Skip to main content
technology

PS5 vs Xbox Series X

The PS5 has faster SSD speeds and superior exclusive games (Spider-Man, God of War). The Xbox Series X offers better backwards compatibility, Game Pass subscription value, and slightly more raw GPU power (12 vs 10.28 TFLOPS).

PlayStation 5

PlayStation 5

Sony's flagship console, superior exclusives

Exclusive game lovers

Score57%
VS
Xbox Series X

Xbox Series X

Microsoft's flagship 4K gaming console released in 2020

Value-conscious gamers and Game Pass

Score67%

Quick Answer

AI Summary

The PS5 has faster SSD speeds and superior exclusive games (Spider-Man, God of War). The Xbox Series X offers better backwards compatibility, Game Pass subscription value, and slightly more raw GPU power (12 vs 10.28 TFLOPS).

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

PS5 for exclusive games. Xbox for Game Pass value and backwards compatibility. Both are excellent next-gen consoles.

Community feedback

Was this verdict helpful?

PlayStation 5
7.5/10
vs
Xbox Series X
7.5/10

TIE — neck and neck

PlayStation 5

Choose PlayStation 5 if

Exclusive game lovers

Xbox Series X

Choose Xbox Series X if

Value-conscious gamers and Game Pass

Track this comparison

Get notified when prices change, new specs ship, or our verdict updates.

Triggers: price change new spec verdict update

No spam. Stop anytime.

Key Differences at a Glance

  • GPU Power:Xbox Series X wins(12 TFLOPS vs 10.28 TFLOPS)
  • SSD Speed:PlayStation 5 wins(5.5 GB/s vs 2.4 GB/s)
  • Exclusive Games:PlayStation 5 wins(Superior vs Growing)
See all 4 differences

