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the PS5 digital edition and the Xbox Series S They both ask an unusual question: What if a next-gen console didn’t have to cost an exorbitant amount of money? While the full PS5 and Xbox Series X It will cost $ 500 each, both companies have also offered a cheaper alternative. For Sony, there’s the PS5 Digital Edition – a $ 400 console that doesn’t have a disk drive, but is otherwise identical to the PS5. For Microsoft, there’s the Xbox Series S: a $ 300 all-digital console that’s optimized for quad HD output instead of UHD.
While the PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S don’t address the exact same needs, they both represent the same idea: a cheaper alternative to full-price next-gen consoles. As such, the two machines are worth comparing, though a) It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, and b) We won’t know for sure how the two systems compare until we can test them out for ourselves.
With that in mind, let’s see how the PS5 Digital Edition and Xbox Series S stack up in terms of price, specs, game selection, and more.
PS5 Digital Edition vs. Xbox Series S: Specifications
One of the easiest ways to compare the PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series X is to discuss their specifications. Generally speaking, the PS5 digital edition is more powerful, but here is the full breakdown:
| PS5 digital edition | Xbox Series S | |
| Price | $ 400 | $ 300 |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen Zen 2, 8 cores, 3.5 GHz | AMD Ryzen Zen 2, 8 cores, 3.6 GHz |
| GPU | AMD Radeon RDNA 2, 10 teraflops | AMD Radeon RDNA 2 GPU, 4 teraflops |
| RAM | 16 GB | 10 GB |
| Storage | 825GB SSD | 512GB SSD |
| Resolution | Up to 8K | Up to 1440p |
| Frames per second | Up to 120 fps | Up to 120 fps |
If you were wondering why the Xbox Series S is $ 100 cheaper, you can see that it is primarily a question of specifications. While the Xbox Series S actually has a slightly more powerful CPU than the PS5 Digital Edition, its GPU, RAM, and storage are weaker. As a result, games will run at lower resolutions. And although the maximum frame rate is the same, we can reason that the Xbox Series S will generally not achieve the same frame rates as its Sony competitor, particularly for new and demanding games. (Frame rate is a function of a system’s processor, GPU, and RAM.)
Neither system has the ability to play physical media, such as game discs or Blu-rays. However, both systems will be able to load and render games blazingly fast thanks to the next-gen SSDs, and the GPUs in both systems will support ray tracing for subtle lighting effects.
Where the comparison gets a bit tricky is when we go from “specs” and try to measure “performance”. While the specifications of a system define its performance, it is often about how the pieces of hardware work together rather than simply measuring gross power. As such, until we get our hands on the PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S, it’s almost impossible to say how each will run the games in real-world conditions.
Still, we can definitely say that the Xbox Series S employs, for the most part, less powerful hardware than the PS5 Digital Edition. We can also say that less powerful hardware generally means lower resolutions and frame rates. The PS5 Digital Edition is arguably a bit more future-proof than the Xbox Series S, especially for gamers who own 4K TVs.
PS5 Digital Edition vs. Xbox Series S: price
The easiest point of comparison between the PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S is their prices. The PS5 digital edition costs $ 400; the Xbox Series S costs $ 300. The Xbox Series S is undoubtedly cheaper; what is not clear is which system will ultimately be the best value.
As stated above, the Xbox Series S uses less powerful hardware than the PS5 Digital Edition. That is not something surprising or controversial to say; it’s the main reason the Xbox Series S costs less money. (it is the same price as a Nintendo switchand cheaper than an Xbox One X.) If you’re not too obsessed with top-of-the-line graphics, or don’t have a 4K TV at all, the Xbox Series S seems like a good value for money. Otherwise, the PS5 digital edition may well be worth the extra $ 100.
One thing to keep in mind, though a bit speculative: for the foreseeable future, any Xbox Series X game will also be available on the Xbox Series S. However, as the next generation of consoles progresses and the games become more demanding, the Xbox Series S may not be able to play absolutely all Xbox Series X games.
Microsoft has not said anything about it and I have no special idea if it could happen. But I do know that as consoles get older, developers tend to push them for every last bit of processing power, and the Xbox Series S doesn’t have as much as the Xbox Series X. The PS5 Digital Edition, on the other hand, it has precisely the same specs as the full-blown PS5. Just something to consider.
