This year has been been a game changer for so many of us in so many ways! Things are about to get heated as Microsoft and Sony go head to head late in the year with their next generation consoles. Microsoft’s Xbox Series X (they need to get the name right, it’s been a while) and Sony’s Play Station are hitting the store shelves during the late holiday season in 2020. Both these upgrades have been long due and mean serious business, at least that’s what recent glimpse of Xbox Series X shared by Microsoft and teasers from Sony indicate.
Both, as expected, Microsoft and Sony have focused efforts on delivering flagship performance for their next-generation vision. The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 aim high, both supposedly 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 move them well ahead of current generation of consoles. One of the major shake ups in the next generation of consoles will be 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.
The specification are not completely out but what we have so far looks like the fight is going to be a close one. We’ve wrapped up the specifications for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 so far, these are from official announcements from Sony and Microsoft!
Official image of Microsoft’s Xbox Series X console and controller.
| Xbox Series X | PlayStation 5 | |
| Processor | Custom AMD Zen 2-based CPU; 8x cores; 7nm Zen 2 | Based on AMD Ryzen 8-core, 16-thread |
| Graphics | 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU | Custom AMD Navi-based GPU |
| Memory | 16 GB GDDR6 w/ 320b bus | Unknown |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe SSD | SSD, PCIe 4.0 |
| Video output | 8K, 4K @ 120Hz | 8K, 4K @ 120Hz |
| Optical drive | 4K Blu-ray | 4K Blu-ray |
| Ports | 3x USB-A, HDMI 2.1, Storage Expansion Card slot | Unknown |
| I/O Throughput | 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s | Unknown |
| Size | 30.1cm x 15.1cm x 15.1cm | Unknown |
And here’s how the controller specifications for each console stack up!
| PS5 DualSense | Xbox Series X controller | |
| Special features | Advanced haptics, adaptive triggers, built-in microphone | Improved d-pad, new Share button, textured triggers and bumpers |
| Charging and connectivity | USB-C | USB-C, swappable AA batteries |
| Compatibility | PS5 (so far) | Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC |
They both look exciting so far, we can’t wait to get our hands on both these consoles and try them out. Let us know which console you are looking forward to in the comments below.