Key Facts & Figures

140 numeric metrics compared

MetricPlayStation 5Xbox Series XRatio
GPU Performance(TFLOPS)10.2812 TFLOPS
-14%
SSD Speed(GB/s)5.52.4
+129%
Price(USD)$499$499
GPU Compute Performance(TFLOPs)12 TFLOPs12 TFLOPs
System Memory(GB)10GB GDDR610GB GDDR6
Release Year20202020
SSD Read Speed(GB/s)2.4 GB/s2.4 GB/s
Market Share (January 2026)(percent)27.5%27.5%
Game Pass Ultimate Monthly Cost(USD/month)$17.99/month$17.99/month
Available SKUs(count)2 (Standard & All-Digital)2 (Standard & All-Digital)
Year-over-Year Market Share Change(percentage points)-2.9%-2.9%
Backward Compatibility Rate(%)~98% Xbox One compatible~98% Xbox One compatible
Annual Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)(USD)$180/year (Game Pass Ultimate)$180/year (Game Pass Ultimate)
Exclusive AAA Titles (2024-2026)(count)10+ major exclusives10+ major exclusives
Standard Console Launch Price (MSRP 2026)(USD)$499 (Xbox Series X)$499 (Xbox Series X)
RAM Memory(MB)16GB16GB
Game Pass Subscription Games(titles)500+ games included500+ games included
Global Sales (2026)(millions)25 million units25 million units
RAM (Total)(GB)16 GB (10 GDDR6 + 6 DDR5)16 GB (10 GDDR6 + 6 DDR5)
Target Frame Rate (AAA Games)(FPS)60 FPS at 4K60 FPS at 4K
Console Launch Year(year)20202020
Global Units Sold (64 months)(millions)34.43 million34.43 million
Market Share Percentage(%)27.4%27.4%
Maximum Native 4K Gaming FPS(fps)120 fps120 fps
Backward Compatible Games(estimated titles)600+ compatible titles600+ compatible titles
Storage Expansion Cost(USD per 1TB)$220$220
Game Pass Monthly Cost(USD)$11.99/month$11.99/month
RAM Capacity(GB)16GB (10GB GPU + 6GB standard)16GB (10GB GPU + 6GB standard)
Digital Edition Price(USD)$599.99$599.99
Shading Units(count)3328 shading units3328 shading units
Memory Interface(bit)320-bit interface320-bit interface
Standard 4K Gaming Target(fps)4K / 60fps4K / 60fps
Game Pass Titles(count)3500+ titles3500+ titles
GPU Rendering Improvement(percent faster)Baseline (100%)Baseline (100%)
GPU Power(TFLOPS)16.7 TFLOPS16.7 TFLOPS
Native 4K Performance Target(FPS)60 FPS standard, up to 120 FPS60 FPS standard, up to 120 FPS
SSD Storage Speed(GB/s)2.4 GB/s2.4 GB/s
2026 Exclusive Titles Available(games)8 major exclusives8 major exclusives
Market Share 2026(%)27.5%27.5%
Game Pass Value (Monthly Cost)(USD)$10.99/month (Game Pass Core)$10.99/month (Game Pass Core)
Digital Console Price (USD)(USD)$599.99$599.99
SSD Transfer Speed(GB/s)560 GB/s560 GB/s
Game Pass/Plus Library Size(titles)500+ titles (Game Pass Ultimate)500+ titles (Game Pass Ultimate)
Year-over-Year Sales Growth(%)-2.9%-2.9%
GPU Performance Advantage(percent)16.7% more powerful16.7% more powerful
CPU Performance Advantage(%)10% faster10% faster
Launch Price (2026 MSRP)(USD)$499$499
Years of Optimization(years)Current generation (4 years optimized)Current generation (4 years optimized)
Base Model Price (USD)(USD)$499$499
Digital Edition Price (USD)(USD)$599.99$599.99
Digital Edition Price (GBP)(GBP)£449.99£449.99
Built-in SSD Storage(GB)1000GB1000GB
Game Pass Titles at Launch(games)300+300+
Major Exclusive Titles (2024-2026)(titles)3 major exclusives3 major exclusives
Launch MSRP (2026)(USD)$499$499
Exclusive Game Optimization Maturity(years)Current generation optimizationCurrent generation optimization
Standard Edition Price (USD, 2026)(USD)$649.99$649.99
Global Market Share(percent)27.5%27.5%
GPU Performance(teraflops)12.1512.15
Storage Capacity(GB)10001000
Standard Price (USD)($)649.99649.99
Standard Price (GBP)(£)499.99499.99
GPU Compute Units(units)5252
Exclusive Franchises (as of 2026)(count)10+10+
SSD Speed (Raw)(GB/s)2.4 GB/s2.4 GB/s
Backwards Compatible Games(titles)500+ games500+ games
Game Pass Day-1 Titles (Annual)(games)100+ annually100+ annually
Native 4K Maximum Frame Rate(fps)60 fps (targeted)60 fps (targeted)
Launch Price(USD)$499$499
Exclusive Major Games (2026)(titles)8 major titles8 major titles
Game Pass / Service Library(games)400+ (Game Pass)400+ (Game Pass)
