Sony PS5
This is a new console generation unlike any before it – one that doesn’t unlock gaming in a new resolution and that hasn’t brought with it a raft of new and exclusive games that can only be played on the new machines. That leaves the PS5 and Xbox Series X having to justify their next-gen credentials in other ways, and Sony’s console does this far more effectively than Microsoft’s.
It isn’t down to the Playstation’s gaming performance, though. Despite the differences in specs, the actual delivery is close to identical. Both consoles deliver a solid 4K@60HZ experience, and both allow for the addition of beautiful ray tracing or 120Hz action on certain games. When it comes to cross-platform gaming, there’s no winner or loser here.
That could well change in the future. This first batch of cross-platform games is also cross-generational. Every one of them has been designed to run on no fewer than ten consoles, from the original Xbox One to the Series X on one side, and the original PS4 to PS5 on the other, so expecting these releases to be optimised for next-gen is pointless. Once fully optimised games become a reality, which is likely to be in the next year or two, we may see performance gaps between the PS5 and Xbox Series X appear but, for now, there aren’t any discernible ones.
That leaves each machine to justify its existence elsewhere, and here Microsoft has made some peculiar decisions. The whole Xbox Series X experience is too familiar. At every stage, it seems determined to convince you that it’s just like the Xbox One before it. That’s likely a result of the company seeing Xbox as a platform designed to work across lots of different hardware, including PCS, but it feels like a misstep. If you’ve just forked out £450 on a new games machine, you want the whole experience to feel sparkly, fresh and next-generational.
None of which is to say that the Xbox Series X isn’t a superb console. It delivers on its performance targets, it’s almost silent in operation, it’s more compact than the PS5 and the controller has had some neat little tweaks. It just doesn’t go quite far enough.
In contrast, the moment you turn the Playstation 5 on, you are dazzled by its flashy new user interface, delivered in native 4K and HDR. It comes bundled with a new controller that boasts genuinely game-changing haptics. It has a bespoke new 3D audio engine that can be tapped into by anyone, regardless of budget and space. And it comes bundled with an exclusive new game that perfectly introduces you to all of these new features.
Both consoles perform fairly well as streamers and Blu-ray players, but each has its own flaws in these regards. There’s little reason to choose one over the other here, particularly when both are bettered by dedicated players anyway.
In other words, it really comes down to gaming – just as it should. In this regard, the PS5 comes out on top by going beyond resolution and refresh rate and delivering an overall experience that’s truly representative of a new generation.