Microsoft has officially announced the Xbox One X, formerly known as Project Scorpio. The Redmond company is touting it as the most powerful gaming console on the planet. It will be competing directly with Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro. But Sony is not frightened of Microsoft’s latest console despite knowing that the Xbox One X is far more powerful than the PS4 Pro. It’s time to delve deep into Xbox One X vs PlayStation 4 Pro comparisons to see whether the new Xbox could challenge the dominate of PlayStation.
Xbox One X is Microsoft’s latest attempt at challenging Sony’s dominance in the console market. The PlayStation 4 line has been outselling Xbox One by more than 2:1 in North America and 3:1 in Europe. Both the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro are 4K consoles, and both support all the existing Xbox One and PS4 games, respectively. Microsoft had already confirmed the Xbox One X specs in April. Are on-paper specs enough to attract buyers?
Xbox One X vs PlayStation 4 Pro: Specs comparison
On paper, the Xbox One X handily beats the PS4 Pro. Microsoft’s console features a custom octa-core AMD Jaguar CPU clocked at 2.3GHz. The PS4 Pro also uses a custom eight-core AMD Jaguar processor, but it has a clock speed of 2.1GHz.
In terms of graphics, the One X features a custom 6 teraflops GPU that runs at 1172MHz. The PS4 Pro has a lower 4.2 teraflops custom AMD graphic engine running at only 911MHz. The Xbox One X packs a huge 12GB GDDR5 RAM; of which 3GB is reserved for the system and 9GB is dedicated to games. The PS4 Pro packs 8GB GDDR5 RAM. Both the consoles offer 1TB of internal storage.
The Xbox One X features 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drive while its main competitor features a Blu-ray DVD drive. The PS4 Pro offers 31% more speed and 2.3x more graphics power compared to the PS4. The One X is also 31% faster than Xbox One and offers 4.6x more graphics performance. The One X is heavier than its rival at 8.4 pounds compared to the PS4 Pro’s 7.2 pounds.
The Xbox One X is certainly more powerful than the PS4 Pro, but it won’t release until November 7th. So, the PS4 Pro remains the most powerful console right now.
Xbox One X vs PlayStation 4 Pro: Performance
The Xbox One X offers native 4K gaming experience at 60 frames per second. The PS4 Pro doesn’t offer the native 4K resolution, though it uses techniques such as checkerboard rendering to bring the resolution close to 4K. It doesn’t mean that all games will always play in 4K at 60 fps on Xbox One X. It is up to game developers to take full advantage of the console’s processing power.
We can expect titles such as Forza Motorsport 7, Sea of Thieves and Crackdown 3 that are only on Xbox consoles to offer 4K experience at 60fps. Some games that are more intensive in terms of CPU rather than GPU may restrict it to 30fps instead of 60fps. You’ll also need a 4K-ready monitor to enjoy true 4K UHD playback on One X. Microsoft knows that not everybody owns a 4K monitor. So, the company uses super sampling on Xbox One X to enhance visuals even on 1080p displays.
Xbox One X vs PlayStation 4 Pro: Gaming library
Microsoft announced 42 new games for the Xbox consoles at the E3 show. As many as 22 of them are “console launch exclusives” coming to the Xbox One X. These games might also be made available to older consoles in the future. The existing Xbox One titles such as Gears of War 4 will be optimized to take advantage of the Xbox One X’s capabilities.
Are the 42 new games enough to take on Sony’s PS4 Pro? Probably not. Microsoft’s exclusive gaming library is minuscule compared to the PlayStation 4 library. The PS4 Pro receives all the titles available for the PS4. Sony has not only developed must-have exclusive titles, but also improved them to take advantage of the PS4 Pro’s horsepower.
Microsoft is relying on the existing Xbox One titles that would run better and faster on the Xbox One X to attract buyers. If you are buying a console for exclusive titles, PlayStation 4 Pro has more and better titles than Xbox One X. But if you want to play third-party games that are available on both PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, then Microsoft’s console would offer you a better experience because of its graphics performance.
Xbox One X vs PlayStation 4 Pro: Price
The Xbox One X is certainly more expensive than the PS4 Pro. Microsoft revealed at E3 that the console would cost $499 in the US, £449 in the UK, CAD 599 in Canada, AUD 649 in Australia, and 499 euros in Europe when it comes out on November 7. By comparison, the PlayStation 4 Pro costs $399. Experts believe that Sony could cut the price of its flagship console to $299 or $249 based on how consumers respond to the Xbox One X.
