The next-gen Xbox and PlayStation are among the most-awaited gadgets. Just like the fight between the current-gen Xbox (Xbox One X) and PlayStation (PS4), there is the expectation of intense competition between the next-gen consoles (Xbox Series X vs PS5) as well. In fact, the race to supremacy between the two has already started, and if the recent reports are anything to go by, Microsoft may have already scored one or two points over its rival.
Xbox Series X vs PS5: is Microsoft ahead?
At the game awards 2019, Microsoft revealed the official name of its next-gen Xbox, which until then was known as Project Scarlett. And recently, Xbox boss Phil Spencer shared a few more details about the console, indicating the next-gen Xbox could lead the Xbox Series X vs PS5 race.
Spencer, in an interview with GameSpot, talked about how quiet the console is, when describing its cooling system, despite it being more powerful than the current-gen Xbox. There have often been complaints from the PS4 and PS4 Pro owners about the noise that comes from the console sometimes. Some have even compared the noise to a jet engine.
However, it is nice to see that Microsoft has remained committed to keeping the noise down in the upcoming console as well. Microsoft’s upcoming console is being touted as the “fastest, most powerful Xbox” ever.
The Xbox Series X’s GPU is to be eight times faster than the Xbox One and twice as fast as the Xbox One X. Further, the console would have four times more capable CPU, and an ultra-fast NVMe solid-state drive. Despite integrating so much power, Microsoft has managed to keep the console quiet.
“What the team did, and you [see] it through the top grate, is we went with one central fan in the design.” Spencer explains. “What this design does, with the size of the fan that we built around, is it lets us match how quiet the Xbox One X is with all that power inside of the box.”
Xbox Series X: won’t make any noise
Talking further about this no-noise design, Spencer said it was not an easy task to achieve it. The team had to maintain a proper balance between the “design, acoustics, cooling, and the function of the console.” The executive said that he has been using the Series X at his home, and “it just sits there and plays video games the way I want it to and I never hear it, just like how I don’t hear my [Xbox One] X.”
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X features a PC tower-like design, but a user will be able to set it horizontally or vertically. Spencer didn’t go into the technical details of the cooling system, but notes that the single fan is “able to spin at a low enough rate that it is whisper-quiet.” Further, he says that the console has no “secondary fans, probably just passive coil” to keep a check on the heat.
Apart from the noise reduction, the Xbox Series X may hold one more advantage over the PS5. And, if it is true, this advantage could make a big difference in the sales of the consoles as well.
Another advantage for Xbox Series X
A major reason why the Xbox One has lagged behind PS4 is the number of exclusive titles that Sony has for the PlayStation. This point is evident from the fact that three of the biggest titles of 2020 – Last of Us 2, FF7 Remake, Ghost of Tsushima – are PS4 exclusives.
Microsoft has long been working to develop or make available exclusive titles for the Xbox. It seems those efforts could bear fruit with the launch of the Xbox Series X. The company has already acquired big studios, such as Ninja Theory and Obsidian, ahead of the console’s launch. Also, we know that Hellblade 2 would be an Xbox X console exclusive.
Moreover, there are reports that the Xbox Series X may launch with 12 to 16 exclusives. On the other hand, Russian video game journalist Anton Logvinov claims that the PS5 would not have any major exclusives at launch. Instead, the PS5 launch titles would be improved versions of the PS4 exclusives.
If it is true, it would definitely be a major advantage for Xbox in the Xbox Series X vs PS5. Also, if it is true, it would be a huge surprise as Sony has never missed offering an exclusive title.
Sony has always lined up an exclusive title with each new PlayStation. For instance, Ridge Racer with PS1, Tekken Tag Tournament with PS2, Ridge Racer 7 and Resistance: Fall of Man with PS3, and Killzone Shadow Fall, Resogun and Knack with PS4.
We’ll have to wait a little longer to know about the exclusive titles for the next-gen consoles. Both Xbox Series X and PS5 are expected to hit the shelves during the Holidays in 2020.
