PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S? Which should you buy?

Yesterday saw the PlayStation 5 showcase. In it, we saw many great games coming down the pipe, but perhaps the biggest reveal was the actual price point of the console. Or rather consoles. We’ve known for some time that, like Microsoft, Sony would be launching two systems simultaneously. One will be a full standard version of the console with 825 GB of SSD. The other will be the same, only minus the UHD disc drive, meaning you can’t play disc films and won’t be able to use physical media.

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The price point was fairly expected. The standard console will cost $499 in the U.S. and the Digital Edition version $399. As I already stated, hardware under the hood is essentially the same, the only real difference being that disc drive. 

See you in November! pic.twitter.com/CjrQ65rJ5a

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 16, 2020

Downsides To Digital

It all depends on how you play. How important is it for you to own physical media? How often do you play games period? If you play around a handful of games a year, the Digital Edition will likely be the PlayStation 5 for you. However, if you play a lot more and are willing to go physical, the standard console could give you more bang for your buck. 

However, it’s worth noting that if you want the standard edition for Ultra HD Blu-Rays, and you usually play digitally, you’ll likely need to expand your hard drive via external means anyway. In other words, you won’t really save any money on space. All in all, the digital edition doesn’t sound like a bad idea, especially if you already plan on going mostly digital. 

But what if you’re on the fence between consoles?

How Does PlayStation 5 Compare To Xbox Series X And Series S?

Okay, so right off the bat, the PlayStation 5 standard and Xbox Series X are fully comparable systems. Both are next-gen. Both are $499. There really isn’t much here to discuss other than it’s a matter of preference. Who has the best games, ecosystem, and controller for you? Go with that console. But it’s the secondary systems that add wrenches into the whole damn thing.

The Xbox Series S is at an attractive $299 price point. For $299, you can officially enter the next generation of consoles. And if you usually get standard third-party blockbusters that span both consoles, this may be the one for you. But this console is not 4K. In fact, some of its stats don’t even match up to the Xbox One X. That being said, The Series S has it where it counts. While it may not have superior RAM to the previous-gen console, its upgraded architecture makes it physically able to play next-gen games no problem.

However, for just $100 more, you can play a PlayStation 5, with mostly-superior specs across the board, and no loss of power. 

So, what do you do? Well, first ask yourself, which ecosystem and controller do you like best? As with the standard console explanation above, it mostly depends on that. However, if you find yourself console agnostic, it may be worth it just to go with Xbox Series S just to be part of the next-gen conversation. But keep in mind that Xbox will have few to no exclusives for the first few years, as Microsoft is mostly keen on pulling people into an accessible ecosystem.

If exclusives are super important to you, then PlayStation 5 Digital Edition may be the way to go.

Conclusion

All in all, it’s all about preference and budget. For many of you who don’t care about specifics, that $299 price point for Series S may be too attractive to pass up, and I wouldn’t blame you. Were it not for my attraction to JRPGs and exclusive Japanese-style games, I’d be more inclined to lean toward Xbox Series S myself. 

Which console do you lean toward? PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S? Sound off down below!

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SOURCE: PlayStation, Xbox