Market Share(percent)38%38%
GPU Compute Units(CUs)52 CUs equivalent (12 TFLOPS)52 CUs equivalent (12 TFLOPS)
Memory Bandwidth Performance(% improvement)10x faster SSD (vs PS4)10x faster SSD (vs PS4)
Native 4K Performance(FPS)4K/60FPS confirmed (Replaced)4K/60FPS confirmed (Replaced)
Backward Compatibility Generations(generations)4 generations (Xbox to Series X)4 generations (Xbox to Series X)
Launch Year(year)20202020
Standard Storage(GB)1000GB usable1000GB usable
Max 4K Gaming(fps)120fps native120fps native
Base Console Price (2026)(USD)$599.99$599.99
Storage Read Speed(GB/s)2,560 MB/s2,560 MB/s
Standard Storage Capacity(GB)1,000 GB1,000 GB
Base Model MSRP (2026)(USD)$499$499
Maximum Native 4K Resolution(fps)120 fps120 fps
Exclusive Games Available (2026)(titles)25+ exclusives25+ exclusives
Game Pass Included Games(titles)500+ (Xbox Game Pass)500+ (Xbox Game Pass)
Refresh Rate Capability(Hz)120 Hz120 Hz
Weight(kg)9.4 lbs9.4 lbs
Available Game Library(titles)450+ Game Pass + digital store450+ Game Pass + digital store
Internal SSD Storage(GB)1000 GB1000 GB
Launch Price (2020)(USD)$499$499
CPU Cores(cores)8 cores @ 3.8 GHz8 cores @ 3.8 GHz
RAM(GB)16 GB GDDR616 GB GDDR6
Launch Price (2026 USD)(USD)$499 (standard)$499 (standard)
Available Game Titles(games)500+ Game Pass day-one exclusives500+ Game Pass day-one exclusives
Memory Bandwidth(GB/s)448 GB/s448 GB/s
Backward Compatibility Coverage(percentage)85% (3+ generations of titles)85% (3+ generations of titles)
Exclusive AAA Game Titles(count)~50 major exclusives~50 major exclusives
Base System Price(USD)$500$500
4K Gaming Performance(FPS)60 FPS (native optimized)60 FPS (native optimized)
Game Library Size(titles)200+ exclusive200+ exclusive
Setup Time(minutes)10 minutes10 minutes
Maximum Refresh Rate(Hz)120 Hz120 Hz
Annual Online Subscription Cost(USD)$180/year (Game Pass Ultimate)$180/year (Game Pass Ultimate)
Weight (Console Only)(grams)4,250g (requires desk/TV mount)4,250g (requires desk/TV mount)
Exclusive Game Titles(count)150+ exclusives150+ exclusives
CPU Speed(GHz)3.8 GHz (7-core Zen 2)3.8 GHz (7-core Zen 2)
Launch Price (MSRP)(USD)$499$499
Game Pass/Subscription Library Size(games)700+ titles in Game Pass700+ titles in Game Pass
Backward Compatibility Titles(games)500+ Xbox/360 games500+ Xbox/360 games
GPU Processing Power(TFLOPS)12 TFLOPS12 TFLOPS
Maximum Refresh Rate (Supported)(fps)120 fps120 fps
Lifetime Unit Sales (as of 2026)(millions)25+ million25+ million
MSRP at Launch (2020)(USD)$499$499
CPU Core Count(cores)8 cores (custom x86)8 cores (custom x86)
Storage Capacity(GB)1000 GB1000 GB
Current Retail Price(USD)$499$499
Available Exclusive Titles (Current)(Games)500+500+
Game Pass Subscription Size(Titles)400+400+
Active User Base(millions)28+ Million28+ Million
GPU Performance(TFLOPS)12 TFLOPS12 TFLOPS
Storage(TB)1 TB NVMe SSD (proprietary expansion)1 TB NVMe SSD (proprietary expansion)
Price (USD)(USD)$499 (with disc drive)$499 (with disc drive)
Game Pass Titles (2026)(games)400+400+
Exclusive AAA Releases (2025-2026)(titles)8+8+
Native 4K/120fps Capable Games(titles)35+35+
Load Times (Average)(seconds)1.2-1.8s1.2-1.8s
4K Gaming Performance (AAA Titles)(fps)4K/60fps typical4K/60fps typical
Ray Tracing Performance(% improvement)Standard ray tracingStandard ray tracing
Available Exclusive AAA Titles (2025)(count)4 major exclusives4 major exclusives
CPU Clock Speed(GHz)3.8 GHz3.8 GHz
Internal Storage(GB)1,000 GB1,000 GB
Game Pass Library Size(Games)500+ games500+ games
Ray Tracing Performance Boost(x times faster)Standard implementationStandard implementation
Exclusive Franchises(Number)30+ exclusive franchises30+ exclusive franchises
Quick Resume Suspended Games(Concurrent games)10+ simultaneous10+ simultaneous
Available Games Library(titles)800+800+
Game Pass Subscribers(millions)28 million28 million
Power Consumption(watts)152 W (typical)152 W (typical)
Years Since Launch(years)6 years (2020)6 years (2020)

