The Playstation 5 and Xbox Series are coming out in just over a month. If Sony fans and Microsoft fans have already made their choice, some are still hesitating. Especially since Sony and Microsoft actually offer two Next Gen consoles with exclusive games on each side and services accessible by subscription. Let’s take a a look at the overall situation to see a little more clearly.
PS5 / Xbox Series: consoles
Sony playstation 5
With the console by Sony, gamers will have the choice between two Playstation 5 models that have a similar design and offer the same computing power and the same technical specifications:
- the “standard” PS5 with integrated disc player (playback of physical games, movies and backward compatibility on some PS4 games).
- the PS5 Digital Edition does not have a CD/Blu-ray players (games have to be downloaded from the Playstation Store).
Xbox series
Things are significantly different on the Microsoft side. Indeed, the new Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S are physically different but in addition, they do not offer the same performance.
- the Xbox Series X is 8K compatible, includes a 4K Blu-ray player and promises a frame rate of 120 FPS in 4K.
- Xbox Series S is 4K compatible, does not have a disc drive, and has a maximum frame rate of 120 FPS in QHD 1440p (2560 x 1440 pixels).
Main technical specifications
The Playstation 5 and the new Xbox Series are power houses and promise mind-blowing graphics performance, super-fast load times and a whole new level of realism. To enjoy them in the best conditions, it is recommended to combine them with a 4K Ultra HD TV even a 8K TV , as well as a home cinema amplifier with HDMI 2.1 inputs and outputs.
Sony Playstation 5 (PS5)
Apart from the presence or not of a 4K Blu-ray player, the two versions of the Playstation 5 have identical technical characteristics:
| PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition | |
| Main processor (CPU): AMD Ryzen 3 Zen 2 | 8 cores at 3.5GHz | 8 cores at 3.5GHz |
| Graphics processor (GPU): AMD Navi RDNA 2 | – 10.28 TFLOPs – 36CU at 2.23GHz | – 10.28 TFLOPs – 36CU at 2.23GHz |
| RAM | 16GB GDDR6, 256-bit bus | 16GB GDDR6, 256-bit bus |
| Memory bandwidth | 448GB/s | 448GB/s |
| Internal storage | 825GB | 825GB |
| SSD Input / Output Rate | 5.5GB/s | |
| Maximum resolution and framerate for games | 4K 120 FPS ALLM, VRR | 4K 120 FPS ALLM, VRR |
| HDR video compatibility | Up to 8K HDR | Up to 8K HDR |
| Optical drive | 4K Blu-ray player | — |
| Audio | 3D AudioTech Tempest | 3D AudioTech Tempest |
| Connectivity | – 1 HDMI 2.1 port – 1 Hi-Speed USB-A port – 2 USB-A ports (10Gbps) – 1 USB-C port (10Gbps) – WiFi 802.11ax Dual Band – Ethernet 10/100/1000 – Bluetooth 5.1 | – 1 HDMI 2.1 port – 1 Hi-Speed USB-A port – 2 USB-A ports (10Gbps) – 1 USB-C port (10Gbps) – WiFi 802.11ax Dual Band – Ethernet 10/100/1000 – Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Backward compatibility | PS4 games | PS4 games |
The gaming community loyal to Sony had high hopes that the Playstation 5 could be backward compatible with not only PS4 games but also older games released on PS3 and PS2. Unfortunately, the disappointment is bound to be on par with the level of expectation since only certain PS4 games will be compatible.
Xbox series
As mentioned above, the two consoles Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S may adopt the same architecture, the differences in their specifications are still significant:
| Xbox Series X | Xbox Series S | |
| Main processor (CPU): AMD Ryzen Zen 2 | 8 cores at 3.8GHz | 8 cores at 3.6GHz |
| Graphics processor (GPU): AMD Navi RDNA 2 | 12 TFLOPS 52 CU at 1.825GHz | 4 TFLOPS 20 CU at 1.565GHz |
| RAM | 16GB GDDR6, 320-bit bus | 10GB GDDR6, 128-bit bus |
| Memory bandwidth | – 10GB at 560Gbps – 6GB at 336Gbps | – 8GB at 224Gbps – 2GB at 56Gbps |
| Internal storage | NVM SSD, 1TB capacity | NVME SSD, 512GB capacity |
| SSD Input / Output Rate | – 2.4GB / s (raw) – 4.8GB/s (compressed) | – 2.4GB / s (raw) – 4.8GB/s (compressed) |
| Maximum resolution and framerate for games | 4K 120 FPSALLM, VRR, AMD FreeSync | 1440p 120 FPS ALLM, VRR, AMD FreeSync |
| HDR video compatibility | Up to 8K HDR | — |
| Optical drive | 4K UHD Blu-ray | — |
| Audio | LPCM 7.1 Dolby Digital 5.1Dolby TrueHD with Atmos DTS 5.1 | LPCM 7.1 Dolby Digital 5.1Dolby TrueHD with Atmos DTS 5.1 |
| Connectivity | 1 HDMI 2.1 port 3 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports WiFi 802.11ac Dual BandEthernet 10/100/1000 | 1 HDMI 2.1 port 3 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports WiFi 802.11ac Dual BandEthernet 10/100/1000 |
| Backward compatibility | Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Xbox | Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Xbox |
Release dates and sale prices
Sony playstation 5
The Playstation 5 will be marketed in France from November 19, 2020:
- Sony Playstation 5 Digital Edition (without disc player): €399
- Sony Playstation 5: €499
Microsoft Xbox Series
The Microsoft Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles will be released in France on November 10, 2020:
- Xbox Series S: €299
- Xbox Series X: €499
Exclusive games
Among the criteria that could weigh the balance on one side or the other are primarily the games that will be released exclusively on one or the other platform.
