Xbox Series S/X vs. PlayStation 5 Round 2!

[CasualVelociraptor]

A couple months ago, I posted a poll putting up PlayStation 5 against the Xbox Series X & S. PlayStation won in a landslide, but that was before we knew the prices for either side. Now the prices and launch day games (listed below; note that these do not include patches to existing games like DOOM Eternal, Madden NFL 21, or Sea of Thieves) from Microsoft and Sony have been revealed, preorders started on the PS5 side a couple days ago and went disastrously, and preorders are rolling out for the Xboxes on Tuesday the 22nd!

So, which price is more palatable to you? Disc or digital? Are Sony’s $70 games worth it? (Note that Xbox is also offering the Series S with two years of Game Pass Ultimate for 25/month and the Series X for $35/month with Xbox All Access). Is Xbox Game Pass tempting you (which you don’t even need a console for if you have Android or PC)? Where are you preordering, if at all? Leave your comments down below and let the battle begin!

Xbox Series S/X Launch Day Games

(Note that all Series S/X console exclusives are also on Xbox One and PC)

• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla- $59.99
• Destiny 2 Beyond Light- $39.99 or Free w/ Game Pass
• DiRT 5- $59.99
• The Falconeer (Exclusive)- $39.99
• Fortnite- Free
• Gears Tactics (Exclusive)- $59.99 or Free w/ Game Pass
• Tetris Effect Connected (Exclusive)- Unknown or Free w/ Game Pass
• Yakuza Like a Dragon- $59.99

PlayStation 5 Launch Day Games

• Astro’s Playroom (PS5 Only)- Free
• Demon’s Souls Remake (PS5 Only)- $69.99
• Destruction All-Stars- $69.99
• Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition- $59.99
• Fortnite- Free
• Godfall (PS5/PC)- $59.99
• Just Dance 2021- $49.99
• Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales (PS4/PS5)- $49.99 Standard; $69.99 Ultimate w/ Spider-Man PS5 Remake
• Sackboy A Big Adventure (PS4/PS5)- $59.99

 

[Revelations]

For me, it's still the PS5. I have no intentions of buying it day one - and even if I did it seems it's sold out everywhere, but the Xbox holds little value to me considering that any major exclusives it gets are also coming out on PC - which I had a decent one. Many major PS console exclusives are likely coming to PC later, but there are likely going to be more PS5 exclusives that aren't, so in the eventuality that i get one, I'd prefer to get the one that has the most value to me.
$70 games are bullshit though.

 

[bodman54]

I'm conflicted. I'm going with PS5 but I don't know if I want the all digital version, which is cheaper, or the one with the disk drive.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

the Xbox holds little value to me considering that any major exclusives it gets are also coming out on PC - which I had a decent one.

I’m not gonna rag on anyone who chooses to go this route- Microsoft certainly isn’t- but it’ll cost $1500 to make a PC with the performance of the $500 Series X, especially if you want raytracing.

the all digital version, which is cheaper, or the one with the disk drive

It’s cheaper up front, but if you’re getting games day one, they’re going to start to cost more- $70 a pop for Sony exclusives that are only on PS5 as opposed to the PS4/PS5 games- and if you don’t like it, tough. You’re stuck with it. Sales are arbitrarily set by the publishers and Sony. And the only way to get a cheaper catalog of games (that you don’t own) is PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, which are subscriptions. This is Microsoft and Sony’s biggest move to try to kill used games.

Meanwhile, discs go on sale and decline in price based on their physical value, and you can trade Sony’s exclusives that are like, 6-12 hours long like Miles Morales for more money now that their price is higher. Plus you can rent and borrow games! And you won’t have to get a separate Ultra HD Blu-ray player. So, a bit more money upfront for more flexible options.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

What do people think now that Microsoft is buying Bethesda and bringing their games to Game Pass day one?

Microsoft acquires Bethesda Softworks in $7.5B deal

ZeniMax Media acquisition brings Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and more to Xbox

www.polygon.com

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

What if Microsoft makes the smash bros of first person shooters with master chief, gears squad, doom guy, joanna dark, conker, wolfenstein, fallout power armour, elder scrolls races with wands/magic? Get Blizzard, Activision, and EA in it to add mass effect characters, overwatch, call of duty etc.

That would be the most awesome thing to ever happen, but my guess is we’ll probably be getting some cameos in a Killer Instinct followup.

 

[Seranda]

Both consoles are solid. Casual seems to be an Xbox fan, but I think the PS5 is the way for me to go. Historically, JRPGS and weird weeb shit sees light in Playstation. Yes, the games are getting more expensive, but you'll see Microsoft will do the same exact thing when they see people still buying PS5 games. SSD hard drive is the better selling point to me, that is going to be mind melting for me. As for exclusives, I wouldn't care if every game was on every console every time. I do feel that xbox doesn't have much to offer and if you think them buying Bethesda is going to make those games "exclusive" you are mad. Fighting games also seem to get more love on PS especially the weeb ones which I love, so yeah, I'll look to buy a Series X when the inevitable better - shit I should have waited a year and a half - version comes out, depending on what games they have.

