- Staff
- #1
A game-changing year lies ahead, with two of the world's biggest next-generation consoles expected to hit store shelves in late 2020. While Microsoft has provided a deep dive into its monolithic Xbox Series X, the recent PlayStation 5 unveiling pitches an equally compelling upgrade from Sony.
Xbox Series X will feature an eight-core Zen 2 CPU targeting 3.8GHz (3.6GHz w/ SMT), bolstered by improvements to caching, new silicon architecture, and other proprietary optimizations. That helps Microsoft delivered upon the claimed four times increase over Xbox One X.
That pairs with its Navi GPU pacing 12 teraflops (TF) of computing power, compared to the Xbox One X's 6TF setup. Microsoft confirmed that its GPU would run with 52 compute units clocked at 1.825GHz.
Sony PlayStation 5 includes an eight-core 3.5GHz custom Zen 2 CPU, not too far behind Microsoft's offering for Xbox Series X, alongside a 10.28 TF GPU. Both consoles exhibit enormous gains over the current generation, and while the PS5 falls short in raw processing power, it's speedy storage takes the lead.
Sony makes gains with its custom SSD setup, with support for standard PC NVMe drives for ultra-fast storage. Those storage improvements will help cut load times and streamline performance across all titles, proving its secret weapon for the next generation.
FEATURES
The Xbox Series X is the latest evolution in Microsoft hardware, with an all-black, monolithic design housing stacked internals inside. It's a chunky box with added volume over previous Xbox One consoles, aiding a new single-fan cooling system, and drawing air up through the console. Sony has debuted a more abstract, two-toned design, wrapped in a white, winged outer casing. The difference is black and white (pun fully intended), but positions both as massive consoles compared their predecessors. And don't worry, both stand vertically and horizontally, ideal for your existing setup.
The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 aim high, both capable of up to 8K resolutions or 120 frames-per-second (FPS) outputs. However, it most likely translates to an estimated 4K 60 FPS baseline, pushing the best from modern 4K displays. That helps elevate both consoles above current-generation solutions, with Microsoft specifically touting a "four times" power increase over Xbox One X. The consoles will also feature hardware-accelerated ray tracing via their Navi GPUs, better simulating how light interacts with virtual objects.
Another next-generation shakeup comes with the adoption of solid-state drives, primarily advancing transfer speeds system-wide. That supports unmatched cuts to loading times, with both platform holders pledging to eliminate the wait between booting a game and entering the action. An exclusive on the PlayStation 5 from Wired highlighted these benefits, cutting 2018's Spider-Man from a PlayStation 4 Pro 15 second load time down to just 0.8 seconds.
Microsoft has discussed similar ambitions, committing to an NVMe SSD and GDDR6 RAM, slicing loading, and increasing multitasking capabilities. It demonstrated that with State of Decay 2, cutting a 45 second load time on Xbox One X down to just seven seconds on Xbox Series X. While strong gains on both platforms, it appears Sony's SSD technology comes out on top.
With previous hardware architecture being carried forward to the next consoles, Microsoft and Sony have emerged strong advocates of backward compatibility. While the Xbox One overcame those hurdles post-launch, and Sony attempted to offer past titles through PlayStation Now, both upcoming consoles finally pack native backward compatibility from launch.
For Xbox Series X, the full Xbox One library is assumed, including its vast backward compatible catalogue of original Xbox and Xbox 360 games. Select Xbox One games upgraded for Xbox Series X can also support "Smart Delivery," enabling automatic, free upgrades across generations, drawing the best available version for your device. Microsoft has also pledged that existing Xbox One accessories translate, including controllers and headsets. Sony has expressed similar intentions to bring PlayStation 4 titles to PlayStation 5, with more details expected closer to launch.
Sony has also touched on plans to streamline PlayStation 5 accessibility, detailing operating system improvements that accompany the convenience of reduced loading times. Among currently announced features is "a more configurable installation—and removal—process," essentially dividing titles into blocks, and allowing players to download specific components. It primarily sets to reduce download times and save on memory, especially valuable as SSDs become the norm. The Xbox One shipped a similar feature, dubbed "Intelligent Delivery," although we're yet to see wide adoption from developers.
The new PlayStation 5 OS also sets out to remove barriers of smaller tasks, inciting a closer relationship between the user interface and games. "Even though it will be fairly fast to boot games, we don't want the player to have to boot the game, see what's up," said Mark Cerny, PlayStation lead systems architect, with Wired. That keeps games more connected to the broader PlayStation experience, deeply integrating games into the system.
