I’m Team PlayStation.
I’m pretty sure, like a lot of people, I was gifted my first console as a kid and apparently decided right then and there that this was my hill. I’ve stuck with PlayStation ever since.
PS1. PS2. PS3. PS4. PS5.
They’ve gotten better every generation, I’ve always liked PlayStation, and at this point there’s a familiarity to it that would make it really hard for me to suddenly jump ship.
I’ve also never owned an Xbox.
So no, I’m not going to spend the next few thousand words pretending I’m an unbiased console reviewer who has extensively tested both systems side-by-side.
But I also don’t think this needs to be another console-war article.
We’re almost six years into this generation.
- Both consoles are powerful.
- Both have huge game libraries.
- Both can deliver 4K gaming and up to 120 FPS in supported games.
- And in 2026, there are fewer reasons than ever to make this decision based purely on a spec sheet.
So let’s just talk about them.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
TL;DR
I’d buy the PS5.
You probably saw that coming.
But I don’t think that means you should automatically buy the PS5.
The Xbox Series X has more:
- Raw GPU horsepower on paper
- Excellent backward compatibility
- Quick Resume
- & the Game Pass ecosystem
The PS5 has:
- The DualSense
- A library and ecosystem I’ve personally loved for generations
- Strong first-party games
- & backward compatibility with nearly the entire PS4 library.
The biggest factor might not be any of those things.
Which one do you actually want?
- What did you grow up playing?
- Where’s your existing library?
- What controller do you prefer?
- What games do you care about?
- What do the people around you prefer?
Because, I think a lot of us picked a console when we were kids and have spent the rest of our lives defending that completely arbitrary decision.
I know I have.
PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: The Specs
The standard PS5 and Xbox Series X are actually pretty similar where it matters to most people.
- Both use AMD-based hardware
- Both have eight-core CPUs
- 16GB of GDDR6 memory
- Fast SSD storage
- 4K capabilities
- & Support gaming at up to 120Hz in supported games.
The Xbox Series X has more theoretical GPU horsepower on paper: about 12 TFLOPS compared with roughly 10.3 TFLOPS for the original PS5.
So:
Xbox wins! Article over!
Except that’s exactly the kind of comparison I don’t think is very useful.
Actual performance depends on the game, optimization, graphics mode, and what the developer does with the hardware.
- Both systems are capable of excellent-looking games.
- Both support high refresh rates.
- Both load games incredibly quickly compared with previous generations.
If you put either one in someone’s living room with a good 4K TV, I seriously doubt they’re going to spend the night devastated that they didn’t buy the other console because of two teraflops.
And if you want the absolute most powerful PlayStation, there’s now the PS5 Pro, but that’s also considerably more expensive and isn’t really the comparison we’re making here.
For the normal PS5 vs. Xbox Series X decision?
Performance isn’t where I’d make my choice.
If you’re pairing your console with a monitor, I’ve put together The Gaming Monitors I’d actually buy in 2026
Console Prices Have Gotten Kind of Ridiculous
In 2026, the standard disc PS5 and Xbox Series X have both reached roughly the $650 range at full U.S. retail pricing, with digital versions sitting lower.
That’s kind of wild for consoles that originally launched back in 2020.
I hate overspending on gaming gear, and $600+ for a console this far into a generation is a tough pill to swallow.
If you’re buying either one now, I’d absolutely watch for bundles and sales rather than assuming you have to pay full retail price.
Get it here: Check the current PS5 price on Amazon
Find it here: Check the current Xbox Series X price on Amazon
The Games Matter More Than the Specs
Some of my favorite games are tied to PlayStation.
- Uncharted 4 was amazing.
- I’ve played all the Spider-Man games.
- Crash Bandicoot is a classic.
Those experiences mean more to me than a GPU number ever will.
But I’m also not sure I’d tell somebody in 2026:
“Buy a PlayStation because of the exclusives.”
If there are specific games you’re dying to play and they’re only available on one of these consoles, this becomes pretty easy:
Look at the games.
