The new generation of consoles: PS5 vs Xbox Series

November is approaching and you are probably considering the possibility of retiring your current consoles and jumping into the next-gen with one of the two proposals that Sony and Microsoft have in hand. Playstation 5 or Xbox Series? This is the question that many of us ask ourselves and that keeps us awake at night. Well, it's not that big of a deal. But we do want to be clear about what to invest our 300, 400 or 500 euros that cost the new models of this new generation of consoles. Do you dare to discover the virtues of each of the machines?

Playstation 5: two models, one for each type of gamer

The new Playstation console has an advantage over Microsoft's machine due to the positive inertia it carries over from the previous generation of consoles. PS4 has sold more than a hundred million consoles and has been the favorite console far ahead of Xbox One. However, in recent years, and after the entry on the scene in the American company of Phil Spencer, the balance has been gradually balancing

Sony's proposal for this year 2021 is to present two new models of consoles and launch them on the market next November 12 (in a selection of countries such as the United States or Canada) and on November 19 in the rest of the world (including Spain). Both models are equal in features, and the only difference between them is the inclusion or not of the disc reader. On the one hand we have the traditional model, in which we can introduce the physical games purchased in offline stores, and the digital model, in which we can only play video games if we acquire them digitally in the Sony store or if we get a download code or wallet card of that platform.

Sony's greatest asset has been and continues to be its exclusive games

Playstation has always stood out for being a company that bets on its studios and offers a very good pile of exclusive titles in each generation of consoles. Without going any further, PS4 has closed with a flourish its trajectory with two jewels such as The Last of Us part II or Ghost of Tsushima. They are specialists in storytelling and stand out for their exquisite gameplay. It is difficult to unseat Sony in the production of video games that remain for history, and more so seeing the launch catalog and the horizon coming in 2021

For the launch of both models Playstation will have exclusives of the stature of

• Demon's Souls Remake
• Sackboy a Big Adventure
• Spiderman Miles Morales
• Destruction All Stars
• Astro's Playroom
• Godfall (temporary console exclusive)

And the games expected between this year and next year are:

• Ratchet & Clank: A World Apart
• Deathloop (temporary console exclusive)
• Ghostwire Tokyo (temporary console exclusive)
• Final Fantasy XVI (temporary exclusive on consoles)
• Gran Turismo 7
• Returnal
• Resident Evil 8
• Hogwarts Legacy
• God of War 2
• Kena Bridge of Spirits (temporary console exclusive)
• Horizon Forbbiden West

Therefore, if you like single-player proposals and live stories that will remain forever etched in the retina, Playstation 5 is a sure value that will provide hours and hours of entertainment and fun. You can get the standard model for 499 euros on November 19 in Spain and for 399 euros for the digital model

Xbox Series: power and accessibility, choose your own model

Microsoft has never had Xbox as its best value at an economic level, but they have never stopped betting on the brand. In this new generation of consoles they are at a disadvantage with respect to Sony, and that will be their main advantage. They have nothing to lose and much to gain, and that is why they are betting and risking to bring gamers not a console or a device, but an ecosystem called Xbox that brings together all their existing consoles

Microsoft presented its two new models: X Series and S Series. The main difference between both models is the power and storage. Xbox Series X is designed for hardcore gamers who want to enjoy next-generation graphics with incredible resolution and who want to take full advantage of the backward compatibility offered from the first Xbox to the current one thanks to the incorporation of a disc reader. For those looking to make the leap to the new generation of consoles at a very affordable price, they will undoubtedly opt for the Xbox Series S, which will allow you to play the same games as the S series but at a lower power and lower resolution. However, the internal SSD disk will be the same in both models and both will have all the advantages of the next-gen, such as greatly reduced loading times. The Series S model will not have a disc drive, so we will only be able to play digital games. Ideal to combine with the Xbox Gamepass Ultimate that we will detail below

Game Pass and backward compatibility as a flagship

If Sony is betting on the present, Microsoft is certainly betting on the future. And the future of video games passes first and foremost through backward compatibility. Xbox has always been characterized for allowing to enjoy its video games of previous generations and Xbox Series was not going to be left behind. We will be able to play any Xbox, Xbox 360 or Xbox One title in our new Xbox Series. And we will do so with an automatic enhancement and optimization of that game on our console. On that point, Microsoft has undoubtedly won the battle against Sony

On the other hand, Xbox has always been criticized for having practically no exclusive games. Phil Spencer's response to this was to bet on services and the acquisition of new studios for the production of exclusive titles. The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives us access to a catalog of more than 200 games currently and also allows us to play on PC and mobile devices through its Beta XCloud streaming service. It also includes Xbox Live Gold, which is the paid service for playing online games. The main advantage of Xbox Game Pass is that it includes, the same day of launch, all exclusive Xbox video games for a low price of 13 euros per month (and even cheaper if we hunt some offer). Thus, although Xbox Series will only have the launch title Gears Tactics, we will be able to play more than 200 games and never get bored

On the other hand, Xbox does not limit itself to adding its own games, but also includes indie launch games such as Carrion or Spiritfarer and bets on the inclusion of thirds shortly after its launch, such as Devil May Cry V only 5 months after its release. And yet, despite all the advantages of the service, they do not stop there. Coinciding with the launch of Xbox X Series and S Series, EA Play (Electronic Arts' video game subscription service) will become part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate package. So the catalog of video games will be even larger, being able to play proposals such as Mass Effect, Fifa or Dead Space

And last but not least, Microsoft has been acquiring very prestigious studios in the gaming industry such as Obsidian or Ninja Theory. And just a day before starting the reservations of their new console models they gave a bombshell news. The acquisition of Zenimax, the parent company of companies such as Bethesda. Now Game Pass not only has an incredible catalog, but also has licenses as important in the history of video games such as Fallout, Doom or The Elder Scrolls

If you are looking for a bet on the future or if you have little money to make the leap to the next-gen, Xbox Series X and Series S will go on sale on November 10 worldwide at prices of 499 and 299 euros. Are you going to miss them?