Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5: Are the Latest Gaming Console Models Any Different?
From the recent announcements by Microsoft and Sony about their new gaming console models, there are no longer rumors and speculations about the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 anymore. Microsoft was the first to reveal some of the key specs of the console Series X back in February of this year and later did a more in-depth analysis on March 16, 2020. Sony followed suit a few days later and revealed the main features on March 18 for their best gaming console yet??
Microsoft is clear on the Series X information and has revealed its design, as well as the Series X titles it will support. The company went on to explain the numerous features like the Smart Delivery that lets you play a game?s best version purchased from their Xbox One gaming console and will not require any additional payment.??
Sony, on the other hand, gave a sneak peek at the PS5 features through an online live stream conducted by Mark Cerny, who is the lead PS5 architect in March. He mentioned some outstanding capabilities such as the console?s backward compatibility as well as the SSD drive on the PS5.
Series X, at first glance, seems to be the more powerful gaming console between the two. April saw the reveal of the DualSense controller for the PS5 giving a clear illustration of what the system will look like. The hardware dynamics of each gaming console are very distinct that comparing them isn?t practical, like with PCs that are in the market.?
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The PlayStation 5 Features
The PS5 will have a customized third-generation 8-core, 3.5 GHz chipset from AMD employing the company?s new Zen 2 architecture with Navi graphics technology. Its GPU will be operating at 2.23 GHz with 36 compute units and 10.28 TFLOPs. The gaming console will also pack a 16GB GDDR6 memory with its bandwidth set at 448GB per second. The PS5 will support ray tracing performance-intensive technology that has been previously incorporated in high-end GPUs.
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Sony revealed that it intends to introduce an immersive 3D audio feature on the gaming console that will enhance the experience, especially for those playing with headsets on. The PS5 will have elaborate and intense ventilation features to handle the incredible processing power. The gaming console will support the crisp 8K resolution and will work under 120Hz refresh rates.?
This development will enable smoother gaming experiences, especially in combat situations. These specs are focused on excellent performance levels, and it is not expected that a game will reach the mark regularly. Sony?s commitment to using an SSD storage means better speeds without any geometrical delays in loading or texture streaming. It will be a customized hardware component with 825GB worth of storage.?
The Xbox Series X Features
The Xbox Series X has desirable features on paper. The gaming console will have customized AMD internal components incorporating the Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architecture, just like in the PS5. This means that Series X will be four times more potent than its predecessor, the Xbox One X. The Series X GPU packs 3328 shaders within 52 compute units and 12 teraflops of computing performance. It will run at 1825MHz with no variations in processing speed. This speed will stay constant regardless of the intensity of the game or the temperature of the gaming console. ???
The processor is an eight-core, 16-thread AMD Zen 2 CPU, which is custom-built for the gaming console. Developers are also allowed some wiggle room as there is an option to disable the Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) to run at 3.8GHz, and when it is enabled, the speed lowers to 3.6 GHz. The Xbox Series X will support resolutions of up to 8K with 120Hz refresh rates at 4K, just like the PS5. The gaming console will also support the DirectX ray-tracing capability with a fast NVMe SSD and can also be used as a Virtual RAM to reduce load times by up to 40 times. The Physical RAM will be 16GB GDDR5, and a combination of these features put the Series X a step ahead of its competitor in terms of raw performance.?
There is a lot to learn about these two next-gen gaming consoles, but at first glance, the similarity between them is quite striking. Their respective manufacturers? commitment to introducing SSD technology is a clear indication that parity exists, which will go a long way in helping third-party developers. From the reveal of these specs, it seems that Sony and Microsoft have been paying attention to their fanbases. They have given priority to optimizing the gaming experience to a much better level.?