Not the brand.
If there are three games you desperately want to play and they’re only available on one system, that’s probably more important than almost anything else in this comparison.
Check out how I Went Back to Uncharted 4 and It’s Still Amazing
DualSense vs. Xbox Controller
I genuinely like the DualSense.
When the PS5 launched and Sony started talking about haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, it sounded like exactly the kind of feature that could easily become a gimmick.
Then I used it.
It’s sweet.
The adaptive triggers can change how much resistance you feel depending on what’s happening in a game.
Driving games are where this really got me.
You can literally feel things changing through the triggers. Braking, losing grip, the car behaving differently… it adds something.
I’ve noticed it in shooters too, where different guns can feel different through the triggers.
It’s obviously not essential. If Sony removed adaptive triggers tomorrow, I wouldn’t suddenly stop gaming.
But it’s one of those features where I can legitimately say:
“Yeah. I like that.”
The Xbox Wireless Controller takes a more traditional approach.
And since I’ve never owned an Xbox, I’m not going to pretend to tell you which controller is better after hundreds of hours with both.
This is one category where PS5 wins for me personally because I’ve actually used and enjoyed what the DualSense adds.
I made a separate article on the Best Controllers for Shooters in 2026 (PC, PS5 & Xbox)
Game Pass vs. PlayStation Plus
This is one of the stronger arguments for looking seriously at Xbox.
Game Pass gives Xbox owners access to a large rotating library of games depending on the subscription tier, with higher tiers extending into things like PC gaming and day-one releases.
I use the lowest PlayStation Plus tier: Essential.
And my review is:
“It’s fine.”
That’s it.
I need it for online multiplayer, and I get a few monthly games.
Sometimes they’re something I’m interested in.
Sometimes they’re absolutely not.
Sony also has more expensive PlayStation Plus tiers with larger game catalogs, but I’ve never felt enough need to upgrade from Essential myself.
If your goal is specifically paying a subscription and having a big library of games to bounce between, Xbox Game Pass is absolutely something I’d factor into the decision.
Especially if you’re also a PC gamer.
Xbox Wins Backward Compatibility
PS5 backward compatibility is excellent for PS4 games. The overwhelming majority of the PS4 library can be played on PS5.
That’s great.
Xbox just goes further back.
Series X supports Xbox One games along with a catalog of compatible Xbox 360 and even original Xbox titles.
That’s legitimately cool.
I’ve been a PlayStation guy since PS1.
I’d love to be able to throw basically every generation of PlayStation disc into my current console and just play.
That’s not what PS5 offers.
So if you’ve built up a big Xbox library over multiple generations or just enjoy revisiting older games:
Xbox has the stronger backward-compatibility story.
No console-war gymnastics required.
PS5 Wins Storage Flexibility for Me
Both consoles let you expand beyond their internal storage.
But they approach it differently.
PS5 lets you install a compatible M.2 NVMe SSD that meets Sony’s requirements. Once it’s installed, you can store and play PS5 games directly from it.
Xbox Series X uses proprietary Storage Expansion Cards for expanding the high-speed storage available for current-generation games.
Personally, I prefer Sony’s approach.
There’s competition between SSD manufacturers, you’ve got different capacities and prices to choose from, and you’re not tied to one proprietary storage format.
You do have to make sure the SSD actually meets the PS5 requirements.
So Xbox’s approach is arguably easier.
Sony’s gives you more choice.
I’ll take the choice.
Xbox Has Quick Resume and I Want It
Series X can keep multiple compatible games suspended so you can jump between them and continue roughly where you left off.
As somebody who can decide I’m done playing one game and want something completely different approximately twelve seconds later:
Yeah.
I get the appeal.
PS5 games load quickly, and switching games isn’t exactly a major hardship.
But Quick Resume is still one of those quality-of-life features where I look across the fence at Xbox and think:
“Okay. That’s pretty nice.”
Which Console Is Better for Online Gaming?
Whichever one makes sense for the games and people around you.
