PS5 vs Xbox Series X: Comparison, Differences and Which is Better

The new generation of consoles will start in late 2020. Microsoft will launch Xbox Series X , and Sony will launch PlayStation 5 ( PS5 ). However, although both consoles will have very similar hardware manufactured by AMD, each will have important differences between them in terms of performance or functionality.

We still do not know the appearance of PS5 or its control, but Microsoft has presented everything about the console, and the only thing we need to know about it will be its price. Despite this, we can now make a thorough comparison between both consoles to help you decide which one you will have to buy.

ps5 vs xbox series x

Playstation 5 Xbox Series X
CPU 8 3.5 GHz AMD Zen 2 cores (variable frequency, with SMT) 8 cores AMD Zen 2 at 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz with SMT)
GPU 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (variable frequency) 12.16 TFLOPs, 52 CUs at 1.825 GHz
GPU architecture Custom RDNA 2 with hardware RT support Custom RDNA 2 with hardware RT support
Memory 16 GB GDDR6 16 GB GDDR6
Memory bandwidth 448 GB / s 10GB to 560GB / s, 6GB to 336GB / s
Internal storage 825GB custom NVMe SSD 1TB Custom NVMe SSD
Speed 5.5 GB / s (no compression), 8-9 GB / s (compressed) 2.4 GB / s (no compression), 4.8 GB / s (compressed)
Additional storage NVMe SSD Slot Proprietary 1TB expansion cards
External storage USB Hard Drive / SSD USB Hard Drive / SSD
Optical unit 4K UHD Blu-ray reader 4K UHD Blu-ray reader
HDMI 2.1 (4K / 120Hz, 8K, VRR) 2.1 (4K / 120Hz, 8K, VRR)
Backward compatibility PS4 Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Release date 2020 christmas November 26, 2020
Price To announce To announce

Processor (CPU)

Both consoles feature an 8-core, 16-wire AMD processor based on the 7 nanometer Zen 2 architecture. However, the frequencies each one reaches are different. That of PS5 reaches up to 3.5 GHz , while that of Xbox Series X reaches 3.8 GHz . This frequency is with 8 cores and SMT disabled. SMT is AMD’s equivalent of Intel‘s HyperThreading.

Currently, PS4 and Xbox One games are designed to run on seven cores, where one is left for the system. For this reason, the first games we see on consoles will use 7 cores with SMT disabled, and once the engines are adapting to the new consoles, we will proceed to use SMT.

The SMT improves the multicore performance of the processors, but in exchange the frequency is lower. On Xbox Series X, the frequency will be 3.6 GHz with SMT enabled, and Sony claims that the frequency with SMT will be “variable,” but it will be less than the 3.5 GHz that the chip will operate at. The Xbox Series X thermal solution is likely to be better, so they’ve been able to get a higher frequency on their chips. Sony will have a slightly strange design, where the console will consume a certain amount of energy, and it will be the processor that will adapt if the temperature allows it.

Graphics card (GPU)

In the graphics card we find a similar situation to what we see with the processor, where the one we will find in Series X will be more powerful. Both will be graphics cards based on AMD’s new RDNA 2 architecture, natively compatible with DirectX Raytracing.

PS5 will have 36 Compute Units at 2.23 GHz, while Xbox Series X will have 52 Compute Units at 1,825 GHz. This yields teraflops of 10.28 and 12.16 TFLOPS , respectively, where Xbox Series X will be an 11, 82% more powerful graphically. This performance figure cannot be directly compared to previous generation consoles, as the new teraflops are “different” and more performance is achieved per teraflop than before thanks to the new AMD architecture. Therefore, Xbox Series X is not twice as powerful as Xbox One X, but rather more than twice as powerful despite Xbox One X reaching 6 TFLOPs.

Memory

The memory will once again be shared by the processor (RAM) and the graphics card (VRAM), where we find a total of 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. In the case of Xbox Series X, 10 GB will be reserved for the GPU, while the remaining six will be divided into 3.5 GB for standard memory and 2.5 GB for the operating system. Sony has not yet detailed how the division will take place, but the Xbox’s 10 GB will be faster (560 GB / s) than the other 6, which will go to 336 GB / s.

