5, and 1 TB for Xbox Series X. And they both output to 8K, 4K, and 120 Hz.

The cheaper Xbox Series S, by contrast, is really more of half an upgrade over the Xbox One. It doesn’t output games at true 4K, but it does support ray tracing and—theoretically—120 FPS gameplay. It’s a good choice if you don’t have a 4K TV and don’t plan on getting one, but I’d advise most people to just hold onto their money and wait until the Series X is more readily available. It’s more future-proof, thanks to its more powerful hardware. In terms of storage space, PS5 has the leg up here—but only if you’re comfortable cracking open your PS5 and installing some new hardware. You can bolster its stock 800 GB hard drive with an additional M.2 drive , but doing so takes some hardware know-how and isn’t for everyone. You can also use an external drive that you just plug in, but you can’t use that extra space to store games you’re currently playing, only to store them instead of say, deleting them and re-downloading them. For the Xbox Series X, you just have to buy an expansion card and plug it into the console. They’re super easy to install and work great, and you can play games off of them no problem. Unfortunately, they’re expensive at $220 for 1 terabyte of extra storage. Both consoles should have shipped with more internal storage and easier expansion options. The Xbox Series S is even worse, shipping with only 500 GB of storage.

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Xbox Series X/S controller

The easiest way to tell these two consoles apart is by their controllers. The Xbox Series X/S controller is largely unchanged from previous generations. It’s the usual Xbox controller you’ve used since the Xbox 360, with an added share button. On the other hand, the PS5 boasts a radical redesign (at least, for Sony, which has had the same controller for decades) and a force-feedback system.

Sony DualSense controller

Sony's new DualSense controllers provide more than your standard rumble. The trigger buttons can have varying levels of resistance, depending on in-game factors like which weapon you’re using—so you can actually feel it when you’re using a hair-trigger handgun versus the heavier pull of a large rifle. 

The haptic feedback system also provides a really three-dimensional sense of where that feedback is coming from. Instead of two rumbling motors in the palm of your hand, the motors in the DualSense controller can vibrate across the controller. When it works, it’s amazing. For example, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla looks and plays great on both consoles, but with the DualSense controller, the trigger pull is different for each type of bow, so you can really feel the extra tension in your big-bad-predator bows or the quick, feather touch of light bows. It gives you a real sense that these weapons are different, and that they feel different in your character’s hands. Few games take advantage of the DualSense's new bells and whistles, but it's fun when they do. 

Both consoles have multiple subscriptions that are required to play online games, and another to access a library of games to play for “free.” Xbox Series X has Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass Ultimate , and the PS5 has PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. 

Game Pass Ultimate is the best. It gives you access to online multiplayer and has a fantastic, very current 100+ game catalog that you can download on your console and often PC. You can actually install the Xbox app on a gaming laptop or desktop and download a lot of them with ease.

PlayStation Plus offers just a few “free” games you can download each month and is required to play games online. Then there’s PS Now , which is more like Xbox Game Pass but focuses on older PS4, PS3, and PS2 games. It gives you access to a deep catalog of 800-plus older PlayStation games to play online.

These subscription plans are all super confusing. Why is it like this? At this point, nobody knows.

So, which console is the winner here? Neither. Because it doesn’t matter how good your console is if nobody can buy it. PlayStation 5 is the better console, and since more of them are selling, your friends are more likely to have one or get one, but I wouldn’t call it a winner. 

DualSense is great, but internally, both consoles are pretty much identical, and it shows. It’s like Sony and Microsoft both bought the same Honda Civic, but Sony installed a cool-looking after-market steering wheel. Sure it’s cool, but is it really that much better? Or are they both kind of aggressively medium?

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Xbox vs PlayStation: Differences, pros, cons

Xbox Vs PlayStation, Both representatives of the new generation of consoles are fiercely competing with each other, but at the same time they are very similar: they have similar performance and cost, support similar technologies, offer first-class gamepads, and very fast load times. As a result, making a choice becomes difficult. Here we will take Xbox Series X Vs Playstation 5 .