PS5 exclusives
Among the many titles planned exclusively for PS5, here are some of the most anticipated by players:
- Astro’s Playroom – Sony Interactive Entertainment – Preinstalled on the PS5
- Demon’s Souls – From Software – November 2020
- AllStars Destruction – Sony Interactive Entertainment – November 2020
- Final Fantasy 16 – Square Enix – Release date unknown
- Godfall – Counterplay Games – November 2020
- God of War 2: Ragnarok – Sony Interactive Entertainment – 2021
- Gran Turismo 7 – Polyphony Digital – Release date unknown
- Horizon: Forbidden West – Guerrilla Games – 2021
- Project Athia – Square Enix – Release date unknown
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games – End of 2020
- Returnal – Housemarque – Release date unknown
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure – Sumo Digital – November 2020
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Insomniac Games – November 2020
Xbox Series Exclusives
Xbox Series exclusive game visual slideshow
It’s difficult to list exhaustively all the Xbox Series exclusives but here are some of the most anticipated:
- As Dusk Falls – INTERIOR / NIGHT – November 2020 (Xbox Game Pass)
- Avowed – Obsidian Entertainment – November 2020 (Xbox Game Pass)
- Everwild – Rare – November 2020 (Xbox Game Pass)
- Fable – Playground Games – November 2020 (Xbox Game Pass)
- Forza Motorsport 8 – Turn 10 – November 2020 (Xbox Game Pass)
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries – November 2020 (Xbox Game Pass)
- Project: Mara – Ninja Theory – November 2020 (Xbox Game Pass)
- State of Decay 3 – Undead Labs – Unspecified release date
- Tell me why – Dontnod Entertainment – November 2020 (Xbox Game Pass)
- The Gunk – Image & Form Games – September 2021
Services and subscriptions
Whether on Playstation 5 or Xbox Series, it is possible to purchase a subscription to benefit from discounts and free games, to play online and take advantage of cloud storage space for your backups.
Playstation plus
A subscription to Playstation Plus allows you to activate online multiplayer mode, obtain exclusive discounts on games from the PlayStation Store, download games for free every month but also enjoy in the cloud a storage space of 100GB to save your games and even access them from another console.
Playstation Plus prices:
- 1 month: €8.99
- 3 months: €24.99
- 12 months: €59.99
Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass / Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox All Access
It’s not easy to navigate the different subscription packages offered by Microsoft!
Xbox Live Gold pricing
Xbox Live Gold gives you access to online multiplayer games, enjoy 2-4 free games each month, and earn discounts on online games.
- 1 month: €6.99
- 3 months: €19.99
Xbox Game Pass pricing
The Xbox Game Pass gives you access to a collection of more than 100 games on PC or console, depending on the package you choose. The Ultimate plan brings together PC and console games plus games on Android mobile devices as well as access to Xbox Live Gold.
- Xbox Game Pass console: €9.99 / month
- Xbox Game Pass PC: €9.99 / month
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (Xbox Live Gold included): €12.99 / month
Xbox All Access pricing
The All Access formula will be offered only with the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. It is in fact an offer to purchase the console on credit over 24 months allowing you to also benefit from the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate during this period. period.
With Xbox All Access, you get the Xbox Series console of your choice plus access to a catalog of over 100 games for console, PC and Android devices. In addition, from the end of 2020, members of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass for PC will obtain an EA Play subscription at no additional cost. This allows access to more than 60 titles from EA’s catalog, such as FIFA 20, Titanfall 2 or Need for Speed Heat, as well as several episodes of very popular franchises from the publisher such as Battlefield, Mass Effect , Skateboard or The Sims.
- Xbox All Access with Xbox Series S: €24.99 / month for 24 months (or €599.76 in total). At the end of this period, you own the Xbox Series S.
- Xbox All Access with Xbox Series X: €32.99 / month for 24 months (or €791.76 in total). At the end of this period, you own the Xbox Series X.