SSD and storage

Both consoles will feature an SSD for the first time. Sony’s will have 825 GB, while Xbox’s will have 1 TB. The Sony, yes, will be more than twice as fast. Both have custom designs, but Sony’s will reach 5.5 GB / s, for the 2.4 GB / s of Xbox Series X. In compressed data, PS5 will reach up to 9 GB / s, for 4.8 GB / s. s from Microsoft.

What Microsoft has unveiled for now is that changing games can be done almost instantly. The games loaded in RAM will be saved in the SSD when we change to another, which will allow us to follow a game exactly where we were with just a few seconds to load. In addition, developers will be able to innovate and change the way games are designed, where until now some levels have been designed to eliminate loading times and leave time for the console to load.

In both consoles this space can be expanded. PS5 will accept NVMe drives, but it will be Sony that will allow adding SSDs from other manufacturers. Xbox Series X will have a slot for additional cards whose performance is still unknown. The cards, called Storage Expansion , are proprietary in design and developed by Seagate, with 1TB of capacity each.

In turn, both consoles will continue to allow the use of external hard drives and SSDs via USB, thanks to which we will be able to continue adding additional space in a comfortable way as it could be done until now.

HDMI and functionalities

Both consoles will feature HDMI 2.1 , the latest connectivity standard, offering up to 4K at 120Hz , or 8K at 60Hz . With the first one we will be able to get the whole game out of the best televisions on sale today, where the best QLEDs from Samsung and OLEDs from LG reach 120 Hz, and some games will have the option of playing at that frame rate per second; especially in online titles. All Xbox Series X titles will be 4K, and the frames each will reach will depend on the title.

xbox latencia

There will also be compatibility with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) , which will eliminate tearing and reduce input lag, where the TV will only show the frames that the console generates. Currently there are few compatible televisions, but little by little there will be more on the market.

Backward compatibility

Backward compatibility will be another point in favor of Xbox Series X, where almost the entire catalog of Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One can be used. And not only by inserting the discs directly as it happened with Xbox One X, but also the console will detect if there is a pack of textures or elements such as being able to run a game at more frames per second or at higher resolution.

For its part, Sony says that the console will be compatible with more than 4,000 PS4 titles, but they have not given in-depth details of how this backward compatibility with PS4 will work, which should be very simple because both consoles share x86-64 architecture, similar to what we find on a PC. Therefore, if you have an Xbox, you can sell your current console and keep the games to play them on your new Series X. And in principle the same with PS5

Controller

The Xbox Series X controller has a design very similar to that of its predecessor, picking up some elements of the Elite controller. For example, we found an improvement in latency with Dynamic Latency Input (DLI), which synchronizes the sampling of the remote and the television. This feature will also come to the Xbox One controller. The D-Pad has changed and has a texture that makes it easier to press the buttons. The rear triggers have a rough texture for easy touch.

About the DualShock 5 we still do not know many details beyond that it will have a haptic vibration motor, in addition to pressure sensitive triggers that will adjust its intensity depending on the game, such as when we go to shoot an arc.

Both controls will have USB C ports, and in the case of the Xbox, Bluetooth connectivity is also included to be able to use it on more devices.

Design

The appearance of PS5 is still a mystery, but we already know everything about Xbox Series X. The console will have a tower design with a texture similar to Xbox One X. We will have Ethernet, USB 3.2, Ethernet, HDMI ports, and air vents for the fan, which blows the air up. However, the optical connector is lost.

The only thing we know about the PS5 design at the moment is that of its V-shaped development kit.

PS5 Playstation 5

Conclusion: Xbox Series X will be better than PS5

As we see, Xbox Series X will be better in almost everything compared to PlayStation 5 . The only thing that will have better PS5 at the moment will be the SSD, which will be faster, although it has a little less capacity. In the absence of knowing the price, at the moment Microsoft is ahead in terms of performance, and they have also confirmed its departure date for November 26, 2020 .

The games will be a key factor in deciding on which console to buy, since the PlayStation exclusives are usually better than the Xbox ones, in addition to the latter we can play them on PC. Therefore, if you play multis, Xbox will still be the best option, but if you don’t want to miss out on the PlayStation exclusives, PS5 will be the option you should choose.