Table of Contents

Xbox Series X Vs Playstation 5

Before moving on to the features of the two consoles, it is worth remembering that since 2020 there has been a shortage of consoles and other electronics on the market. This is due to the lack of microcircuits used to create it. Manufacturers are not able to meet the demand of buyers, so sometimes the choice is limited by the fact that a certain console is not available.

In numbers, the PlayStation 5 is noticeably more popular than the Xbox rival. By the end of 2020, when both new consoles were launched,  4.5 million  PS  5  and  2.4 million  Xbox  Series  X  /  S  had been sold . Due to the lesser popularity of the Xbox, it is a little easier to find this console for sale.

The situation is the same among the previous generation consoles: the PlayStation 4 has bypassed a similar model, the Xbox One, in terms of the number of devices sold.

Here check out Differences In Ps4 Pro Controllers Vs Ps4

Performance

Both consoles are equipped with roughly equal components that provide similar performance. Both there and there are used:

• 8-core processors based on AMD Zen 2 microarchitecture,
• AMD RDNA 2 GPUs,
• 16 GB of RAM.

The actual performance of the older version of the  Xbox  Series  X is  higher than that of the  PlayStation  5  : 12 teraflops (that is, 12 trillion operations per second) versus 10.3 teraflops, respectively. But this difference does not greatly affect the gameplay and graphics – the differences are hardly noticeable even by experienced gamers.

More importantly, both consoles support real-time ray tracing and offer fast SSDs that load games in seconds – previous generation consoles took minutes to do.

In upcoming projects, completely seamless game worlds will appear, and gamers will no longer have to wait for loading when switching between locations.

The storage capacities of the two devices differ  : 1 TB for the Xbox Series X and 825 GB for the PlayStation 5. It is worth remembering that some of the space is reserved by the system, so the actual amount of storage is even less.

To expand free space, both consoles support connecting an external hard drive or SSD-drive, but you can only run games of the previous generation from there.

Verdict: Draw.

Ninth Generation Consoles Specifications

Body and design.

The subjective point, since each person decides for himself which console is better in terms of design. However, we have to admit that none of the new consoles look spectacular.

The PlayStation 5 looks vaguely like a black T-shirt worn under a white shirt or collared jacket, while the Xbox Series X is a regular box that resembles a column with a simple design.

The new consoles are much larger than their predecessors: inside the case, each of them has a powerful cooling system, which improves the performance of the device. But because of this, the consoles can hardly fit under the table or cabinet. At the same time, the  Xbox  is still more compact and more practical  than the competitor.

Winner: Xbox Series X (narrow margin)

The Xbox Series X Wireless Controller feels and looks a lot like the Xbox One controller – even using the same AA batteries. The changes were not very big:

• instead of the outdated MicroUSB port, a modern USB-C is provided,
• there was a matte finish on some parts of the gamepad,
• another cross,
• Share button to create screenshots and short videos,
• the triggers received a tactile pattern.

Xbox Series X / S also supports older Xbox One controllers.

The PlayStation 5 has a completely redesigned controller  compared to the PS4. The new Dual Sense gamepad has become larger, which is convenient for people with large hands, and has acquired long handles that resemble fangs.

Check out VA Panel Vs IPS Panel .

Innovative technologies have been introduced: improved tactile feedback and adaptive triggers that adjust resistance based on gameplay. That is, the gamer will feel, for example, the effort when opening a heavy door in the game.

While these technologies are supported by a small number of games, it will grow with the proliferation of the PS5. You also need to know that the new console fully works only with DualSense. PS4 controllers are only activated in backward compatible games.

Winner: PlayStation 5.

Not the easiest point to compare, since the game libraries of both consoles will expand over time, and the choice of new games at the start of sales of consoles is traditionally limited.

Particularly bleak is the situation with the “exclusives” at the time of market entry for the Xbox Series X / S: the developer Microsoft has made it clear that new generation projects will appear only in the course of 2021 and later. At the same time, real exclusives, which will work only on the Xbox, will not appear even later:  all the games will become available on the PC  . Optimization of dozens of old projects for the new console improved the situation a little – they received updated graphics.

