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Battle lines are being drawn as rivals prepare for the launch of products whose intoxicating technical specifications and a combination of exclusive game catalog have been carefully refined to maintain the loyalty of hordes of fans.
PARIS – Calling the “next generation” – get ready to choose your console. Aiming for system supremacy, gaming giants Sony and Microsoft are about to go head-to-head with their latest offerings: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Battle lines are being drawn as rivals prepare for the launch of products whose intoxicating technical specifications and a combination of exclusive game catalog have been carefully refined to maintain the loyalty of hordes of fans.
With its new console and associated range of services, Microsoft wants to make the leap to Sony, which has traded twice as many PlayStation 4 units as Xbox One sales since their respective launches in 2013.
Here’s how the two new game consoles compare:
DATE: MICROSOFT TO LEAVE THE BLOCKS FIRST
Microsoft’s offering, which stylistically looks a lot like a PC, will leave the starting blocks first with a release on November 10 and pre-orders will be taken starting on September 22.
Sony’s PS5 will go on sale two days later in Australia, North America, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and Mexico, and other markets will have to wait a week.
Pre-orders for the PS5 were scheduled to begin Thursday “at select retailers.”
Sony said Wednesday that it will offer “premium” and “digital” incarnations of its console.
They take different budgets into account with the $ 499 premium model that offers 4K media playback through an Ultra HD Blu-ray player. The digital-only version, which costs $ 100 less, lets you play downloaded games and media in real time.
Microsoft is also priced at $ 499 for its own “premium” offering, while its “mini” version is priced at $ 300.
“Sony, with its entry model, is affording itself a higher price than Microsoft. As a market leader, it can afford to do so,” gaming analyst Laurent Michaud told AFP.
“It would have been interesting for Microsoft to push their pricing strategy to be a bit lower on the high-end model,” said Michaud.
DESIGN: FROM FUTURISTIC TO CONTEMPORARY
On design, companies have taken radically different approaches. Sony’s PS5 is tall and sleek, a V-shaped white exterior on black with subtle blue lighting for a futuristic style that some consider wouldn’t look out of place on a Star Wars set.
The controller retains the white-on-black look in a radical departure from previous incarnations.
Xbox is left with a sober black and understated logo on a black tower and a controller that remains essentially aesthetically faithful to previous generations.
XBOX SPECIFICATIONS FEEL THE POWER
For the Xbox design team, their product is “the fastest and most powerful console ever.” The company’s website urges fans to jump in, ignite, and “power their dreams.”
Offering potential 8K video capabilities, the kit features a 12 teraflop graphics processor, compared to the PS5’s 10.3, and superior data processing power overall.
In terms of memory, the two consoles are roughly the same.
For Michaud, however, the battle for processing power makes no sense.
“The more you broaden the player base, the less power is a criterion. Kids don’t care less about power when they play Fortnite. It’s the gaming experience that counts,” he said.
SONY DOES EVERYTHING IN THE BIG HITTERS CATALOG
In terms of exclusive titles, Sony has put out a top-notch selection to coincide with its launch.
The biggest include a sequel to Horizon: Zero Dawn, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and most notably “Final Fantasy XVI,” the latest in the celebrated series due out on PC next year.
As for the thorny compatibility issue, Xbox Series X buyers will be able to play games written for all previous consoles.
PS5 buyers should be able to play games written for PS4, but not older machines.
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