Xbox Series X vs PS5: Which Console Is Better?

The main difference between the Xbox Series X and PS5 is that they are both made by separate companies and have different specs and games.

Games released on the Xbox Series X also come to PC, allowing PC players to enjoy the same games that their console counterparts enjoy. On the other hand, PS5 games are only playable on PS5 and cannot be played on PC.

The Xbox Series X is also backward compatible with all Xbox One games and accessories, whereas the PS5 is not backward compatible with any PS4 games or accessories. The Xbox Series X also has a faster CPU than the PS5 but you can see the full PS5 vs Xbox specs below.

Xbox Series X vs PS5 Price

Both the Xbox Series X and the PS5 cost $499 / £449 / AU$749 so in terms of price, there is no difference.

Verdict: Draw

PS5 vs Xbox Series X Specs

Both the Xbox Series X and the PS5 are practically a prebuilt gaming PC in a smaller case. However, we broke down the specs below of each next-gen console and found that they are both very similar.

The PlayStation 5 had slightly better performance in terms of loading but overall they are quite similar. Below are the full details.

Xbox Series X Specs

• Xbox Series X/S Sales: 8 million (includes Series S sales)
• CPU: 8X Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.66 GHz w/SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU
• GPU: 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU
• Memory: 16GB GDDR6
• Memory Bandwidth: 10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s
• Storage: 1TB Custom NVME SSD
• Resolution: True 4K
• High Dynamic Range: Up to 8K HDR
• Performance: Up to 120 FPS
• Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-Ray
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Ports: 1x HDMI, 3x USB 3.1, Ethernet
• Dimensions: 15.1cm x 15.1cm x 30.1cm (6 x 6 x 12 inches)
• Weight: 4.5kg (9.8 lbs)

PlayStation 5 Specs

• PS5 Sales: 10 million
• CPU: 3.5GHz, 8-core AMD Zen 2
• GPU: 10.3 teraflop RDNA 2 GPU
• Memory: 16GB GDDR6
• Memory Bandwidth: 448GB/s
• Storage: Custom 825GB SSD + NVMe M.2 SSD expansion slot
• Resolution: 4K at 120fps, 8K at 60fps
• High Dynamic Range:  Up to 8K HDR
• Performance: Up to 120 FPS (4K)
• Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray drive
• Audio: Custom Tempest Engine 3D Audio, Dolby Atmos
• Ports: 1x HDMI, 1x USB Type-C, 1x High Speed USB Type-A, 1x Superspeed USB Type-A, Ethernet
• Dimensions: 39cm x 26cm x 10.4cm (15.4 x 10.2 x 4.1 inches)
• Weight: 3.85kg (8.5 lbs)

Verdict: PS5 (Winner)

Xbox Series X vs PS5 Design

The Xbox Series X is a tall, rectangular box that stands vertically. It has sharp edges and a matte black finish. The front of the console has a green LED light that lets you know when it’s on. The top of the console has a USB port, while the back has two more USB ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and a power port.

The PS5’s design is a curved, hourglass-shaped console that stands vertically. It has a glossy white finish with blue accents. The front of the console has a USB port and an optical drive. The back of the console has two more USB ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and a power port.

The Xbox Series X is much smaller, more rectangular, and has sharper edges. The PS5 is more curved and has a glossy white finish. Considering the size, the Xbox Series X design seems to be much more convenient though less creative.

Verdict: Xbox Series X (Winner)

Xbox Series X vs PS5 Controller

The Xbox Series X controller is very similar to the Xbox One controller. It has a textured grip on the back, and the triggers and bumpers have been slightly redesigned. The biggest change is the addition of a share button, which lets you quickly share screenshots and gameplay footage on social media.

The PS5 controller is very similar to the PS4 controller. It has a textured grip on the back and the triggers and buttons are in the same place. The biggest change is the addition of a create button, which lets you quickly share screenshots and gameplay footage to social media.

Both controllers are similar in terms of design and functionality. The Xbox Series X controller has a share button, while the PS5 controller has a create button. Other than that, they are both very similar.

People with big hands might find that the Xbox Series X controller is more comfortable, but both are equally just as good and it’s really just up to user preference.

Verdict: Draw

Console Generations in order

We did a full article that is much more in-depth on all Xbox consoles in order with much more details, however, below you’ll find a brief list of all PlayStation and Xbox consoles up to the current console generation.

