Xbox Series X and PS5 prices, release dates, and games are upon us and one is looking a little better than the other, for now. As an Xbox guy since the 360 generation, I’m sweating. I actually don’t know how to feel. I’m going to get an Xbox Series X, there’s not doubt about it, the console has huge long term upside but if we’re looking at the launch of the two next generation consoles, PS5 is just on fire despite the Series X having more power in its box.
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First of all, prices and release dates, Xbox Series X is clocked in at $499.99 for the big guy with the disk drive, and only $299.99 if you are going the all digital route and hate watching blu-rays. PS5 is also $499.99 if you want a disk drive but checks in at $399.99 for the all digital edition. That’s the one I pre-ordered, not because I hate blu-rays, but it was literally the last pre-order still available in my city and the PS5 showcase had me fired up.
Now is when we get to the part which will result in some really friendly and level-headed conversations in the comment section. For me, there’s no denying the Xbox controllers are better than the Dualshock controllers. And the interface at the home screen of Xbox is laid out waaay better than PlayStation’s, especially if you’re using it for more than just gaming, which I do. Big streaming guy here. And, yeah, I’m ready to play more Halo and Gears of War, but it just genuinely feels like PlayStation is trying way harder to get exciting exclusive games.
Right now, PS5 is blowing Xbox out of the water in the games deparment. Xbox was supposed to have a home run with Halo: Infinite but they struck out. The graphics are hardly up to par with the previous gen from 10 years. It became a meme and not the good kind. Seems like they were in such a hurry to unveil this thing that they forget to even make it up to current gen standards, so it is delayed to 2021 — and that’s a good thing, they’ll get it right, and focus on games and quality before they’re released, and that’s why I think Xbox might end up being the winner in the long run, but is not right now.
Xbox also surprised everybody with the Fable announcement, and the trailer looked great, and we’ve been waiting on another Fable game for a long time. But, there’s no time table for its release yet, we just know it’s coming. I will say, Avowed looks like it could be a lot of fun with impressive graphics and Forza Motorsport is going to have graphics so good you might not even be able to tell what’s real or fake. But, for the most part, the launch of the Series X doesn’t have any sense of urgency to pick up the console.
Meanwhile, PS5 is rocking it with a games line up that is almost annoyingly good. Spider-Man: Miles Morales builds its own hype. It’s a follow-up to the Spider-Man game that we already know was great and while it’s not the size of an entire game, it was so clutch by Insomniac and Sony to make a game big enough to be exciting yet small enough to deliver for the PS5 launch.
Then they casually just drop that a Hogwarts Legacy game is bringing us to the Harry Potter world and it actually looks like a GOOD game based on books and movies we love. One might say, it’s magic, and fortunately — it’s coming to both next gen consoles.
They just drop a new Final Fantasy is coming to the PS5 in the form of Final Fantasy 16, which, side note, am I the only one who sees the irony in a franchise having “Final” in its title, 16 times?! We haven’t even gotten to Demon’s Souls which, although I think the gameplay looks a little bit stiff, looks like a really epic fantasy adventure overall. Oh, and by the way, God of War: Ragnarok is coming, too. Casual, right?
There are some games which will be on both consoles, like the new Resident Evil and the next Dragon Age game, but overall, PlayStation’s line-up is already looking more impressive and NaughtyDog hasn’t even revealed anything because they’re still hungover from The Last of Us 2, which really gave all of us a headache, in fairness.
As I say all of this, it’s even a little difficult to say there is a clear winner here. Both consoles are going to be solid and it’s going to come down to preference which, in terms of controllers and interface, is Xbox for me. In terms of raw power which hasn’t been tapped into yet, Xbox is winning that one as well. But, if you’re a fool like me who hates missing out on new things and wants to spend a bunch of money on a console and games to play on it this year and you have to choose one, it seems like the PS5 has the lead, at least for now. Damn you, Miles Morales!
Which console are you picking up Day 1? Do you hate me for having an opinion? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram.