You also casually failed to mention the PS Plus Collection, which is going to include some... 18? 19? Of the BEST games of the PS4 era.

Also, Series S is a budget console that will undoubtedly make your games play and look inferior. It's what happened to Shadow of Mordor and Destiny, which looked great on XONE and PS4 but utter shit on PS3 and 360.

Tokyo Game Show starts (or started already) today, the next few days should hold some more info.

Go for the console which caters better to you. DO NOT HOLD LOYALTIES TO SONY OR MICROSOFT OR NINTENDO. It gets you nowhere and simply closes your mind.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

Xbox definitely has had a weakness in the RPG department of all varieties and they know it. Hence why Yakuza 7 is a launch game for the Series X, why they’re bringing more Japanese games to Game Pass like Dragon Quest XI S, classic Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, NieR Automata, and Yakuza. Not all those were my jam, but getting to try them out on Game Pass is more frictionless than paying $60-$70 each, and it’s clearly working in bringing more Japanese games to Xbox. And, Microsoft hopes, Japanese gamers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, even if they don’t buy hardware.

They’ve also built the RPG team at Playground for Fable, acquired inXile (who made an amazing RPG- Wasteland 3), Obsidian (Avowed), and of course Bethesda (who also owns Microsoft’s first Japanese studio in the form of Tango Gameworks). Fighting games (other than Street Fighter due to Sony’s deal) have actually been pretty well represented- Dragon Ball FighterZ, Injustice, Killer Instinct, Tekken 7, and my favorite was Mortal Kombat 11.

While I understand and would not be surprised if Bethesda remained multiplat, and existing arrangements will not be disrupted, I think there is a good chance that Bethesda games will be made console exclusive, simply because Bethesda’s biggest fanbase is on PC which won’t experience any changes, and their games are usually single player as opposed to Minecraft which was already on a ton of devices with lots of players. People who don’t care to buy new hardware (I mean, the Series S is right there for $299 but no worries) can subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and stream them.

Phil Spencer has said that games will come to other consoles on a case by case basis, and again existing multiplats like Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76 and timed PS5 exclusives like Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo will be honored when probably not a lot of people would have been upset if they’d just been made to be simultaneous launching multiplats. Timed AAA exclusives (as opposed to something like Kena Bridge of Spirits) are annoying no matter who does them. Anyway Microsoft didn’t throw $7.5 billion at Zenimax just to make PS5 games IMO. But Game Pass is still an advantage even if the games are multiplat and Microsoft starts charging $70 to own them, so we’ll see.

And the only way to get a cheaper catalog of games (that you don’t own) is PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, which are subscriptions.

That’s where I mentioned subscriptions like the PlayStation Plus Collection. I don’t think it or PlayStation Now is a true Game Pass competitor since Sony can’t afford to lose the amount of money it would take to get a big enough subscriber base by putting their exclusives into it day one, hardcore Sony fans probably already own a lot of these, and I wish it was on PS4 too. But it is a good option for people who want it and comes full circle back to when Sony created Instant Game Collection on PS3. Whenever I get the slim PS5 with a game bundle in a few years (and I don’t blame you for doing the same) as a good second player for a different room, I might just subscribe to finish off the older PS4 exclusive games I never got around to before selling my PS4. And maybe games like Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima will be in there as well.

Here’s to hoping Nintendo steps up their subscription’s classic game collection as well. GameCube games anyone?!

Lastly, Xbox Series S games will be exactly the same as Xbox Series X games where it counts such as performance, world design, and loading times. It will also suspend up to six games at once with Quick Resume and jump right back if it’s not say a multiplayer game- something that Sony hasn’t said they can do yet. Just at 1440p instead of 4K.

But whatever the pros and cons of each platform, I wish you luck in securing a PS5! I just got my Xbox Series X preorder placed in person at GameStop. I was seventh in line out of twenty, and had to get there at 9:30 AM EST and wait for an hour and a half, but it was worth it to chat with a bunch of equally excited folks. They only had seven X’s and two S’s allocated (compared to twenty-five PS5s), and I got the last X!

 

[Seranda]

I have no problems securing a PS5 because I am not going to secure a PS5. My PS4 backlog is fatter than ever and I am not waiting in any lines with Coronavirus. There will be plenty after the initial rush, and I'm likely looking for it for Christmas. There is zero reason to go nuts for this right now.

I am VERY interested to see a side by side of Series S and X on a next gen game. I don't think the differences will be slight.

 

[SuperSaiyanMusashi]

My intention is to get a Disc capable PS5 once it's available as a Dave & Busters prize, which is what my original PS4, Slim PS4, and Switch all were.

 

[Seranda]

My intention is to get a Disc capable PS5 once it's available as a Dave & Busters prize, which is what my original PS4, Slim PS4, and Switch all were.

Wouldn't that end up costing a lot more than the actual console should?

 

[SuperSaiyanMusashi]

Wouldn't that end up costing a lot more than the actual console should?

Bit of a Yes and No.