Xbox Generations

• Original Xbox (2001 – 2009)
• Xbox 360 (2005 – 2016)
• Xbox One (2013 – 2020)
• Xbox Series X / S (2020 – Present)

PlayStation Generations

• PlayStation 1 (1994 – 2006)
• PlayStation 2 (2000 – 2013)
• PlayStation 3 (2006 – 2017)
• PlayStation 4 (2013 – Present)
• PlayStation 5 (2020 – Present)

Xbox Exclusives vs PlayStation Exclusives

Whenever next-gen consoles are announced, the internet starts a console war and breaks down whether the Xbox exclusives are better than the PlayStation exclusives and vice versa so here is a full list of the current exclusives of each console for you to decide which ones you prefer.

This list excludes exclusives that were only exclusive for a year before releasing on other platforms.

Xbox Series X/Y Exclusives

• As Dusk Falls (INTERIOR/NIGHT)
• Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment)
• Everwild (Rare)
• Fable (Playground Games)
• Forza Motorsport (Playground Games)
• Halo Infinite (343 Industries)
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Ninja Theory)
• State of Decay 3 (Undead Labs)
• Bright Memory: Infinite (FYQD Studio)
• Echo Generation (Cococucumber)
• Exomecha (TwistedRed)
• Exo One (Exbleative)
• The Gunk (Thunderful)
• Orphan of the Machine (Dynamic Voltage Games)
• Sable (Shedworks)
• Scorn (Ebb Software)
• Second Extinction (Systemic Reaction)
• Shredders (Tim Broothaers)
• Song of Iron (Resting Relic)
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (GSC Game World)
• Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy (Ludomotion)
• Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (Fatshark)
• Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios)
• The Outer Worlds 2 (Obsidian Entertainment)
• Redfall (Arkane Studios)
• Age of Empires IV (Relic Entertainment, World’s Edge)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator (Microsoft Corporation)
• Grounded (Obsidian Entertainment)
• Contraband (Avalanche Studios)
• Gears 5 (The Coalition)
• Sea of Thieves (Rare)
• Gears Tactics (The Coalition, Splash Damage)

PlayStation 5 Exclusives

• Deathloop (Arkane Studios)
• Ghostwire: Tokyo (Tango Gameworks)
• Guilty Gear: Strive (Arc System Works)
• Project Athia (Luminous Productions)
• Tribes of Midgard (Norsfell)
• Bugsnax (Young Horses)
• Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP)
• Heavenly Bodies (2pt Interactive)
• JETT: The Far Shore (scntfc)
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
• Maquette (Graceful Decay)
• Nour: Play With Your Food (Terrifying Jellyfish)
• The Pathless (Giant Squid)
• Solar Ash (Heart Machine)
• STRAY (BlueTwelve Studio)
• Demon’s Souls (Bluepoint Games)
• Destruction AllStars (Lucid Games Limited, XDev, Wushu Studios)
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)
• Returnal (Housemarque)
• Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade (Square Enix)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games)
• Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Insomniac Games)
• Gran Turismo 7 (Polyphony Digital)
• Forspoken (Luminous Productions)
• Horizon Call of the Mountain (Firesprite, Guerrilla Games)
• God of War: Ragnarok (Santa Monica Studio)
• Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games)
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure (Sumo Digital, XDev)

The PlayStation 5 exclusives seem to have a lot more popular franchises in them. Also, considering that almost every Xbox Series X exclusive also comes on PC, it’s easy to see why the PS5 is the winner here.

Verdict: PS5 (Winner)

Xbox Series X vs PS5 Backward Compatibility

If you want to play original Xbox games or some of the old Xbox 360 games then that is possible. The Xbox Series X has backward compatibility with a whole catalog of games which can be seen on their site.

The PlayStation 5’s backward compatibility is a bit more limiting, unfortunately. While the PS5’s catalog of backward compatible games is huge (4000+ games), it’s mainly only PS4 games. There is some kind of backward compatibility for PS1, PS2, and PS3 games, but you won’t be able to insert the old discs into your new PS5 console. Instead, you’ll be able to find some old games in PS Now subscription area.

Verdict: Xbox Series X (Winner)

Conclusion – Which Console Is Better?

Both consoles are great, however, when looking at the new consoles, and considering the ongoing console wars about which next-gen console is the best, at the end of the day the question is: Do you have a good gaming PC?

If you do have a good gaming PC, capable of playing the latest games, then you might want to consider the PS5 as more PlayStation 5 exclusive games are not available on the PC.

If you don’t have a good gaming PC, then it would ultimately depend on which games you prefer. Almost every single Xbox exclusive game is available on PC, so there is less reason to buy an Xbox Series X if you have a gaming PC ready to use.

In terms of the benchmarks, both the PS5 benchmarks and the Xbox Series X benchmarks are almost exactly equal, the PS5 is slightly faster though.

Below is our breakdown from 1 to 10 for each category (1 being the worst, 10 being the best).