And while Microsoft has remained more reserved on the OS powering Xbox Series X, it appears to draw foundations from Xbox One. We expect the Xbox Series X to bring forward the shared universal kernel, with improvements to leverage additional hardware overhead. That includes speeding up the infamously sluggish interface and enabling multitasking between multiple titles. The new developer-facing Game Core OS environment also brings improvements, pushing adoption of DirectX 12, and streamlining future Xbox development. The concept will allow games to better scale across consoles of varying capabilities, though real-world results remain unclear.
GAMES
Halo Infinite is among confirmed Xbox Series X launch games, scheduled to hit the next-generation console alongside Xbox One and PC. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 also saw its debut at The Game Awards 2019, confirmed among first-party titles for Xbox Series X. And with Turn 10 Studios having skipped the annual Forza release, it's safe to assume Forza Motorsport 8 is soon ready for prime time. Other Xbox Game Studios projects remain in the early stages of development, including Everwild and Playground Games' new RPG.
Microsoft also hosted its first Xbox Series X gameplay unveiling in May, comprised of a variety of planned titles from third-party developers. Assassin's Creed Valhalla headlined the show as the first blockbuster, followed by promising titles from smaller studios like Bright Memory Infinite. The showcase also debuted Medium and Scorn, two upcoming horror experiences exclusive to Xbox Series X — even skipping Xbox One support.
Sony also teased over two dozen upcoming PS5 games through its debut gameplay event, which featured both in-house PlayStation Studios experiences and third-party aid. Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Gran Turismo 7, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart were among Sony's big unveilings. Godfall also shows promise as a console exclusive from Gearbox Publishing, with Bethesda also tying DEATHLOOP and Ghostwire: Tokyo to the platform for a limited time.
Both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will also benefit from third-party titles on the calendar for the coming year, including Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Grand Theft Auto V, and HITMAN 3.
Xbox Series X will feature an eight-core Zen 2 CPU targeting 3.8GHz (3.6GHz w/ SMT), bolstered by improvements to caching, new silicon architecture, and other proprietary optimizations. That helps Microsoft delivered upon the claimed four times increase over Xbox One X.
That pairs with its Navi GPU pacing 12 teraflops (TF) of computing power, compared to the Xbox One X's 6TF setup. Microsoft confirmed that its GPU would run with 52 compute units clocked at 1.825GHz.
Sony PlayStation 5 includes an eight-core 3.5GHz custom Zen 2 CPU, not too far behind Microsoft's offering for Xbox Series X, alongside a 10.28 TF GPU. Both consoles exhibit enormous gains over the current generation, and while the PS5 falls short in raw processing power, it's speedy storage takes the lead.
Sony makes gains with its custom SSD setup, with support for standard PC NVMe drives for ultra-fast storage. Those storage improvements will help cut load times and streamline performance across all titles, proving its secret weapon for the next generation.
| Xbox Series X | PlayStation 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz Custom Zen 2 CPU | 8x Cores @ 3.5GHz Custom Zen 2 CPU |
| Graphics | 12.155 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 | 10.28 TFLOPS, 36 CUs @ 2.23 GHz Custom RDNA 2 |
| Memory | 16 GB GDDR6, 320mb bus | 16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 10 GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s | 448GB/s |
| Internal Storage | 1 TB Custom NVME SSD | 825GB Custom NVME SSD |
| I/O Throughput | 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed) | 5.5GB/s (Raw), 8-9GB/s (Compressed) |
| Expandable Storage | 1 TB Custom SSD expansion card | NVMe SSD slot |
| External Storage | USB external HDD support | USB external HDD support |
| Optical Drive | 4K UHD Blu-Ray drive | 4K UHD Blu-Ray drive |
| Size | 301mm x 151mm x 151mm | 400mm x 223mm x 100mm (estimate) |
| Release date | Holiday 2020 | Holiday 2020 |
FEATURES
The Xbox Series X is the latest evolution in Microsoft hardware, with an all-black, monolithic design housing stacked internals inside. It's a chunky box with added volume over previous Xbox One consoles, aiding a new single-fan cooling system, and drawing air up through the console. Sony has debuted a more abstract, two-toned design, wrapped in a white, winged outer casing. The difference is black and white (pun fully intended), but positions both as massive consoles compared their predecessors. And don't worry, both stand vertically and horizontally, ideal for your existing setup.