Sourced from publicly available data · Jul 2026

Key Differences

4 attributes compared head-to-head

PlayStation 5
2PlayStation 5
Evenly matched
Xbox Series X
2Xbox Series X
50%50%
  • GPU Power

    PlayStation 5

    10.28 TFLOPS

    Xbox Series X

    12 TFLOPS

  • SSD Speed

    PlayStation 5

    5.5 GB/s

    Xbox Series X

    2.4 GB/s

  • Exclusive Games

    PlayStation 5

    Superior

    Xbox Series X

    Growing

  • Subscription Value

    PlayStation 5

    PS Plus

    Xbox Series X

    Game Pass

Full Comparison

PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X
GPU Performance(TFLOPS)
10.28
12 TFLOPS
SSD Speed(GB/s)
5.5
2.4
SSD Storage Speed(GB/s)
2.4 GB/s
Built-in SSD Storage(GB)
1000GB
Storage Capacity(GB)
1000
Show 3 more attributes
Storage Capacity(GB)
1000 GB
RAM Configuration(GB)
16 GB
Power Consumption(watts)
152 W (typical)
Price(USD)
$499
$499
Digital Edition Price(USD)
$599.99
Base Console Price (2026)(USD)
$599.99
Base System Price(USD)
$500
Current Retail Price(USD)
$499
CPU Type
AMD Zen 2 (8-core at 3.8GHz)
GPU Compute Performance(TFLOPs)
12 TFLOPs
GPU Architecture Generation
RDNA 2 (Current-gen)
Maximum Resolution(pixels)
4K (2160p) at 120fps
Native 4K Gaming Support
Yes, standard
Max 4K Gaming(fps)
120fps native
Show 3 more attributes
Native Resolution (Docked/Primary)(pixels)
4K (2160p)
Maximum Refresh Rate (Supported)(fps)
120 fps
Ray Tracing Performance(% improvement)
Standard ray tracing
System Memory(GB)
10GB GDDR6
RAM (Total)(GB)
16 GB (10 GDDR6 + 6 DDR5)
Memory Bandwidth Performance(% improvement)
10x faster SSD (vs PS4)
RAM(GB)
16 GB GDDR6
Target Resolution & Refresh Rate
4K at 60fps native
Maximum Gaming Resolution
4K (2160p)
Native Gaming Resolution Target
4K/1440p
Display Size(inches)
External (up to 65"+ via HDMI)
Display Resolution(pixels)
4K (3840 x 2160)
Show 5 more attributes
Refresh Rate Capability(Hz)
120 Hz
Native Display Resolution(pixels)
Up to 4K (2160p) @ 120Hz
Maximum Refresh Rate(Hz)
120 Hz
Maximum Display Resolution
4K (2160p)
Native Resolution(pixels)
4K/120fps
Release Year
2020
SSD Read Speed(GB/s)
2.4 GB/s
CPU Clock Speed(GHz)
3.8 GHz
Internal Storage(GB)
1,000 GB
Market Share (January 2026)(percent)
27.5%
Year-over-Year Market Share Change(percentage points)
-2.9%
Global Units Sold (64 months)(millions)
34.43 million
Market Share Percentage(%)
27.4%
Lifetime Unit Sales (as of 2026)(millions)
25+ million
Game Pass Ultimate Monthly Cost(USD/month)
$17.99/month
Storage Expansion Cost(USD per 1TB)
$220
Launch MSRP (2026)(USD)
$499
Noise Level Rating(classification)
Quietest gaming console ever made
Available SKUs(count)
2 (Standard & All-Digital)
Backward Compatibility Rate(%)
~98% Xbox One compatible
Annual Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)(USD)
$180/year (Game Pass Ultimate)
Exclusive AAA Titles (2024-2026)(count)
10+ major exclusives
Exclusive AAA Games (2026)(major releases)
Forza, Starfield, Game Pass exclusives
Backward Compatible Games(estimated titles)
600+ compatible titles
Exclusive Games Available (2026)(titles)
25+ exclusives
Game Pass Included Games(titles)
500+ (Xbox Game Pass)
Show 2 more attributes
Available Exclusive AAA Titles (2025)(count)
4 major exclusives
Exclusive Franchises(Number)
30+ exclusive franchises
Upcoming Performance Enhancement(text)
No major announcement
Standard Console Launch Price (MSRP 2026)(USD)
$499 (Xbox Series X)
Digital Console Price (USD)(USD)
$599.99
Digital Edition Price (USD)(USD)
$599.99
Digital Edition Price (GBP)(GBP)
£449.99
Standard Edition Price (USD, 2026)(USD)
$649.99
Show 6 more attributes
