Everything you need to know
In this complete comparison we are going to examine the technical specifications of PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X e Xbox series s. The goal is to answer the following question: Who between PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S is the most powerful console? For further comparisons, you can also consult our other article: PS5 Digital Edition vs PS5 standard, what's the difference? If you want to know more about what are the distinctive features of the new PS5 controller, take a look at the following specials:
We have grouped all the technical specifications of the PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S in a handy table. The best features are highlighted with bold text:
| Component | PS5 | Xbox Series X | Xbox series s |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 8x Zen 2 Cores at 3.5GHz (Variable Frequency) | 8x Cores at 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz w / SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU | 8x Cores at 3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz w / SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU |
| But by the full GPU acceleration tech | 10.28 TFLOPs, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz (Variable Frequency) | 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs at 1.825 GHz | 4 TFLOPS, 20 CUs at 1.565 GHz |
| GPU Architecture | Custom RDNA 2 | Custom RDNA 2 | Custom RDNA 2 |
| Die Size | — | 360.45 mm² | — |
| Process | — | 7nm Enhanced | 7nm Enhanced |
| Memory | 16GB GDDR6 / 256-bit | 16GB GDDR6 w / 320b bus | 10 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448GB / s | 10GB @ 560GB / s, 6GB at 336GB / s | 8GB @ 224GB / s, 2GB at 56GB / s |
| Internal Storage | Custom 825GB SSD | 1 TB Custom NVME SSD | 512GB Custom NVME SSD |
| I / O Throughput | 5.5GB / s (Raw), Typical 8-9GB / s (Compressed) | 2.4 GB / s (Raw), 4.8 GB / s (Compressed) | — |
| Expandable Storage | NVMe SSD Slot | 1 TB Expansion Card (Matches Internal Storage Exactly) | 1 TB Expansion Card (Matches Internal Storage Exactly) |
| External Storage | USB HDD Support | USB 3.2 External HDD Support | — |
| Optical Drive | 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive | 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive | Digital Only |
| Dimensions | — | 151mm x 151mm x 301mm | — |
| Weight | — | 4.45 kg | — |
Which console is the most powerful of the three?
On paper, it looks like the Xbox Series X is technically the most impressive next-gen console. However, looking deeper, PS5 and Xbox Series X will be extremely similar on a technical level. The Xbox Series S is less powerful. For example, they both have high-speed SSDs. It's worth mentioning that the PS5 has a little less storage, but it looks like Sony will offer more flexibility in terms of expandability. You can find more information on this in the following article: PlayStation 5, which SSDs will be compatible?
Both are equipped with eight-core processors and will make use of ray tracing (see also: PS5 Ray Tracing: What is it?). They will also be able to play 4K UHD Blu-ray movies, but it's worth remembering that the PS5 digital edition won't support physical media like the Xbox One S.
If we were to pick a winner based on the above, it would appear that Microsoft has an edge over Sony, but, data in hand, the PS5 SSD is hugely faster, even faster than the X Series. It's a close run, and maybe just. the exclusives will decide the winner.
Who do you think wins the comparison considering the full PS5 and Xbox Series X specs? Let us know in the comments section below.
