The future of gaming releases this week as the Xbox Series X and the Playstation 5 become available to customers who already had it pre-ordered and ready to experience the first consoles of this decade. The new Xbox will launch on November 10 and the new PlayStation will launch on November 12.
With these two being one of the largest brands in the gaming industry, pre-orders were already breaking records. Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony, mentioned to Reuters that the demand for the PlayStation 5 is very considerable. He also revealed that Sony pre-sold roughly the same amount of PS5s in the first 12 hours of US pre-orders as were sold in the first 12 weeks of the PlayStation 4.
Earlier in the summer, Sony revealed the more futuristic and unorthodox design of the console leaving many fans either hating the new look or loving it. This year, the PlayStation will also come in the standard version that includes the Ultra HD Blu-Ray disc drive for $499 and the digital version with the only difference being that it has no disc slot for $399. This leads many gamers to believe that they are already teasing and preparing customers for the possibility of digital-only gaming in the near future.
As usual, the PlayStation will have some incredible exclusives, helping maintain their brand loyalty. Titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls will be ready at launch. They will be followed by many more exclusives, like God of War Ragnarok, Final Fantasy XVI and Horizon Forbidden West to drop in 2021.
Even though the numbers did not favor them like they did for PlayStation, Microsoft has been making some major moves to put their brand over the top and it has been paying off. With cheaper prices than the PlayStation 5, it seems this console will give you more bang for your buck.
Listed at $499, the Xbox Series X will have a minimalistic design compared to the PS5. The flagship device from Microsoft is much more to the point, but strikes where it counts the most. The Series X has an internal storage of 1 terabyte compared to the 825 gigabyte that the PS5 has. Even though the Series X has slightly better specs than the PS5, both are going to be capable of 4k gaming at up to 120 fps, meaning they will have some of the sharpest and smoothest graphics ever produced on console products.
Microsoft boasts the cheapest console of them all, with the Xbox Series S coming in at $299. This console is most comparable in terms of looks to the Xbox One X, both coming with 4k compatibility, but has the power of an Xbox Series X. Both of the new Xboxes have revealed some great features, including Quick Resume which switches you from one game to another at record speeds.
In one of the most unsung deals, Microsoft struck a deal with Zenimax Studios a few weeks ago announcing they have bought the company for $7.5 billion, acquiring Bethesda Softworks and all their titles. This will be pivotal when it is incorporated with their game-changing innovation they had last generation: Xbox Game Pass.
No matter what console gamers choose, the future of gaming appears to be blindingly bright. With many new features being added for gamers that can afford the pricey tags and incredible options for budget gamers, competition between companies makes it so that no customer is left behind moving into the new generation. Even if brand loyalty is the main reason behind which console you choose, everyone will walk away with a quality device from brands that compete each year to make us, the consumers, the real winners.