Digital Edition Price (USD, 2026)(USD)
Not available
Launch Price(USD)
$499
Base Model MSRP (2026)(USD)
$499
Launch Price (2020)(USD)
$499
Launch Price (MSRP)(USD)
$499
MSRP at Launch (2020)(USD)
$499
RAM Memory(MB)
16GB
Target Frame Rate (AAA Games)(FPS)
60 FPS at 4K
Maximum Native 4K Gaming FPS(fps)
120 fps
Standard 4K Gaming Target(fps)
4K / 60fps
GPU Power(TFLOPS)
16.7 TFLOPS
Show 16 more attributes
GPU Performance Advantage(percent)
16.7% more powerful
SSD Load Time Advantage(percent)
Standard speed
Native 4K Gaming Capability
Yes, 4K/60FPS standard
4K Gaming Support
Yes, native 4K/60fps
Performance vs PS5 Pro
Can keep up with PS5 Pro in some instances
GPU Performance(teraflops)
12.15
GPU Compute Units(units)
52
Gameplay Rendering Speed(% improvement)
Baseline stable performance
Storage Read Speed(GB/s)
2,560 MB/s
Battery Life(hours)
N/A (plugged in)
CPU Cores(cores)
8 cores @ 3.8 GHz
Memory Bandwidth(GB/s)
448 GB/s
CPU Core Count(cores)
8 cores (custom x86)
Native 4K/120fps Capable Games(titles)
35+
Load Times (Average)(seconds)
1.2-1.8s
4K Gaming Capability(fps)
120 fps
SSD Technology(Generation)
PCIe Gen 4 NVME
SSD Speed (Raw)(GB/s)
2.4 GB/s
Standard Storage(GB)
1000GB usable
Standard Storage Capacity(GB)
1,000 GB
Internal SSD Storage(GB)
1000 GB
Game Pass Subscription Games(titles)
500+ games included
Game Pass Day-1 Titles (Annual)(games)
100+ annually
Game Pass Integration(feature)
Game Pass (400+ games, day-one releases)
Game Pass Subscription Size(Titles)
400+
Game Pass Subscribers(millions)
28 million
Global Sales (2026)(millions)
25 million units
Market Share 2026(%)
27.5%
Backwards Compatibility Range(generations)
4 generations (Xbox original to Series)
Backwards Compatible Generations(generations)
4 generations (Xbox One, 360, Original, Series)
WiFi Standard
WiFi 7
Console Launch Year(year)
2020
Launch Year(year)
2020
Game Pass Monthly Cost(USD)
$11.99/month
RAM Capacity(GB)
16GB (10GB GPU + 6GB standard)
GPU Processing Power(TFLOPS)
12 TFLOPS
Shading Units(count)
3328 shading units
Memory Interface(bit)
320-bit interface
Game Pass Titles(count)
3500+ titles
GPU Rendering Improvement(percent faster)
Baseline (100%)
2025-2026 AAA Exclusive Titles(games)
3-4 major titles
Exclusive Major Games (2026)(titles)
8 major titles
Game Pass / Service Library(games)
400+ (Game Pass)
Game Library Size(titles)
200+ exclusive
Available Games Library(titles)
800+
Controller Haptic Technology(specification)
Standard vibration
Backward Compatibility(scope)
Extensive (4+ generations of Xbox titles)
Backward Compatibility Support
Extensive (4 generations)
Physical Media Support
4K Blu-ray disc drive
Backward Compatibility Coverage(percentage)
85% (3+ generations of titles)
Show 2 more attributes
AI Upscaling Technology(capability level)
Standard FSR/DLSS support
Quick Resume Suspended Games(Concurrent games)
10+ simultaneous
Maximum Resolution Output(pixels)
4K (3840×2160)
Native 4K Performance Target(FPS)
60 FPS standard, up to 120 FPS
Multi-Platform Game Performance Edge(consistency)
Consistent 4-8% performance advantage on cross-platform titles
Native 4K Maximum Frame Rate(fps)
60 fps (targeted)
Native 4K Performance(FPS)
4K/60FPS confirmed (Replaced)
Maximum Native 4K Resolution(fps)
120 fps
Show 3 more attributes
Native Gaming Resolution(pixels)
4K (2160p)
Typical Game Resolution Target (2026)(frames per second)
4K @ 60 FPS (Replaced)
4K Gaming Performance (AAA Titles)(fps)
4K/60fps typical
Ray Tracing Support
Hardware-accelerated, full support
Ray Tracing Performance Boost(x times faster)
Standard implementation
