MISHAWAKA – Sony's and Microsoft’s “next-gen” gaming machines have found themselves at odds year after year, and in 2020 they seem to be at the starting line once again. With the upcoming release of both the Playstation 5 (PS5) and the Xbox Series X, the work of the consumer is just beginning.
The PS5 and the Series X are suspected to take console graphics and processing speeds to a new level due to the inclusion of a new line of processors, both central and graphical. The difference in processing power between these new consoles and their predecessors is, supposedly, quite large despite the little information given as to the exact hardware that will be included. This difference in performance, however, should still inspire the casual consumer to trade up, leaving just one question - to which console?
Whereas the upgraded processing power alone eliminates the older generations, the specifics are unknown and a proper comparison cannot be made at this time. Beyond processing power, the Series X has been shown to be considerably larger than any known rendering of the PS5 and, though the increase in size is most likely to accommodate the upgraded hardware, it still loses some of its appeal due to the reduced placement versatility.
However, the PS5 may fall short in an arena other than the sleekness of the design - cooling. A problem many consumers had with the PS4, PS4 Pro and the PS4 Slim was that, over longer periods of time, the systems would overheat and the quality of any experience would decrease due to thermal throttling. Though the most credible PS5 design leak appears to try and resolve this issue, the reoccurrence of this problem leads to the conclusion that it may return yet again.
As more news is confirmed about these consoles these opinions may change but, until then, one can consider the confirmed facts and speculate about the rest. With both consoles being appraised at around $500, think before you buy.