Xbox Series X vs PS5: Specs, price, release date & more

In my Xbox Series X vs PS5 comparison, I put the two next-generation consoles in the ring. Read on for the specs, price, release date and hardware details to see if a clear winner emerges.

Soon it will be time to preorder either the Xbox Series X or PS5. Or both, if you have the cash (lucky you). But which one is more deserving of your cash and how are they different? A Tribe Called Cars has scoured the internet for the available facts, read on for more.

Now it’s worth noting that both consoles have yet to be launched, which means that some of the following information could be wrong. But it could also be right given that at least one source of the leak predicted the Xbox Series X’s marketing tagline. Make of that what you will.

Xbox Series X vs PS5: The price

Currently Microsoft and Sony are in a cat and mouse situation, with neither keen to reveal the price of their latest consoles before the other. Why? Because that information would allow the competitor to deliberately undercut, providing an advantage at retail.

With that said, Sony’s PlayStation 5 is said to be going on sale for around £449 in the UK and US$499 in America. At launch the PS4 cost £399 and the PS3 was £425 so nothing radically different.

Meanwhile the Xbox Series X is likely to have a similar price although a disc-less version, allegedly codenamed ‘Lockhart’, could cost a more palatable £399/US$399. If true, that would give Microsoft the price edge.

When is the Xbox Series X and PS5 release date?

Both the Xbox Series X and PS5 have a ‘holiday 2020’ release date, which means in time for Christmas to maximise sales. That’s the plan anyway, although the Coronavirus could, according to some analysts, push the release dates back.

A clearer picture of any potential delays will likely surface at E3 2020, which will take place from the 9th to 11th of June. What I will say is that both companies will do their best to avoid missing Santa Claus. So you best be good.

What about the console design?

This is where we can do away with speculation completely in the case of the Xbox Series X (watch the video above). Gone are the days of being more horizontal, the Xbox Series X looks very much like the Silverstone Fortress FT03 micro-ATX case I used for my old computer build.

Personally speaking, I rather liked the FT03’s ‘wastebin’ design – as it was sometimes called – so I am rather partial to the Xbox Series X. It’s got to house and keep the components cool somehow, yet without looking generic.

There are some downsides though such as the fact it will never fit in your typical television cabinet. Annoying for those who have to hide away their Xbox to keep the other half happy, but then it will discourage putting the Series X somewhere that will affect its ability to stay cool.

PS5-wise, there has been no reveal from Sony so nothing is concrete. A patent design for the development PS5, however, is so elaborate that it would be weird for the retail console to look that different.

A February 2020 console reveal has been touted by former God of War developer David Scott Jaffe so the wait to see if that’s correct should be short. It’s worth noting that the tweet has since vanished.

I’d expect a radical departure from the PS4 and PS3. The alleged PS5 design is somewhere between a projector and a spaceship from No Man’s Sky. Like it or not, it should be easier to accommodate than the Xbox Series X when it comes to furniture.

Come on, spill the Xbox Series X specs

Now things get serious if you want to boast that X console is better than Y, although any adult knows this is a silly argument. Console launch games, development support and optimisation of the processing architecture actually matter.

Fortunately for the sake of console war insanity, it appears both consoles have been at the same parts bin. According to an anonymous Reddit poster (the one whose leak got the marketing tagline correct), the Xbox Series X will feature an AMD Zen 2 processor. Terraflops total: 11.8.

Capable of at least 4K gaming at up to 120 frames per second, no wonder the 8-core 3.7GHz Custom CPU makes the Xbox Series X four times more powerful than the Xbox One – so says Microsoft. The Xbox One and Xbox One X use an 8-core 1.75GHz and 2.3GHz processor respectively.

RAM, meanwhile, is said to be 16GB in quantity and of the speedy DDR6 variety. Plus 4GB of slower DDR4. That and a solid-state drive (SSD) 40 times faster than current offerings will ensure as fast loading times as possible.

Great news, admittedly, especially as loading times are said to be disappearing forever. Except these days it’s more the hassle of waiting for gigantic game updates that’s the real hassle. Makes me miss my Mega Drive cartridges.

Ray-tracing, a fancy method of lighting that works in real-time, is allegedly another Xbox Series X feature. Forza Motorsport 8 is said to be getting it. Because it’s quite hungry for processing power, it’s rumoured there will be a chip just for this task.

Those worried about noise will be pleased to know the Xbox Series X will, according to Microsoft, be as quiet as the Xbox One X. Probably will run a lot warmer though.

How do the PS5 specs compare?

Sony’s PS5 is also rumoured to use the same AMD Ryzen 7nm chip on Zen 2 architecture. Except here it’s said to be clocked at a slightly slower 3.6GHz. Total processing power is rumoured to be 12.6 terraflops, which if true could give it bragging rights over the Xbox Series X. Not all terraflops are created equal, mind.

RAM, meanwhile, is apparently also higher at 18GB plus the same secondary 4GB of DDR4. This is balanced out by 512GB of SSD storage (before any upgrades), compared to the Xbox Series X’s 1TB (1,024GB). Unfortunately for Microsoft, it appears Sony’s SSD operates at 5.5GB a second compared to Microsoft’s 3.8GB.

Coping with the majority of visual oomph is a Radeon Navi graphics processing unit (GPU), as seen in the Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card released at the end of 2019. A close fight for the Xbox Series X vs PS5, it must be said.

Xbox Series X vs PS5: PC gaming still superior?

In many ways yes, but if rumours are true a much more potent PC may be required to rival the Xbox Series X and PS5. Why? Because the experts at Digital Foundry reckon the Radeon Navi GPU RDNA 2 architecture, found in both consoles, allows for much higher frequencies than any Navi-based graphics card on the market.

Whatever that means in reality, both the Xbox Series and PS5 should be setup for proper 4K gaming at higher frame rates. 8K could be possible, although this would be reserved for less graphically intensive games as it’s still not even feasible on PC. Plus how many people own an 8K television? About two people.

What about the controllers?

In Xbox Series X land, the Internet believes there will be a new controller albeit one that’s an evolution of what we have now. Expect lower latency, the D-pad from the Xbox Elite and, in PS4 fashion, a button dedicated to sharing on social.

There is also talk that all Xbox One accessories will work with the Xbox Series X controller. No need to upgrade your headset or steering wheels, basically. Oh and Windows 10 PC compatibility completes the package, same as now albeit without an accessory.

The PS5 DualShock controller, meanwhile, is still an unknown. Rumours suggest the old rumble system has been replaced by a haptic system, which will feature adaptive triggers. The theory is that you can choose how much ‘feedback’ is given by each button and that it will emulate the real-life sensation of whatever action you are performing in the game.

Then there’s talk of a microphone for voice control, which seems like a reasonable assumption, and a small display for smartphone notifications, which is a bigger stretch. Not to mention killer for the controller’s battery life.

How many Xbox Series X and PS5 launch games are there?

Coming soon, bookmark this page for more!

Xbox Series X specs (rumoured)

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 8-core 7nm CPU at 3.7GHz
• GPU: Radeon Navi (RDNA 2)
• Computing power: 11.6 terraflops
• Storage: 1TB SSD at 3.8GB/s
• Bandwidth: 596GB/s
• RAM: 16GB DDR6 + 4GB DDR4

Sony PS5 specs (rumoured)

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 8-core 7nm CPU at 3.6GHz
• GPU: Radeon Navi (RDNA 2)
• Computing power: 12.6 terraflops
• Storage: 512GB at 5.5GB/s
• Bandwidth: 576GB/s
• RAM: 18GB DDR6 + 4GB DDR4