Between the regular PlayStation 5,PS5 Pro , Xbox Series X , and Xbox Series S , buying a current - gen console is not as simple as it once was . However , you do take to make the ripe choice if you require to play thebest PS5 gamesorbest Xbox Seriesgames , which is the most authoritative broker in a gaming machine . Sure , many games are nowcross - platform , but not all of them . We compared thePS5 to the Xbox Series Xalready , but what about the S ? Let ’s pit Sony ’s console against the smaller Xbox and see which one is worth it for you .

PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S: specs

Right off the bat , we ask to point out that the PS5 and Xbox Series S are aimed toward slightly different audiences , and their specs do differ a considerable amount . The PS5 is aimed toward a “ premium ” audience looking for high - end visuals and performance , while the Series S is presented as more of an low-priced option to get as many players on board as possible . You ’ll mark the PS5 is a more potent system in many ways than the Series S , but that does n’t necessarily mean deciding between the two is easygoing . When it comes to specs , both bid usage SSDs ( solid - state drives ) , mean games and apps will charge fabulously fast . This is a immense upgrade from the current generation ’s HDDs ( hard disk drive ) , which are embark on to show their age as game become much expectant in cathode-ray oscilloscope .

The main difference between the two on the surface is that the Series S lacks a disc drive , while the standard PS5 will go for 4 K UHD Blu - Ray disc . This could be a major factor for some , specially those with less reliable internet connection . The standard PS5 will be more than the Xbox Series S , and a humiliated price point could prove to be the most enticing factor when choosing one over the other .

Another main difference of opinion in specs is attribute to the PS5 ’s 10.3 TFLOPS , 36 atomic number 29 , and 16 GB GDDR6 remembering — compared to the Xbox Series S ’s 4 TFLOPS , 20 CUs , and 10 GB GDDR6 store . We ’ll get into the particular of what that stand for subsequently on , but the detail is that you ’re produce a less powerful , but more low-priced machine if you grease one’s palms a Series S. Microsoft has also noted that the Series S is the “ smallest Xbox ever , ” and while we do n’t know the exact dimensions of it , you may guarantee it will be more compact than the PS5 . This , again , might make a difference reckon on the space you have at your disposal .

Here ’s what to expect from each organization , in full term of specs .

PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S: graphics

But what about visuals ? This is yet another possible major factor for some when choosing between the two . Despite the noticeable difference in spectacles , either one will declare oneself beautiful visuals — it just comes down to what you ’re looking for in a console . But let ’s compare each system’steraflops ( TFLOPS ) , as it ’s a great home to depart when evaluating the ocular faithfulness of the machines . You ’ve probably fancy or pick up this full term pop up lately as a buzzword throughout the marketing of each system . A TFLOP is a mensuration of a computing machine or console ’s performance , and it come to to the ability of a machine to calculate one trillion floating - point operations per sec .

When comparing the two ,   the PS5 features 10.3 TFLOPS , over double that of the Series S ’s 4 TFLOPS .   This mean the PS5 can depend 10.3 trillion floating - pointedness operations per second , compared to the Series S ’s 4 trillion . This is part why the PS5 will be able to output at a high resolution than the Series S. In fact , the Series S has fewer TFLOPS than that of thePS4 professional , which sit at around 4.2 . Still , the Series S is way more powerful than its predecessor , the Xbox One — and intends for it to offer 1440p resolution at up to 120 frames per secondly , without the need for a 4 cat valium display .

The PS5 will feature 36 Cu and a GPU relative frequency cap at 2.23GHz — compare to Xbox Series S ’s 20 atomic number 29 and 1.565GHz . In core , these figures determine a car ’s clock speed , or the rate at which the system can perform internal operations . The PS5 will take into account for a varying clock hurrying , based on what is call for of the GPU . As for the Series S , it will give birth four time the processing power of the Xbox One , pee it a desirable selection for a next - generation political machine , especially at that price .

All in all , despite one being more powerful than the other , you might not “ want ” a system with 10.3 TFLOPS . Even with the less herculean Xbox Series S , it ’s still a animate being compare to what we have now , and it ’s able to return faster warhead times and higher ( and more steady ) frame rate , all thanks to the Xbox Velocity Architecture .

PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S: resolution

In terms of resolution , you ’ll notice a difference between the two machines — peculiarly in that the PS5 underpin 4 K output at 120Hz , and is said to be futurity - proofed with 8 KB support as well . Since 8 special K wo n’t be the standard for several more years , that might not be a immense factor for you right now , but it is forward - intellection that Sony is opting to future - proofread its machine with 8 K support . The Xbox Series S , on the other helping hand , deliver great visuals at 1440p resolving power and up to 120 frame per second , and can also scale your game up to 4 green if you have a display that supports it . This mean you could still get beautiful - face plot without the need for a 4 thousand screen , though if you have one , games will expect even better .

Both machines seem to offer support of “ up to 120 skeleton per minute , ” though you ’ll need a presentation that can render these fast frame rate . With each system , you ’ll have a much ripe visual experience with less covert tearing if you ’ve got a monitor that features 120Hz refresh rates — which the Xbox Series S and PS5 will support .

In yet another endeavor to future - trial impression , both will feature anHDMI 2.1 port , and despite this not being the touchstone quite yet , the systems will be quick to go once HDMI 2.1 becomes more ubiquitous . HDMI 2.1 will provide for much dispirited rotational latency , improved bod rates , and eventually , 8 KB support — just do n’t bear to love resolution that high with the Series S.

Again , if high settlement is important to you , the PS5 should be your first alternative in this heed , as the Series S is capped at 1440p ( with scalable 4 K ) .

PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S: storage

Yet another important factor with each system is the amount of onboard memory board they ’ll come with , and the two differ in this regard . The Xbox Series S comes with a 512 GB NVME SSD , while the PS5 will establish with an 825 GB SSD . This might seem like a tremendously gloomy amount on both front , and while it technically is , the power of the SSD will in all probability make up for it . With the PS5 , its customs SSD have a raw read bandwidth of around 5.5 GB per second , meaning it will be able to operate more efficiently than a stock SSD off the shelf . In other words , it will run more efficiently and it will allow for the decompression of Indian file sizes , due to theOodle Kraken algorithm from RAD Game Tools .

This decompression of Indian file size is key and will free up space and depress the amount of grain soda pop - in — allowing file to be read in milliseconds . This means that despite the seemingly low hard - ride size of the PS5 , the files for biz themselves should , in hypothesis , be diminished , and you ’ll get more gas mileage out of the SSD overall . This will , of course , be up to the developer , but we ’ve stick our finger interbreed that the days of 150GB+ install sizes will be over .

The PS5 play most PS4 games . Takashi Mochizuki of Bloomberg uploaded a television of the PS5 running the PS4 version ofMarvel ’s Spider - Man , liken to the same game running on a PS4 Pro . The result was astounding , as the game was capable to charge on PS5 in less than a second , compared to eight minute on a PS4 Pro . Now , have a bun in the oven in mind , this is a less technically demanding secret plan than something you might see on PS5 natively , but it ’s still a great elbow room to measure the SSD ’s speed . Check out the footage below :

Sony's official video comparing performance of PS4 Pro vs next - gen PlayStationpic.twitter.com/2eUROxKFLq

& mdash ; Takashi Mochizuki ( @6d6f636869)May 21 , 2019

As for the Xbox Series S , it , too , will feature an SSD , though it is dissimilar than the one admit with PS5 . We do sleep with the Series S ’s hard driving will feature a read upper of 2.4 GB per second , which is less than one-half of that of the PS5 . Even at 2.4 GB per endorsement , this is still a massive leap compared to what we have with the current contemporaries in which the Xbox One X only read at 120 MB per secondly .

And if you ’re worried about storage space on your auto , both the PS5 and the Xbox Series S allow for external store upgrades .

While we know how fast both SSDs will be free-base on plain identification number , it ’s not exactly clean-cut how they will execute in practice , as it will at long last depend on what you ’re trying to run . As the technology improves , the size of it and scope of games likely will , too , so everything seems to be scale upward . At the end of the day , the PS5 will come with a big heavy drive than the Xbox Series S , so keep that in mind when making your determination to purchase .

PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S price

Price is probable the most of import factor for consumer looking to buy a next - propagation machine . In fact , many potential purchaser will not equate glasses at all , and will buy whichever system is less expensive . For this understanding , Microsoft has prioritized low cost with the Xbox Series S , making it light for consumers to jump into the next generation of games . The Series S is less potent than the PS5 , yes , but it will only cost $ 300 . This is a monolithic win for Microsoft , especially compared to the cost of both PS5s , which are more expensive than the Series S — but remember , you certainly get what you pay for .

Microsoft is offer the Series S as part of its All Access program , allowing you to pay a monthly amount to arrive at immediate access to the system and Game Pass Ultimate with no upfront cost — just like buy a young smartphone . With the Xbox Series S , specifically , it will cost you $ 25 ( 35 for the Xbox Series X ) each calendar month , and you ’ll receive your console right away , along with two years of Game Pass Ultimate . This , again , is just a will to Microsoft ’s consumer - friendly attack .

When it get along to the PS5 , the Digital Edition will be $ 450 and the Standard Edition will be $ 500 , which is on equivalence with what many were predicting . In terms of the power of the organization , you could get the best looking next - gen experiences for the least amount of money by catch the Digital Edition PS5 . But many consumer might not take this into circumstance and opt to go with the Series S , despite it being inferior from a technical point of view .

PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S: games

Aside from price , the other major agent that will sway consumers is the games available on each auto . Both will feature many of the same third - party titles likeCyberpunk 2077,Fortnite , andBaldur ’s Gate 3 .

When it comes to a first - party lineup of biz , Sony has the border . Microsoft has drop recent years acquiring more studios and focusing more on exclusive secret plan , but it has moved away from making its game undivided . There are too many excluives to name , but check out our tilt of thebest PS5 exclusivesandXbox exclusivesfor the highlighting .

It ’s also worth touching upon the notion of feebleminded compatibility — which both systems will admit , though each chopine wield differently . The Xbox Series S and Series X handle half-witted compatibility the same way as Xbox One . It all works through software package , instead of “ dependable ” feebleminded compatibility in the traditional sense . The solution Microsoft has come up with is consumer friendly , cost efficient , and works with a huge library of plot from the original Xbox to current titles .

The PS5 is almost universally feebleminded compatible with PS4 game and has a grow library of PS1 , PSP , PS2 , and PS3 game usable via its PlayStation Plus subscription avail . you may not , however , use any discs from generation prior to PS4 on the console .

We do know a large selection of current - propagation games will feature upgrades to the next - generation versions within the same family — some liberal and others that will cost a small fee . For representative , games likeThe Witcher III , cyber-terrorist 2077 , Grand Theft Auto V , Rainbow Six Siege , andControlwill all be upgradable , and the list continues to spring up as we get close to this holiday time of year . Do keep in judgment that the Series S version of these games will be portray at a lower resolve than the Series X counterparts — as well as the PS5 versions .

PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series S: controllers

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series S system will do packaged with a control , so get ’s get into the difference of each . The Series S will feature the same accountant that comes with the Series X , but it will be Robot White instead of black . This controller mirror the Xbox One controller , but comes with some young enhancements for the upcoming genesis . Microsoft shoot a line “ improved biotechnology , ” a new hybrid D - pad , better grip on the triggers , and the new plowshare button . It wo n’t be much of a divergence from the already rattling Xbox One controller , but will come packed with some fresh toll and whistle that make it good .

ThePS5 ’s fresh accountant , DualSense , is an even larger departure from its predecessor for many reasons . plainly , shed the DualShock sobriquet is a major difference , but the controller itself is a fresh take as well . It features adaptive triggers that offer varying degrees of resistance based on how hard you draw them . The DualSense also feature tactile feedback , and supplant its percentage button with a new Create button rather . This new button will likely be partner off with heighten software that focuses not just on sharing , but edit and creating videos and images .

The biggest change comes with the DualSense ’s appearance — dropping the solid coloring ascertain with most PS4 DualShocks . What you get is a mixture of black , bloodless , and blue , mirroring the PS5 system of rules itself . Both are now available in a blanket range of colouring , plus in the Elite fashion model for Xbox andDualSense Edgefor PlayStation .