PlayStation 5 offered exclusive games right  from the launch. The list was small though: a remake of  Demon’ s Souls and the rather short Spider-Man: Miles Morales, also released for PS4.

Later, they were joined by projects such as  Returnal  and the continuation of the Ratchet & Clank game series  Rift Apart , where they managed to fully demonstrate the technical potential of the console.

The final decision depends on the gamer:

• If you prefer the  games of the  God  of  War  series  , where a sequel is being prepared, or other Sony exclusives, then the choice is obvious – PlayStation 5.
• If you are interested in the  continuation of  Halo  , which has not yet been released, then you should take the Xbox. In addition, Microsoft gives its console a trump card for the future: the company has acquired the game publisher Bethesda, responsible for the games in  the  TES  series  and  Fallout  . Now new projects of these universes can appear bypassing the PlayStation.

An important point: if a gamer already had or has a prefix from one of the manufacturers, then it becomes easier to make a choice. By adhering to the same platform as before, you can play already purchased games and the sequels of your favorite series, as well as continue to use your usual services.

Winner: PlayStation 5 (at launch at least)

Want to know about Virtual Reality Gaming .

backward compatibility

Sony and Microsoft update their consoles every few years, and game developers periodically release sequels to popular projects. Some consoles support backward compatibility, with which a gamer can play games from previous generations of consoles on their current console. This is very useful when a person wants to get acquainted with a large game series that started on old consoles.

Both newer consoles offer backward compatibility, but they are different . The PlayStation 5 plays almost all PS4 games. Projects for PS3 and older consoles can be evaluated using a subscription to the PlayStation Now cloud service, which does not yet cover Russia.

Series X / S showcases incredible compatibility with all games from the original Xbox. These are thousands of old games that can be downloaded over the Internet or run directly from disk on a new console – a huge advantage for avid gamers. Only Kinect projects are not supported.

Winner: Xbox Series X.

Subscriptions

Both consoles provide several subscription options. For multiplayer games, the gamer (depending on the console) will need to get a PS Plus subscription for 3299 rubles per year or Xbox Live Gold, which costs 3649 rubles per year.

In addition to the very possibility of online play,  each service offers several free games every month , and PS5 owners will additionally receive a library of 20 hits for the PlayStation 4, including  Uncharted 4  and  Bloodborne .

Xbox users looking for even more games should opt for the  Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Unified Subscription . This includes both Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass, a constantly updated collection of over 100 games.

In addition, exclusive bonuses and discounts, EA Play status, as well as access to Xbox Game Studio projects on release day and cloud games for Android smartphones are offered.

The cost of Game Pass Ultimate reaches 10 thousand rubles per year. Sony does not have a full-fledged alternative to such a subscription in Russia. Elsewhere, PS Now provides access to hundreds of games for older consoles.

Winner: Xbox Series X

Multimedia capabilities

Each of the consoles offers a wide range of multimedia applications: YouTube, Netflix, Apple TV, Twitch, and others. Moreover, the list of available services is gradually expanding.

Both consoles are equipped with an optical drive for Blu – Ray  and DVD discs. Consoles can play movies in 4K or even 8K-resolution with HDR support – both from physical media and online.

Both platforms are connected to TVs using an HDMI cable. A small advantage of the PlayStation for some users will be support for PSVR virtual reality helmets and games for them – the Xbox does not offer this.

Verdict: Draw

conclusions

It is impossible to identify an unconditional leader in such a situation, despite the slight advantage of the Xbox Series X. Both platforms are comparable in terms of functionality and performance, so a  draw will be a fairer outcome .

Aside from ambiguities like design, the real benefits of consoles are:

• In  the Xbox  – excellent backward compatibility and the best subscription system.
• In  the PlayStation  – exclusive games right from the start of sales, as well as more user-friendly recycled gamepad.

The main confrontation between the new generation consoles will affect not so much the hardware as games and software. The platform that is more user-friendly and offers the best set of games wins. As a result, gamers need to focus on their own gaming preferences – this is the main thing.

