The Next Generation of Consoles has been around for almost two months now and it is clear which console is performing better. The PlayStation 5 has amassed almost two times the number of sales that the Xbox Series X has, and this has put the Sony console in the lead with a resounding gap. While each console has had its ups and downs, it seems that gamers overall seem to be resonating towards the new innovations that Sony placed into the fifth iteration of the PlayStation line.
The PlayStation 5 is by far the most advanced console to have ever existed. It may not have stronger specs than the Xbox, but in terms of overall innovation, it is miles ahead. The use of a new interface that gives players more options while in-game is something that the video game industry has been waiting for. The mere fact that you can get walkthroughs of the game you are playing while you try to get past a certain mission is revolutionary and the fact the console itself learns your play style and gives you tips to improve it is something that will greatly benefit new gamers.
On the downside, the PlayStation ran into several problems at launch. The console was riddled with bugs, many of which are now fixed, that rendered a few games unplayable and it loses out in its backward compatibility to the Xbox’s ingenious use of the technology to give gamers access to every Xbox title.
The Xbox Series X is a great console as well. It is the more powerful of the two consoles with a better processor and overall cleaner graphics. While the innovations of the PlayStation was not met in the Xbox, the system was more compact overall and had a much cleaner design. The overall backward compatibility of the system is also miles ahead of the PlayStation and with the new Game Pass, the Xbox gives its users a wide range of games available at launch to play on the new console. The fact that only games that required the Kinect in the older generation of games are the only ones that would not work speaks volumes about the effort Microsoft placed into ensuring that gamers could enjoy their old favorites on the newest hardware.
Where the Xbox falls shorts, unfortunately, is in two areas, innovation, and exclusives. The Xbox Series X is not nearly as innovative as the PlayStation 5, instead, it is merely a more powerful Xbox One with a different design. This shows the gaming community that not as much was put into further developing certain areas of the console, especially the controller when compared to what Sony did. The minimalistic design may have worked but the design itself does not sell consoles. Ultimately, the biggest downfall for the console was something that Microsoft has had a problem with for a long time, the lack of great exclusive titles. While the PlayStation is home to numerous exclusive titles, Xbox only just acquired Bethesda, and unfortunately, the way the sales of the two consoles are looking, it would be detrimental to Bethesda Studios to launch their highly anticipated games only on the Xbox.
With all these taken into consideration, it is clear why the PlayStation is selling better. When we are presented with a new console, we expect something we have never seen before. We expect innovation and the PlayStation delivered. This coupled with the exciting exclusive games that Sony has already revealed makes the PlayStation 5 the outright winner when it comes to picking a next-gen console.
However, both these consoles are still not able to compete with a strong gaming PC. PC gaming is miles ahead of the console and is only getting better. The ability to customize a PC to fit in newer hardware is something that sets it apart from consoles and while the PlayStation has its exclusives, no console will ever be able to compete with the seemingly limitless library of games available on PC. This in addition to the ability to mod games easily and the ability to simply purchase a good gaming laptop for on-the-go, high-end gaming ensures that the PC still holds the crown when it comes to gaming. The PlayStation, Xbox and every other console can try to innovate as much as they want, but until they offer a piece of hardware that can be customized to include better processors and graphic cards five years down the line, they will not be able to dethrone the PC.