What makes PlayStation 5 better than Xbox Series X? It depends on what matters to you the most. But for a developer, the ease of creating the amazing works of art is at the top of the list. According to Crytek rendering engineer Ali Salehi, PlayStation 5 is better than Xbox Series X as it is easier to code for.
The developers are saying PS5 is the easiest console they have ever coded on to reach its peak performance. Software-wise, coding for PS5 is extremely simple and has so many abilities that make the [developers] so free. In total, I can say PS5 is a better console.
PlayStation 5 Vs Xbox One Specs Breakdown
| Feature | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X |
|---|---|---|
| Price | TBA | TBA |
| Release Date | Holiday 2020 | Holiday 2020 |
| Optical Drive | 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive | 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive |
| Game DVR | TBA | TBA |
| RAM | 16GB GDDR6 RAM (256-bit) | 16 GB GDDR6 RAM |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448GB/s | 10GB at 560GB/s, 6GB at 335GB/s |
| CPU | 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.5HGz | 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT) |
| GPU | Custom AMD Radeon RDNA Navi 10.28 Teraflops, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz – (Supports Ray Tracing and 3D Audio via Tempest Engine) | Custom AMD Radeon RNDA Navi 12 Teraflops, 52 CUs at 1.825GHz – (Supports DirectX Ray Tracing) |
| Video Output | 4K, 120hz refresh rate, 8K Support | Native 4K, 8K Support, Up to 120hz |
| Peak GPU Shader Throughput | TBA | Variable Rate Shading (prioritizing individual shading) |
| Data Transfer Speed (I/O Throughput) | 5.5GB/S (Raw), 8-9GB/S (Compressed) | 2.4gB/s (Raw), 4.8GB/s (Compressed) |
| Storage | Custom 825GB SSD Storage Drive | 1 TB NVMe SSD Storage Drive |
| External Storage | NVMe SSD Slot, USB HDD Support | Seagate Proprietary External 1TB SSD Expansion Card, USB 3.2 HDD Support |
| Removable Hard Drive | TBA | TBA |
| Cloud Storage | TBA | TBA |
| Play As You Download | TBA | TBA |
| Remote Download | TBA | TBA |
| Account Access from Multiple Consoles | TBA | TBA |
| Mandatory Game Installs | TBA | TBA |
| Required Internet Connection | TBA | TBA |
| Used Game Fee | TBA | No |
| Digital game sharing or gifting | TBA | TBA |
| Backward Compatibility | PlayStation 4 Games, PSVR | Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Accessories |
| Streaming Game Service | Remote Play (TBA) | Project xCloud |
| Quick Resume | TBA | Support multiple games at once |
| Cross Game Chat | TBA | TBA |
| Controllers | TBA | Series X Controller (Includes Share Button and hybrid D-Pad), Xbox One Controller Compatible |
| Controller Charging Cable | USB Type-C | TBA |
| Controller Batteries | TBA | TBA |
| Motion Control | TBA | TBA |
| Second Screen | TBA | TBA |
| Voice Commands | TBA | TBA |
| Subscription Service | PlayStation Plus | Xbox Live |
| USB | TBA | Front: One Type-A USB PortRear: 1TB External SSD Slot |
| Live Streaming | TBA | TBA |
| Reputation Preservation | TBA | TBA |
| Web Connection | TBA | Ethernet |
| BlueTooth | TBA | Yes (Plus Radio Connection for Controllers) |
| Wi-Fi Direct (for Device Connection) | TBA | TBA |
| A/V Hookups | 8K Support | Native 4K, 8K Support, 2 HDMI 2.1 Ports |
| IR | TBA | TBA |
| Power Supply (PSU) | TBA | TBA |
| Near Field Communication (NFC) | TBA | TBA |
| Region Locked | TBA | TBA |
Ease and speed of development are what makes PS5 a better console but who’s to say the same doesn’t apply to Xbox Series X? Both consoles use a super-fast SSD and it is safe to say their architecture won’t be too far apart. But we’ll have to wait and see what PlayStation 5 brings to the table once Sony fully commits to a public info-blowout.
PS5’s SSD removes many limitations that hinder a developer’s capabilities and freedoms. It takes around 20-seconds for an HDD to load 1GB which can drastically change how certain portions of a game are loaded and designed. The limitations of HDDs are discussed in detail in Mark Cerny’s presentation. PlayStation 5 SSD is able to load 5.5 GBs/s to reduce load-times for the player and change the way video games are designed. Since SSDs can push more bandwidth/s, data can be loaded from the drive as needed. Previously, needless data was loaded into the RAM which created a higher load time. Apart from speed and ease of development, the SSD allows the player to remove parts of the game. Players can simply download parts of the game they like, single-player or multiplayer.
PlayStation 5 SSD isn’t the only impressive feature, there is immersive audio technology. Sony has created a Tempest 3D Audio Engine that uses custom hardware and software algorithms for a more immersive in-game audio experience. The best part is that the new audio technology will work with your current audio equipment.
The Story of Patents
Since Sony Interactive Entertainment has been silent about PS5 we dug around for anything that points to the future of PlayStation. In the past weeks and months, we have found multiple patents that Sony filed for technologies and techniques to be used for PlayStation. It should be noted that patents don’t always get implemented.
We found that Sony is working on a party management system that allows players to bounce from one game to another without disbanding. This could also tie-in to the Dualshock screen idea Sony displayed in a separate patent. We have a very vague picture of PlayStation 5 outside of its SSD and audio features. Until Sony reveals something solid, which we heard is happening in June through an exclusive event with IGN, we can’t say if PS5 is better than Xbox Series X. Even then, it depends on what you are looking for in a console.