Video game fans and simply curious by now will know it well, it will be PS5 and Xbox Series X to define the next generation of gaming. In fact, these are the next two consoles, respectively from Sony and Microsoft , which will animate the next-gen, ready to challenge each other as hard-nosed as the current PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
And if it is true that the new “console war” seems inevitable, it is natural to believe that this will be fought with brute power, technical specifications, services and of course video games, especially on the exclusive ones – whether total or merely temporal. The two gaming giants will then have to give proof of strength and cunning again, in an attempt to seduce the community geeks and consequently their wallets.
In 2020 the challenge between the two consoles Sony, PS5 , and Microsoft, the new generation Xbox Series X , will not be played only on the hardware characteristics. As usual, the thing that matters most will be the games available at launch, although this time (excuse the pun) some equally important factors will come into play.
Sony, for example, needs to take concrete steps towards backward compatibility , a field in which Microsoft is particularly specialized. In addition, Microsoft’s Game Pass is a card that, if played well, could shift the balance. Microsoft, however, does not seem willing to take the first steps towards virtual reality , a field where Sony is excelling in its own way and which it should still intend to explore.
However, these are issues that will need to be addressed later, when further details on the two consoles are revealed. Today we want to focus on the known details instead, then dwelling on all those features listed respectively by Phil Spencer for Xbox Series X and by Jim Ryan and Mark Cerny for PS5, with an eye, however, to those rumors or leaks with at least a basic foundation.
Holiday season is going to be lit
With the release of PS5 and Xbox Series X expected by the holiday season of 2020 – many, among the experts, are aiming for November as the ideal month for the launch -, we are still waiting to discover a certain date to take us to home one and / or the other console, as well as the price with which the two companies will attack the market.
In the meantime, however, we already know many of the features of the new generation platforms, considering that both the Redmond and the Japanese giant have held several events in live streaming to show the world the design – including that of the controller.-, the features under the body and also some of the titles that will animate the line-up from the debut to 2022.
Microsoft, in particular, then emphasized the beauty of the Xbox Game Pass, a subscription service that will still be more important in its business strategy, and which represents only one of the many differences between the two “home” devices. Precisely the differences between PS5 and the fourth Xbox are at the center of our guide, in which we will try to clarify the peculiar offers of Microsoft and Sony so as to arrive prepared for autumn. And to a possible purchase to make the big leap into the new generation of console video games.
Technical Aspects
The release of PS5 and Xbox Series X will be a particularly delicate moment for Sony and Microsoft, which at this stage will have to play their main cards. On the one hand, the almond-eyed manufacturer has been arriving for seven intense years in which it has undoubtedly excelled over its rival both from a hardware and software point of view, on the other hand the “big M” will strive to reap the benefits of the efforts made in recent years to catch up after the first missteps with Xbox One.
Net of inevitable doubts, both companies seem to have their own personal interpretation of the next-gen very clear, and are obviously looking for a different positioning on the market , focusing on different fields.
On the other hand, the announcement of the technical specifications of the PS5 by the lead architect Mark Cerny has allowed us to discover that the fifth Sony home console will not have the same power as the future Xbox – although its super-fast SSD promises wonders -, while on the American front, the concept of ecosystem is increasingly strong, made up of a “gentle” generational transition and Smart Delivery, a feature that will allow us to play the best version of a title on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
Controller
Let’s start with Sony’s DualShock 5 . Wired, during the interview with Jim Ryan, had the opportunity to try a first prototype of the new DualShock. The biggest difference with the current DualShock is to be found in the adaptive back buttons .
These will offer various levels of resistance, in order for example to perceive the launch of an arrow and consequently the tension of the bowstring, or even to better perceive the difference in feedback between a shotgun and a minigun. Even the haptic feedback would be improved. Both sides of the controller would boast programmable “ voice coil actuators ”individually that will allow developers to fully customize the experience of each individual video game.
We are talking about a real tactile experience, not a classic vibration. To amplify everything there will also be an even more powerful speaker . The weight will be higher than that of a DualShock 4 (there is also a larger battery) but still lower than that of an Xbox pad. Here is a mockup of what the DualShock 5.0 should look like.
As for the controller dedicated to Xbox Series X, we know that the shapes will resume both those of the current Xbox One controller and those of the Elite Controller Series 2 . According to Phil Spencer, the dimensions are slightly smaller than the current one.