Cross-play has made platform choice less restrictive than it used to be, with many major multiplayer games allowing PlayStation, Xbox and PC players to play together.
But not every game handles cross-platform play the same way.
And then there’s another factor that’s much harder to put on a specification sheet:
Influence.
If you grow up in a PlayStation household, there’s a decent chance you become a PlayStation person.
If somebody whose opinion matters to you tells you Xbox is better, there’s a decent chance you’re going Xbox.
I’d tell the kids PlayStation.
Their dad would tell them Xbox.
They’re probably picking Xbox.
Not because cross-play is easier.
Not because of Game Pass.
Not because they’ve performed a detailed analysis of GPU compute units.
Because Dad said Xbox and Dad’s opinion is probably winning that argument over Stepdad’s.
And that’s basically how console loyalty gets passed down.
Whichever console you choose, audio is another place you don’t need to overspend. Check out The Best Gaming Headsets Under $100
Most of Us Chose a Hill Years Ago
- I was given a PlayStation.
- I loved it.
- Then I got another PlayStation.
- And another.
- And another.
Now we’re almost three decades into my completely rational and scientifically justified allegiance to PlayStation.
An Xbox owner who’s been playing Xbox since the beginning might feel exactly the same way about Microsoft.
And that’s okay.
Gaming is supposed to be fun.
You don’t have to defend your console purchase in court.
Which One Would I Buy in 2026?
PlayStation 5.
I didn’t need this entire article to figure that out.
But here’s the important part:
My answer isn’t based on PS5 objectively destroying Xbox Series X.
It doesn’t.
- I’ve owned every PlayStation.
- I know the ecosystem.
- I like the controller.
- I’ve built up a PlayStation library.
- Some of my favorite gaming memories are tied to PlayStation.
- Uncharted 4 was amazing.
- I’ve played all the Spider-Man games.
- Crash Bandicoot takes me all the way back.
If my PS5 disappeared tomorrow (assuming my wife didn’t just move it somewhere) I would buy another PlayStation.
And I think somebody who’s owned Xbox their entire life might give me the exact same answer in reverse.
Who Should Buy a PS5?
I’d lean toward PS5 if:
- You already have a PlayStation library
- Care about PlayStation’s games
- Like the DualSense
- & are coming from PS4
- Want flexible M.2 storage expansion
- Or simply already know and like PlayStation
That last reason is valid.
You don’t need something more sophisticated.
Who Should Buy an Xbox Series X?
I’d seriously consider Xbox if:
- You already have an Xbox library
- Game Pass appeals to you
- Backward compatibility matters
- You also game on PC
- Quick Resume sounds useful
- Or Xbox is simply the ecosystem you already know and prefer
Again:
That’s valid.
What If You’ve Never Owned Either?
Now we finally have an interesting decision.
If you have no library, no loyalty and no familiarity pulling you in either direction, I’d start with games, not specs.
- Look at what you actually want to play.
- Then look at the subscriptions.
- Hold both controllers if you can.
- Look at what your friends and family use.
- Think about backward compatibility.
- Think about whether you’re going to buy physical games.
Then buy one.
I genuinely don’t think you’re making some catastrophic mistake either way.
These are both very capable consoles.
Final Verdict: I Pick PlayStation & You Don’t Have To
If you came here expecting me to finally betray nearly 30 years of PlayStation loyalty…
Sorry.
PS5 is still my pick.
But looking at these consoles in 2026 reinforces something I’ve suspected for a while.
This isn’t nearly as much of a hardware decision as people make it out to be.
Xbox Series X has legitimate advantages. Backward compatibility is excellent. Quick Resume sounds great. Game Pass can make a ton of sense depending on how you play.
PS5 has advantages too. I genuinely love the DualSense. I prefer Sony’s storage expansion approach. And there’s a PlayStation library and history that means something to me personally.
But most importantly:
I like PlayStation.
That’s allowed to be enough.
The specs are close enough that I think a lot of us chose a hill when we were kids and decided we were going to die on it.
Apparently this one’s mine.
Team PlayStation.