First of all, select interesting (especially exclusive) games for yourself – and only then buy the console for which they will be available.

Previous generation console options

If the cost of basic modifications is too high, then you can pay attention to more affordable offers.

In the case of Sony , the price difference between the original PS 5 and PS 5 Digital Edition is minimal : just a few thousand rubles. This is due to the fact that the Digital Edition is a full-fledged PlayStation 5 with all functionality, only without an optical drive.

The Xbox Series S costs half the price of the Series X  because it’s a big trade-off. The console does not have an optical drive, the solid-state drive is half that of the original, only 10 GB of RAM is provided, and the performance is four times weaker only 4 teraflops.

This is not a device that a gamer wants to see for games in 4K, but if such a resolution is not needed, the Series S will do. The model is still equipped with an ultra-fast SSD and supports the latest technologies, including ray tracing.

Series S also outperforms the flagship of the previous generation – Xbox One X, which is more powerful only “on paper”. A more powerful processor and faster storage give the Series S faster loading and frame rates.

The result is almost a draw: it is more difficult to recommend the “cut-down” Xbox, while the cost of the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition in Russia is almost equal to the price of the original console so it’s difficult to call it a “younger” one. But it’s much better than the Xbox Series S, so the choice is clear between the two.

PlayStation 4 Pro vs Xbox one x

Choosing a legacy console is becoming less profitable every month as game developers switch to new consoles. But it’s still a good option if you want to evaluate the games of recent years without spending a lot of money.

The previous generation models were also produced in several versions, the most powerful of which were the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. Talking about earlier versions of consoles is not worth it: they are completely outdated and rarely found on sale.

Despite their high performance, both set-top boxes are  significantly inferior to devices of the new generation  – both in terms of speed and quality of graphics. Ray tracing is not supported, games load much slower. Therefore, gamers who value maximum detail and visuals should only choose from the latest models.

If the choice is limited to older versions, then we must admit:  Xbox  One  X is  slightly more powerful than  PS  4  Pro  – 6 teraflops versus 4.2. This affects the quality of the picture, but not in every game – it all depends on the specific project.

In some places, the difference between the two consoles is almost imperceptible. Both consoles support 4K resolution, but in the case of the PS4, this is more of a gimmick. In fact, the device “stretches” the picture in 1440p resolution to the desired 4K.

PS4 Pro has a disadvantage fixed in PS5 – high noise level under load, reaching 65dB in the first revision of the console. The hum of the device can be heard even in headphones with passive sound isolation.  The Xbox  One  X is  quieter  (no more than 56dB under load) and offers a more compact chassis than the PS4 Pro.

Each console has other features as well:

• The PS4 allows you to replace the installed hard drive with a faster SSD and is compatible with VR headsets just like the later PS5.
• The Xbox does not offer this, but the Blu-ray drive of the set-top box supports 4K – which the PlayStation 4 Pro cannot boast of.

As for gamepads, it all depends on the user – you should try both options and choose the best one.

The PS4 DualShock 4 controller has been warmly received by gamers as a noticeable improvement over the PS3 controller. There is also a slight advantage over the Xbox controller: The DualShock 4 comes with a rechargeable battery, not AA batteries.

The choice of games – as is the case with the newest consoles – is tied to the preferences of the gamer. Over the years, each console on the market has acquired a gigantic set of games of different genres, the list of which can be evaluated on the Internet, including on the official sites of both platforms.

All Xbox One variants are fully backward compatible. PlayStation 4 does not have such an opportunity and is designed only for games created specifically for this console.

It should also be said that Microsoft is more focused on extending the relevance of the Xbox One since in the coming years all games released for Series X / S will be compatible with the previous generation. At the same time, the quality of graphics of new projects, of course, will be higher on Series X / S.

The only significant advantage of the previous generation of consoles, in the end, is the lower price of the devices. New games will be released for the PS4 for some time, although many projects are already targeting only the technical capabilities of the new, ninth generation. But in this pair of competitive consoles, the best is Xbox One