PS5 Digital Edition vs. Xbox Series S: Games
As far as we know, the digital edition of PS5 can play all PS5 games; the Xbox Series S can play all Xbox Series X games. This should be the case for the foreseeable future. As such, the game selection argument is the same here as for PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: Do you want to play Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank, and Final Fantasy, or do you want to play Halo, Hellblade, and Forza? There is no correct answer there, so prospective buyers will have to decide for themselves.
However, what is a bit more interesting is the issue of backward compatibility. Both the PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S will be backwards compatible with many older generation titles; the only question is how far that compatibility goes.
The PS5 digital edition will be compatible with many PS4 games, although we don’t have a complete list yet. (Recent reports Put the number around 99% of the PS4 library, so hopefully that’s true). The Xbox Series S, on the other hand, will be compatible with all Xbox One games, plus a variety of Xbox 360 and original Xbox games.
There’s a big catch either way, though: to play backward-compatible games, you’ll need to have digital copies. Since neither the PS5 Digital Edition nor the Xbox Series S have a disc drive, you won’t be able to play the games that you physically own unless you buy them back as digital versions. Both the regular PS5 and the Xbox Series X have disk drives, so if you have a large physical collection it may be worth paying the premium just to keep access to your old games.
The Xbox Series S has an added wrinkle too, and it’s tricky, so bear with us. In a way, the Xbox Series S is less powerful than the current generation Xbox One X. As such, the Xbox Series S will not be able to play games optimized for Xbox Series X with full 4K resolution, high frame rates, improved texture quality, etc. This may not be a big deal, as the Xbox Series S isn’t really an ideal accessory for 4K TVs anyway, but it’s worth pointing out. The PS5 digital edition has no such restrictions.
PS5 Digital Edition vs. Xbox Series S: Who are they for?
While I can’t prove this until we see some sales figures for the two devices, I don’t think the PS5 Digital Edition and Xbox Series S are looking for the exact same buyers. The price difference is telling, as is the variation in hardware. At the risk of guesswork, it seems the PS5 digital edition is for more dedicated gamers who are simply ready to give up physical media, while the Xbox Series S is for more casual fans who just don’t need the power. or expenses – of a full-featured Xbox Series X.
The PS5 digital edition, except for the lack of a disc drive, is identical to the PS5. That means if you buy it, you’ll want to take advantage of its UHD resolution, fast frame rates, expansive storage, etc. The audience for the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition is exactly the same, in other words, except if they want to use discs or digital downloads.
On the other hand, the Xbox Series S is considerably less powerful than the Xbox Series X, and Microsoft has made no secret of it. Someone who had their heart set on the powerful Xbox Series X experience probably won’t be swayed by the Xbox Series S. On the other hand, for casual gamers, young players or gamers who don’t own 4K TVs, there’s really no reason to spend $ 500 on an Xbox Series X, when an Xbox Series S will do the job just as well.
PS5 Digital Edition vs. Xbox Series S: subscriptions
One last thing to consider is that both the PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S will exist as part of larger subscription-based ecosystems: PlayStation Plus for the former, and Xbox Game Pass for later. Both services have undergone significant renovations in recent months and will likely continue to do so until the launch of the next-gen consoles.
We recently learned that PlayStation Plus ($ 10 per month or $ 60 per year) will allow players to download a host of PS4 classics, including Bloodborne, God of War, and Until Dawn. Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass ($ 10 to $ 15 per month) allows players to download more than 100 Xbox titles, including Gears 5, Wasteland 3, and Sunset Overdrive.
The big difference between the two platforms is that Xbox Game Pass also gives players access to new Xbox Series X / S titles on the day they are available; he PS Plus Collection it seems to be exclusively retrospective, at least for now.
Generally speaking, Xbox Game Pass seems to be a big part of the Xbox Series S strategy, while Sony probably expects the majority of PS5 Digital Edition customers to purchase games on demand, one at a time. It’s worth considering whether you’d rather have a small game library forever or rent a huge library indefinitely.
PS5 Digital Edition vs Xbox Series S: Outlook
It’s difficult to compare the PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S directly, as they seem to target different audiences. The PS5 Digital Edition is for gamers who want the latest and greatest hardware without physical discs; The Xbox Series S is for gamers who are willing to compromise on hardware, as long as they can access a collection of great games.
Since we haven’t tested any of the systems first-hand, we won’t recommend for now. But remember, you’ll have to live with less powerful hardware if you choose the Xbox Series S, and an additional $ 100 upfront if you choose the PS5 Digital Edition.
