Xbox Series X Wins Over PlayStation 5 In Most Performance Comparisons

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Avinash Jaisrani

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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Microsoft and Sony have been rivals for over two decades at this point. With the release of the Xbox One, Microsoft saw heavy criticisms for its weaker hardware. While neither console was extremely impressive, the PlayStation 4 regularly outperformed Microsoft’s console.

However, Microsoft clearly improved the hardware aspect with the Xbox One X. Microsoft’s mid-generation refresh was consistently better than the PlayStation 4 Pro, and Microsoft has attempted to stay ahead of the competition since then. In 2020, Microsoft proudly declared that the Xbox Series X was the most powerful console in the world, with an advantage of 16.7% over PlayStation 5 in GPU.

This was true on paper. Microsoft did manage to create a superior console compared to Sony’s PlayStation 5, but fans of both platforms have continued to argue since then. It seems like Digital Foundry is looking to put the discussion to rest. The group is famous for its technical analysis videos on various games across all platforms. 

John Linnenman from Digital Foundry has recently looked back at his work on comparison videos over the last 28 months. He has worked on 15 platform comparison videos and compiled a list of his findings;

More info – here's what I've done back to the start of the pandemic in early 2020. So over the past 28 months or so, I've done 15 platform comparisons. For console warriors, Xbox took the top spot 8 times, 5 were a draw or broken everywhere and 2 went to PS5. pic.twitter.com/Pe6XWNhYSR

— John Linneman @dark1x.bsky.social (@dark1x) June 30, 2022

As the tweet shows, John has found that the Xbox Series X is leading the PlayStation 5 this generation. Out of the 15 comparisons, Xbox Series X managed to come out on top 8 times compared to 2 victories for the PlayStation 5. Surprisingly, 5 of the results ended up being a tie.

While this is expected, it is undoubtedly great news for Microsoft. It seems like the brand’s focus on powerful hardware has paid off, and the engineers at Microsoft have done a phenomenal job. 

However, this does not mean that Sony’s console is entirely incapable. The PlayStation 5 is a powerful console in its own right, despite lagging behind the Xbox Series X. One could even say that the five even results are impressive for the PlayStation 5’s weaker hardware.

Both consoles have merits, and fans should be satisfied with either option. Xbox has the better hardware with the addition of insane value with Game Pass. In contrast, Sony has an unrivaled line-up of first-party titles, making turn the PlayStation 5 a compelling choice.

Furthermore, one could say that developers have only managed to utilize a small percentage of these new consoles. However, this will soon change as developers leave the last generation consoles behind. Perhaps the gap between the two consoles will grow even more once this happens, but only time will tell.

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Avinash Jaisrani

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

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