PS5 and Xbox Series X | S - Who won the first month of next gen?
Sales
If we consider the overall sales, ie their volume, it is likely that PS5 has fared better than the new Xboxes in this first slice of next-gen. If instead we consider that both have sold out everywhere and continue to do so every time they are put back on sale, the inevitable conclusion can only be a certain caution in the rough evaluations. After all, the comparison between console sales has never been as uncertain as that between PS5 and Xbox Series X / S, given that the objectives of Microsoft and Sony seem to be very different from each other: one sells a privileged access door to its ecosystem, the other a console that only theoretically winks at a more traditionalist audience. One mainly sells its services with the hardware around, while the other is anchored to the historical concept of video game, which is its main course (which is why it finds a lot of sympathy among core players).If we talk about the enthusiasm of the public, however, PS5 is undoubtedly ahead of Xbox Series X and S. The reason is to be found precisely in the different way of selling the two hardware, therefore in the ability to generate expectation: from on the one hand there is total continuity, which rationally is the best choice, but which is not as exciting as the prospect of a new break with the past like the one proposed by the other side. From this point of view, Sony was better than Microsoft at selling the concept of "new generation", although it subsequently attracted a lot of criticism for having revealed that the original plan had always been to continue supporting PS4 for years, just like the competitor. will continue to support Xbox One.
Games - Exclusives
From the point of view of exclusive games PS5 wins by the table, as the opponent has not really entered the field. The software of Sony's console launch exclusives, apart from perhaps Demon's Souls, is far from essential, but at least it exists. Microsoft, on the other hand, having lost Halo Infinite, has relied on some prestigious indies, but without having anything that makes the potential of Xbox Series X even distantly glimpse. Of course, backwards compatibility is excellent, better than that of PS5 and functions like the Quick Resume are phenomenal, as is having an almost open system that is also great for emulation. The fact remains that the lack of at least one flagship game was very much felt, something that gave the next-gen concept a complete shape. Instead we are still here waiting, confident in the growth of Xbox Game Studios and in the games they are developing.Games - Multiplatform
Looking at multiplatforms, however, the situation is calm. . Some will say that it won PS5 for the initial performance of some games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, others will say that it won Xbox Series X thanks to the patches that have put it ahead in many cases and for titles like Cyberpunk 2077, which run better than on competition. In truth, we can speak of a substantial equivalence of the offer, net of minor problems and advantages, with both consoles that allow you to play the biggest triple As released in recent months, more frames, fewer frames, but that they certainly do not revolutionize them compared to the older generation console versions.System
Here Xbox Series X is definitely ahead. PS5 arrived on the market missing some very important functions such as the expandability of the storage space. The system itself proved generally less stable, with Sony having to run for cover with several hotfixes. This is a very relative point, in the sense that similar problems with time inevitably end up reabsorbed and almost disappear, but there is no doubt that the first days of PS5 were more problematic than those of the new Xbox, with reports of failures, even different. among them, who have held the bench on social networks and beyond.Microsoft has arrived on the market with a better, more solid and feature-rich system, thanks to the search for total continuity we were talking about above. Some may say that this has not felt the detachment from the old generation, and in part it is true, but at least there is everything that was promised and some advanced functions are available, such as the aforementioned Quick Resume, which express the potential of the new hardware is better and that bodes well for the future.
Future perspectives
After the initial euphoria and, apart from the daily reports on the unavailability of the various consoles, There is currently no big movement or debate around PS5 and Xbox Series X / S. It's the period itself (Christmas) that suggests caution and less communication from hardware manufacturers, so that's normal. The only flicker there was during The Game Awards 2020, where there were announcements for both platforms. Maintaining was mainly Perfect Dark for Xbox consoles, but Microsoft Flight Simulator and Ark 2 also talked about them, again for the Microsoft ecosystem. Sony was instead more discreet, running some indies, albeit interesting, but nothing more. However, from the launch of the consoles to today, very little has changed in terms of perception, which we can summarize in: Xbox offers excellent services, but still has a lot to prove in terms of first party games, while PS5 can be bought regardless of everything. , probably more due to the fact that it is the heir of the PS4, than for the games actually available so far.2021 will be a crucial year for both Xbox Series X / S and PS5, because it will be the one that, after the euphoria of the news, will have to demonstrate that the offer of the two consoles is really solid. Xbox needs games and will have to make the most of the launch of Halo Infinite, which is its trump card, while Sony must be able to keep its promises and smoothly launch the various Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Horizon Forbidden West , God of War 2 and Gran Turismo 7, and at the same time not be found unguarded for the following years.
Paradoxically, although Xbox has more first party studios than PlayStation, it risks finding itself in greater oxygen debt due to the agreements made by the software houses before the various acquisitions in recent years. Incidentally, Bethesda will launch two exclusive thunderstorms, but on PS5, while the fate of Starfield and other games, such as those of MachineGames, of which nothing is known for now, is not yet clear. They should all be converted into Xbox exclusives, but there are so many factors to consider, first of all the progress of development for the various platforms. However we are really in the field of mere speculation, so for now it is better to suspend all judgment and agree that the experience of next-gen consoles is still very partial and all a promise, as it was legitimate to expect even before the launch of the consoles. same.
