The ridiculous game of chicken between Microsoft and Sony is finally over. Within a span of a few weeks in September both companies finally came out and revealed the price and release date for all of their next-gen console offerings.
I hope that one day we find out the real reason behind the delay, but for now it’s time to put that in the past and focus on the wealth of new information revealed about the new home consoles.
Now that we know everything there is to know for each console at launch, gamers can start to decide which console is right for them.
This will be my third console generation now where I’m choosing and purchasing my own video game consoles. In the past, I would labor over which one I wanted to buy first. It’s been a tough choice in past generations because each console had clear differences, advantages and disadvantages, be it through price tag, great exclusive games , specs, features and more.
This generation though feels different since there just aren’t many major differences outside a few key factors which we’ll get to.
Microsoft and Sony’s consoles aren’t going to be all that different from each other in terms of power. They are both going to target 4K resolution and 60 FPS (with 120 FPS being possible). The exception is the budget Xbox Series S which has notably lower specs and a target of 1440p and 60/120 FPS in return for its lower price point.
The premium version of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X will cost $499. If you’re a hardcore gamer that pays for the absolute best performance out of a home console, price isn’t going to be a major factor this time around since both consoles are powerful and both cost the same.
Unlike the Nintendo Switch, the vast majority of third-party games will be playable on both. Exclusives do matter, and we’ll get to that in just a bit, but as far as third-party games go it’s more or less a wash.
And finally, neither the Xbox Series X/S or the PlayStation 5 have a major game-changing feature such as the Switch’s portability, that factors into the equation.
For so many gamers that truly are undecided there’s likely to just be one question that needs to be answered in order to sort you into either the Xbox Series X/S or the PlayStation 5 camp this generation.
There are two big caveats though: die-hards and people who buy whatever console most of their friends buy. Gamers probably know people who do both of those things.
I have a buddy that just buys the new PlayStation every time around without even putting a second of thought into the process. That’s what he likes and it’s what he’s comfortable with, so more power to him. There are I’m sure plenty of people who do the same with the Xbox family of consoles and Nintendo too for that matter.
Another one of my friends, who isn’t a big gamer and doesn’t need a new console right away, will just hang around and see what my friends buy. Once there’s a game that he needs to play, he’ll survey the friend group and then just buy that console, not really caring about anything other than just wanting to play games with group occasionally.
If none of that applies to you, and you’re a true free agent, the question below is the important one to ask yourself. and from there you can drill down.
Do you need to play next-gen PlayStation 5 exclusive titles?
Answer this question: how many PlayStation 4 exclusives did you play this past-gen? Is the answer a lot of them? Or was it just one, or two, or less? Did you not have a PlayStation 4 and were jealous of all the great games you missed out on?
If keeping up with franchises like God of War, Horizon, Ratchet and Clank, and whatever Naughty Dog has up their sleeves next is paramount to you, then you absolutely should just go ahead and buy a PlayStation 5. And if you’re on a budget or want to save a buck, buy the digital version and save yourself $100.
As it stands right now, as of this writing, the Xbox’s suite of exclusive games is still a work in progress. While the brand certainly has a few blue chips in Halo, Ori, and Gears of War, other franchises and developers within the Xbox family are still in the process of gaining trust with fans and consumers. The Xbox brand lacked true “killer apps” last generation and needs to prove that it can fix that first before it deserves the benefit of the doubt.
That obviously could completely change this generation, but all we have is recent past history to go off of.
To put it kindly, the Xbox One had an up and down experience when it comes to exclusive games. While at the same time, Sony’s PlayStation 4 delivered a GOTY contender exclusive just about every year throughout the generation.