2026 Exclusive Titles Available(games)
8 major exclusives
Backward Compatibility Support(text)
Xbox One, Xbox 360, Original Xbox titles
Game Pass Titles at Launch(games)
300+
Backwards Compatible Games(titles)
500+ games
Backward Compatibility Generations(generations)
4 generations (Xbox to Series X)
Show 3 more attributes
Available Game Titles(games)
500+ Game Pass day-one exclusives
Exclusive Game Titles(count)
150+ exclusives
Available Exclusive Titles (Current)(Games)
500+
Game Pass Value (Monthly Cost)(USD)
$10.99/month (Game Pass Core)
SSD Transfer Speed(GB/s)
560 GB/s
CPU Speed(GHz)
3.8 GHz (7-core Zen 2)
Game Pass/Plus Library Size(titles)
500+ titles (Game Pass Ultimate)
Controller Haptic Feedback(feature)
No - standard vibration only
Year-over-Year Sales Growth(%)
-2.9%
CPU Performance Advantage(%)
10% faster
GPU Compute Units(CUs)
52 CUs equivalent (12 TFLOPS)
Launch Price (2026 MSRP)(USD)
$499
Base Model Price (USD)(USD)
$499
Standard Price (USD)($)
649.99
Standard Price (GBP)(£)
499.99
Launch Price (2026 USD)(USD)
$499 (standard)
Years of Optimization(years)
Current generation (4 years optimized)
Major Exclusive Titles (2024-2026)(titles)
3 major exclusives
SSD Speed Advantage(relative)
Standard SSD
Exclusive Game Optimization Maturity(years)
Current generation optimization
Global Market Share(percent)
27.5%
Market Share(percent)
38%
Years Since Launch(years)
6 years (2020)
Exclusive Franchises (as of 2026)(count)
10+
Thermal Stability Rating(issues reported)
No thermal issues reported
Space Marine 2 Performance(comparative)
Outperforms PS5 Pro
Weight(kg)
9.4 lbs
Weight (Console Only)(grams)
4,250g (requires desk/TV mount)
Handheld Gaming Capability
No, stationary only
Available Game Library(titles)
450+ Game Pass + digital store
Exclusive AAA Game Titles(count)
~50 major exclusives
Game Pass Titles (2026)(games)
400+
Exclusive AAA Releases (2025-2026)(titles)
8+
4K Gaming Performance(FPS)
60 FPS (native optimized)
Setup Time(minutes)
10 minutes
Maximum Resolution & Frame Rate(pixels & fps)
4K (2160p) @ 120fps
Annual Online Subscription Cost(USD)
$180/year (Game Pass Ultimate)
Handheld Battery Life(hours)
N/A (not portable)
Max Resolution Output(pixels)
4K @ 120fps
Game Pass/Subscription Library Size(games)
700+ titles in Game Pass
Backward Compatibility Titles(games)
500+ Xbox/360 games
Ray Tracing Enhancement(performance boost)
Standard ray tracing
Active User Base(millions)
28+ Million
GPU Performance(TFLOPS)
12 TFLOPS
CPU
AMD Zen 2, 8 cores @ 3.8 GHz
Ray Tracing
Hardware ray tracing (AMD)
Storage(TB)
1 TB NVMe SSD (proprietary expansion)
Price (USD)(USD)
$499 (with disc drive)
Disc Drive
UHD Blu-ray included
Game Pass Library Size(Games)
500+ games

Pros & Cons

8 pros·5 cons across both

PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X
PlayStation 5

PlayStation 5

+4-3
57% positive

Pros

  • Faster SSD (5.5 GB/s)
  • Better exclusive games
  • DualSense haptic controller
  • VR support (PSVR2)

Cons

  • Larger physical size
  • Fewer backwards compatible titles
  • Game Pass competitor lacking
Xbox Series X

Xbox Series X

+4-2
67% positive

Pros

  • 12 TFLOPS GPU
  • Game Pass (best value in gaming)
  • Full backwards compatibility
  • Smaller form factor

Cons

  • Fewer exclusive titles
  • Controller lacks haptics

Frequently Asked Questions

3 questions

  1. The Xbox Series X has more raw GPU power (12 vs 10.28 TFLOPS), but the PS5's faster SSD provides better loading times.

12 more to explore

5 articles

Explore More

Related comparisons and categories

Last updated: June 12, 2026Human reviewed