Everything you need to know about the PS5 and Xbox Series X & S
Whether you’re into your games or have friends or family that are gamers, you’ve almost definitely heard that Sony and Microsoft have new consoles on the way.
We’ve been gearing up for next-gen gaming for a while, and we can’t wait to discover new journeys in better detail and team up with friends in immersive, virtual worlds. Now that we know much more about both consoles, and with Christmas and Black Friday on the horizon, we’re breaking down the key features to help you make that big decision: PS5 or Xbox?
Sony PlayStation 5
True to form, the Sony PS5 is a very stylish console. A new white and black design (with matching controller of course) set to make any gamer’s spine tingle.
Sony has confirmed that the PS5 will be available in the UK on 19th November 2020. It’s got a Blu Ray disc drive for all your 4K movies and games, making it a great all-round entertainment device. It’ll be priced at £449, and there will also be a Digital Edition (with no disc drive) available for £359. That’s cheaper, but it means that you won’t be able to take advantage of deals on disc-based games. So it’s worth considering whether you’re ready to ditch the disc drive just yet.
Both can be stood upright or horizontally. A nice touch that’ll make it easy to fit in with your home entertainment set up.
As expected, the new PS5 will be super-fast and powerful. Load times will be lightning-fast thanks to its 825 GB solid state drive. So, no more waiting around to play, even on the biggest games.
You’ll also be able to play games in 8K graphics. Incredible landscapes, bloody battles, beautiful story arc set pieces- all of it rendered in the most mind-bending detail.
But the PS5 is a treat for the ears as well as the eyes. 3D audio technology will make sound feel like it’s all around you. This should be the most immersive PlayStation console experience yet.
Perhaps the biggest and best to mention here – the new PS5 controller. Enhanced haptic feedback means that you can actually feel what’s going on in your game. So, for example, Sony have said if you were playing a driving game, you’d feel the "slow grittiness of driving a car through mud".
Adding to that ‘as-if-you’re-there’ feeling are the in-built mic and new adaptive triggers. Game developers can adjust the resistance of the triggers on your controller. So, if you’re pushing something heavy in-game, it could actually feel that way to you in real life.
And of course, there are the usual accessories too. A pulse 3D wireless headset to block out the outside world. An HD camera to record your streams (oh and did we mention the create button on the controller that lets you share game content almost instantly?). And a media remote and charging dock for your controllers.
Sony has revealed a lot of big titles from some of the greatest game developers out there, and there’s wonderful news for people still running through the PS4 back catalogue too. The PS5 is backwards compatible. So, you’ll be able to play all your favourite PS4 games on there too.
And did you know, if your kids are always hogging the TV while playing their PS4, they can still carry on playing once you’ve seized control of the remote? Just download Remote Play on your iPad or Android tablet and follow the steps on-screen to link it to your console over WiFi. That way, you can get into Bake Off or MasterChef while they’re engrossed in Fortnite. It’s a brilliant way to avoid TV wars, and we’re expecting it to be available for next-gen too.
Check out the Sony PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition which are both available at
Currys PC World.
Xbox Series X
Sony aren’t the only ones to go back to the drawing board with their latest console design. The new Microsoft Xbox Series X sports a minimalist black cuboid design, which won’t look out of place in any home entertainment or gaming centre.
Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox will be available in the UK on 10th November 2020, just over a week before the PS5. Like its rival, it’ll also have a Blu-Ray 4K disc drive, so don’t box up that old movie library just yet. At £449, it’ll cost the same as the PS5 with a disc drive, but there will also be a cheaper, digital only version (more on that later).
Whether you’re all about the games or love to stream movies and box sets, the new Xbox is a powerful machine. With 1 TB of storage space, it’s got a notably larger SSD drive than the PS5. In real terms, that’s space for one, or maybe two extra games. And of course, because it’s a solid state drive, you can expect games and streaming services to load in no time. If you do run out of space, Microsoft have added space for another storage drive, so you shouldn’t ever need to delete games and apps.
As for the graphics…well, they’ve taken a major leap forward. It’ll run in true 4K resolution at 120 fps and has ray tracing technology. That means everything looks and feels realistically smooth, with the power to display accurate shadows and reflections. Put simply, it makes the worlds that every game casts you into seem that much more real.
We love Xbox’s Game Pass on the current generation, so it’s great to see it being carried over to the Series X. With this, you’ll get access to over 100 high quality games without needing to use up any storage. It’s a great investment for the kids too, as it means you won’t need to fork out per game.
Xbox Series S
At £449, the Series X offers similar specs to gaming PCs double the price, or even more. However, you don’t need to spend that much to get into next-gen games. The Xbox Series S will play all the latest games, and only costs £249. It’s a conventional shaped console, packing impressive specs into a compact frame.
You may not be able to play in 4K resolution, but you’ll still get better-than-Full HD graphics at a buttery smooth 120 fps. With a 512 GB SSD drive, loading is still snappy and there’s enough storage to help you get started. But just like the Series X, it’s got an expansion slot to add more when you need.
And if the kids already have loads of games downloaded on their current Xbox, don’t worry, they won’t lose them. The Series S can play a catalogue of games throughout Xbox’s history, in better detail than ever.
Take a look the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S at Currys PC World.