I've spent a ton at Dave & Busters over the recent years other than 2020 since in general I like the games. My 8th gen systems were 100,000 tickets each, and I'm currently sitting on 174,000, so when they find their ways to the prize shelves, I'll have more than enough already.

I actually saved $50 on my first PS4 by doing so, but they got wise to my method and lowered the ticket values on my favorite game

 

[Seranda]

Bit of a Yes and No.

I've spent a ton at Dave & Busters over the recent years other than 2020 since in general I like the games. My 8th gen systems were 100,000 tickets each, and I'm currently sitting on 174,000, so when they find their ways to the prize shelves, I'll have more than enough already.

I actually saved $50 on my first PS4 by doing so, but they got wise to my method and lowered the ticket values on my favorite game

Props to you on that. I just put it on my husband's... uh nevermind.

 

[MellowYellow]

I guess I'm mostly leaning toward Xbox. One with a disc drive since I like to have physical media when I can help it.

I'm in no hurry to get it at launch, since a console at launch is a brick that gets mostly really crap launch titles, but if there's a Cyberpunk model that'd probably be what I go for. My workplace offers Amazon gift cards, which is one of the few perks of that hellzone, so I could save a healthy amount if it comes to it.

 

[SuperSaiyanMusashi]

One with a disc drive since I like to have physical media when I can help it.

That's one of the reasons I'm going with a PS5. I think Microsoft has a minimum required print run for discs while Sony doesn't, thus, you have companies like Limited Run Games, Nicalis, and Physicality that produce discs for PS4 and Switch games that would otherwise be download only. I have a bunch of games in my PS4 collection that exist on X1 but are physically exclusive to PS4.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

That's one of the reasons I'm going with a PS5. I think Microsoft has a minimum required print run for discs while Sony doesn't, thus, you have companies like Limited Run Games, Nicalis, and Physicality that produce discs for PS4 and Switch games that would otherwise be download only. I have a bunch of games in my PS4 collection that exist on X1 but are physically exclusive to PS4.

Yeah, that’s a baffling limitation for an otherwise very indie-friendly company.

Also, I found this and thought you might all like it.


View: https://youtu.be/FeXQm2OMHg0

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

Bit of a Yes and No.

I've spent a ton at Dave & Busters over the recent years other than 2020 since in general I like the games. My 8th gen systems were 100,000 tickets each, and I'm currently sitting on 174,000, so when they find their ways to the prize shelves, I'll have more than enough already.

I actually saved $50 on my first PS4 by doing so, but they got wise to my method and lowered the ticket values on my favorite game

And I thought the 788 tickets I had was a lot!

 

[Seranda]

I'm slowly crawling over to Xbox. Maybe. Still won't buy at launch, so I am in no dire rush for it. Guess I'll buy the fridge. Don't know yet.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

I'm slowly crawling over to Xbox. Maybe. Still won't buy at launch, so I am in no dire rush for it. Guess I'll buy the fridge. Don't know yet.

What’s factoring into that?

Also, did you see the Tokyo Game Show where they confirmed Bright Memory v1.0, RPG Time The Legend of Wright, R-Type Final 2, Samurai Spirits (Shodown in the US), and Tetris Effect Connected as Xbox Series X launch games?

 

[Seranda]

What’s factoring into that?

Also, did you see the Tokyo Game Show where they confirmed Bright Memory v1.0, RPG Time The Legend of Wright, R-Type Final 2, Samurai Spirits (Shodown in the US), and Tetris Effect Connected as Xbox Series X launch games?

I was watching TGS. It wasn't anything spectacular today, but GamePass is really just too good a service to refuse. Undoubtedly, they will raise the premium on it soon, but even at that. The higher priced PS5 games is concerning, and I just learned that Spider-Man will not get a "Smart Delivery" option.

I think Sony should be proud of their products, but when it comes to purchasing power, they cannot content with Microsoft. I think this big Bethesda purchase may level the playing field and possibly end the exclusivity issues.

I know I will get both eventually, I'm still on the fence. GamePass is just the best value there is in gaming.

 

[CasualVelociraptor]

One way to counter any rise in Game Pass’s price (for now) is by buying a couple years of Gold and then upgrading for $1. Two years of Gold are currently on sale in places for $94 which is way cheaper than $120/year for Game Pass regular even. Another way is by searching on Bing or as points back from purchases on the Microsoft Store. When you earn enough points you can redeem them for a month of Game Pass Ultimate.

Xbox Series X games probably will increase in price as well, but with a few exceptions such as Call of Duty and NBA, Smart Delivery is keeping prices low across the board- most likely until Xbox One/PS4 support is dropped in 2-3 years. So far Sony’s messaging around compatibility has been super confusing, and I think the only games they’re announcing as getting any kind of cross-gen or PS5 enhancements are Miles Morales, Sackboy and Horizon.

Meanwhile, this (among other unforced errors) has given an opening for Microsoft to basically say, “This is how you upgrade games on Series X.” Which is a nice throwback to “This is how you share games on PS4.”


View: https://www.reddit.com/r/XboxSeriesX/comments/iyv81i/xbox_uk_throwing_shade/