An overview of what the decade long console-rivalry will look like

 

PlayStation vs Xbox. A rivalry that resonates with every console-head since the start of time. Beginning with the PS1 and the original Xbox, with rivalries heated up to the absolute max with the release of the PS4 and the Xbox One. As a lover of gaming consoles and exclusive titles, the decision to choose between PlayStation or Xbox may be harder than deciding between potential rishta pics dear ammi brings to you.

 

The Xbox One retailed at $500 at the time of release, while the PS4 retailed at $400. Now, the tables have turned with the PS4 appreciating to close to $500 since the news of the PS5, and Xbox One prices have plummeted to around $300. Ouch. The PS4 wasn’t just cheaper, it was faster. Many high-profile early launches ran better on the PS4 than the Xbox One, with most games 5-8% cheaper on the PS4. Why wouldn’t you go for the faster, cheaper option? 

 

PS5 vs. Xbox Series X

Currently, we know very little about either of the two consoles. Both Sony and Microsoft have remained tight-lipped about their top-secret gaming consoles. We may not hear anything about either of the two till August 2020, which means the hype will continue to build. At the end of the day, gamers have a lot to consider with these next-gen gaming consoles. A lot is set to change, and the entire dynamic of the gaming world could take a turn (for the better?) as we know it.

 

This time around, surprisingly, the Xbox Series X is poised to be a bigger powerhouse than the PS5. It looks like Microsoft did learn from the mistakes it made while releasing the Xbox One. if they didn’t, Xbox would have maybe been plowed into obsoletion and its remnants erased from the face of the Earth. Anyway, the Xbox Series X boasts a 3.8 GHz custom Zen 2 CPU, while the PS5 sports the slightly slower 3.5GHz custom Zen 2. At the end of the day, the CPUs are essentially the same, one with bigger muscles, but it all boils down to how well each console maker optimises their systems to make the most of each MHz of computing power.

 

Well, you might ask what the CPU is. And after this article speaks about the GPU, you might end up asking what the difference is between the two. The Central Processing Unit, AKA the CPU, is essentially the brains - of a computer, but in this case - of the console. If the CPU is the brain, then the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is the soul. GPUs are responsible for a lot of interaction-based tasks. They need to be fast and agile while remaining versatile in the ways they can be used. Kya matlab hai bhai? The GPU is responsible for the console’s responses to a user’s keystrokes. When you rage kill while playing Call of Duty on your PS4 and the system does exactly what you wanted it to do, that’s the GPU working overtime to register and relay every click, swipe and squeeze that the controller feels. It’s you working overtime, and the GPU working overtime with you. Guess who works overtime better? The CPU ends up working with low latency and the GPU with high throughput. The CPU handles a handful of operations in a serial processing method, while the GPU can deal with thousands of operations, which makes it great for parallel processing. It all boils down to how well the CPU and GPU work with each other. The stats on a piece of paper are just - at the end of the day -  stats on a piece of paper. How the system runs and feels and handles the load you put on it, is an entirely different story. Don’t they say history repeats itself? History has always seemed to favour the Playstation as the superior gaming console. Time will tell for this one.

 

The memory for both consoles is predicted to be a whopping 16GB GDDR6, with both consoles capable of 4K video, hinting at 8K support. This means that your games and your videos will be beyond immersive. To put the sheer power of these consoles into perspective, it won’t be that your console isn’t delivering pictures as crisp as you’d expect, it’s your TV that can’t handle how crisp images and videos coming off of these consoles will be.

 

But what makes these next-gen so special? Keeping the specs aside - which are unconfirmed and a product of speculation - these consoles are primed to be the best of the best. Unlike the PS4, the PS5 will be backward-compatible. This means that you will be able to play your favourite PS4 games on the all-new PS5. Letting go of the games you hold dear to your heart is every gamers biggest pet peeve, the biggest stinging pain in one’s heart when upgrading consoles. Why would anyone want to let go of something that they spent so many hours playing, something that is so close to one’s heart and holds so much sentimental value? Only a true gamer would understand. The PS5 will also support Playstation’s Virtual Reality (VR) games. Even though the PS5 will probably only support a majority of PS4’s top 100 games, it’s a feat that will attract multitudes, propelling Playstation to a god-status of gaming machines. 

 

The Xbox Series X is also said to have support for all previous generations of Xbox games, similar to the Xbox One. With studios hinting at producing PS5 and Xbox exclusive titles which has always been an area of debate amongst Playstation and Xbox fanboys (and fangirls), each console will highlight their specialty games, setting one apart from the other. Demon’s Souls on the PS5, along with a possible remake of the Shadow of the Colossus has PS5 set to achieve greatness from the get-go. Xbox flaunts the biggest exclusive Xbox-specific title it has been flaunting since the advent of the Xbox: Halo. Halo Infinite will be launched for the Series X and will be the first Halo title to be launched with an Xbox since the very original system in 2001. Microsoft also sheds the spotlight on Smart Delivery, where users buying a game on either the Xbox One or Series X will have access to the game on the other console for free.

 

Even though the Xbox is set to reveal exclusive titles for the first year or two, it boils down to a game of sales and subscribers. Die-hard Playstation fans are more likely to stick to their beloved platform. The way Xbox users respond to this paradigm shift in the gaming world will truly be a sight to behold. Keep an eye out for updates from Sony and Microsoft regarding their next-gen consoles, which are likely to be the best Christmas gift one could ask for.