The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 aim high, both capable of up to 8K resolutions or 120 frames-per-second (FPS) outputs. However, it most likely translates to an estimated 4K 60 FPS baseline, pushing the best from modern 4K displays. That helps elevate both consoles above current-generation solutions, with Microsoft specifically touting a "four times" power increase over Xbox One X. The consoles will also feature hardware-accelerated ray tracing via their Navi GPUs, better simulating how light interacts with virtual objects.
Another next-generation shakeup comes with the adoption of solid-state drives, primarily advancing transfer speeds system-wide. That supports unmatched cuts to loading times, with both platform holders pledging to eliminate the wait between booting a game and entering the action. An exclusive on the PlayStation 5 from Wired highlighted these benefits, cutting 2018's Spider-Man from a PlayStation 4 Pro 15 second load time down to just 0.8 seconds.
Microsoft has discussed similar ambitions, committing to an NVMe SSD and GDDR6 RAM, slicing loading, and increasing multitasking capabilities. It demonstrated that with State of Decay 2, cutting a 45 second load time on Xbox One X down to just seven seconds on Xbox Series X. While strong gains on both platforms, it appears Sony's SSD technology comes out on top.
With previous hardware architecture being carried forward to the next consoles, Microsoft and Sony have emerged strong advocates of backward compatibility. While the Xbox One overcame those hurdles post-launch, and Sony attempted to offer past titles through PlayStation Now, both upcoming consoles finally pack native backward compatibility from launch.
For Xbox Series X, the full Xbox One library is assumed, including its vast backward compatible catalogue of original Xbox and Xbox 360 games. Select Xbox One games upgraded for Xbox Series X can also support "Smart Delivery," enabling automatic, free upgrades across generations, drawing the best available version for your device. Microsoft has also pledged that existing Xbox One accessories translate, including controllers and headsets. Sony has expressed similar intentions to bring PlayStation 4 titles to PlayStation 5, with more details expected closer to launch.
Sony has also touched on plans to streamline PlayStation 5 accessibility, detailing operating system improvements that accompany the convenience of reduced loading times. Among currently announced features is "a more configurable installation—and removal—process," essentially dividing titles into blocks, and allowing players to download specific components. It primarily sets to reduce download times and save on memory, especially valuable as SSDs become the norm. The Xbox One shipped a similar feature, dubbed "Intelligent Delivery," although we're yet to see wide adoption from developers.
The new PlayStation 5 OS also sets out to remove barriers of smaller tasks, inciting a closer relationship between the user interface and games. "Even though it will be fairly fast to boot games, we don't want the player to have to boot the game, see what's up," said Mark Cerny, PlayStation lead systems architect, with Wired. That keeps games more connected to the broader PlayStation experience, deeply integrating games into the system.
And while Microsoft has remained more reserved on the OS powering Xbox Series X, it appears to draw foundations from Xbox One. We expect the Xbox Series X to bring forward the shared universal kernel, with improvements to leverage additional hardware overhead. That includes speeding up the infamously sluggish interface and enabling multitasking between multiple titles. The new developer-facing Game Core OS environment also brings improvements, pushing adoption of DirectX 12, and streamlining future Xbox development. The concept will allow games to better scale across consoles of varying capabilities, though real-world results remain unclear.
GAMES
Halo Infinite is among confirmed Xbox Series X launch games, scheduled to hit the next-generation console alongside Xbox One and PC. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 also saw its debut at The Game Awards 2019, confirmed among first-party titles for Xbox Series X. And with Turn 10 Studios having skipped the annual Forza release, it's safe to assume Forza Motorsport 8 is soon ready for prime time. Other Xbox Game Studios projects remain in the early stages of development, including Everwild and Playground Games' new RPG.
Microsoft also hosted its first Xbox Series X gameplay unveiling in May, comprised of a variety of planned titles from third-party developers. Assassin's Creed Valhalla headlined the show as the first blockbuster, followed by promising titles from smaller studios like Bright Memory Infinite. The showcase also debuted Medium and Scorn, two upcoming horror experiences exclusive to Xbox Series X — even skipping Xbox One support.
Sony also teased over two dozen upcoming PS5 games through its debut gameplay event, which featured both in-house PlayStation Studios experiences and third-party aid. Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Gran Turismo 7, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart were among Sony's big unveilings. Godfall also shows promise as a console exclusive from Gearbox Publishing, with Bethesda also tying DEATHLOOP and Ghostwire: Tokyo to the platform for a limited time.
Both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will also benefit from third-party titles on the calendar for the coming year, including Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Grand Theft Auto V, and HITMAN 3.