Here too we find back buttons with very particular feedback. They should have their own dedicated rumble . Then we note the presence of a new button dedicated entirely to capturing screenshots or video clips. The new controller will also be compatible with the old Xbox One and with Windows 10. In addition, all accessories dedicated to the Xbox ecosystem will be fully compatible with Xbox Series X.
Difference in GPU Throughput
Although the GPUs of the two consoles are similar in architecture (AMD RDNA2), Microsoft and Sony use a different approach here. While Microsoft relies on more arithmetic units at a lower, but fixed clock rate, the PS5 CPU has fewer arithmetic units, which are clocked higher and more variable. What effects this will have in practice remains to be seen.
But one thing is already certain: The graphics units in both systems will enable features that were previously reserved for the PC, such as ray tracing , i.e. the particularly realistic representation of light, shadow and reflections .
The PS5 has now confirmed that there will be hardware acceleration for ray tracing . This means that games can run more efficiently with this feature, so, for example, no compromises in terms of frame rate etc. The Series X will also be ray-traced. Your hardware is provided with an extra sound chip , which should free up more work for both sound and other processes.
SSD And Drive
Furthermore, both systems have a built-in SSD hard drive – Microsoft emphasizes that it should be a “next generation” SSD – with the help of which loading times are to be drastically reduced or even eliminated, as well as optical drives for discs.
It will also be possible to run multiple games at the same time and to jump back and forth between them. With the PS5, individual parts of the games can also be installed and uninstalled on the SSD , for example the single or multiplayer.
Advantage for Sony: The SSD in the PS5 is a bit smaller than the one in the Xbox Series X, but the data throughput of the Sony console is more than twice that of the Microsoft counterpart. On paper, the Sony SSD has speed advantages, which, however, must first be exploited by the developers.
Design and Body
Here we need to clarify an essential point: all the images of PS5 that have been circulating in recent weeks, those with the particular V design anticipated by LetsGoDigital and subsequently confirmed by a real photo that we showed you a little while ago, refer to the dev-kit of the Sony console .
It is therefore the interim version of the console intended for developers. The particular V-shaped design would seem to have been made to allow multiple machines to be stacked one above the other while still maintaining good thermal dissipation. Perfect therefore for all the necessary stress-tests.
That of Xbox Series X would seem to be the definitive design . Or at least, the definitive design of one of the consoles of the phantom X Series which, according to several sources, should consist of at least a couple of consoles. Speaking of dimensions, in the table above we indicated 16 x 16 x 31/35 cm . A square base of 16 by 16 therefore with a height ranging from 31 to 35 cm.
They are not official dimensions issued by Microsoft: these are estimates calculated from the image with which the company presented the console. The image in question presents a controller resting on the front of the console. The Xbox Series X controller is very similarto that of the current Xbox, slightly smaller according to Microsoft itself. Precisely from its dimensions were estimated those of the console.
The particular vertical tower design, however, does not preclude a more classic use: Xbox Series X can also be arranged horizontally , leaving perhaps at least some space for the dissipation of heat that should take place from the upper grid. If the measurements were confirmed anyway, Xbox Series X would occupy a volume almost double that occupied by Xbox One X: approximately 7930 cubic centimeters against 4,320.
Backwards Compatibitilty
On the backward compatibility front it will be a nice head to head… which will probably be won again by Microsoft. Xbox Series X will in fact be compatible with all the games of the previous generations of Microsoft consoles, and as already mentioned also with all the accessories!
And PS5 instead? The situation in this case is still quite confusing. According to what Mark Cerny said several months ago, there will certainly be backward compatibility with PlayStation 4 . Then we bring up Mark Cerny again. There are patents signed by the same responsible for the architecture of PS4 and PS5 relating to backward compatibility with all old Sony home consoles. If you want to learn more we leave you with the related articles dedicated to patents:
Conclusion
While there is much speculation about which next-gen console in this generation can capture the hearts of fans , the result could already be visible on Google . A trend reveals which console was googled the most. There’s a huge difference between Sony’s PS5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X that may be totally unexpected to most gaming fans . According to Google Trends namely the proposed PS5 of Sony , the Xbox Series X from Microsoft tenfold by aboutSearches on Google . Does that make the Japanese game console from Tokyo the winner of the fan hearts ?
The game is still very open , with the difference that Microsoft is playing a little more with their cards exposed than expected. Both consoles will arrive on the market in the Christmas period 2020 (late November / early December) and the differences that will really distinguish them have yet to be highlighted.
We could learn more about PS5 at an event that could take place in February. For Xbox Series X we will in all probability have to wait for E3 2020. We will, however, update the article with any relevant news in this regard.
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