PS5 & Xbox Series X: Why You Can Avoid Upgrading To The Next Generation Until 2021

Final Fantasy 16. God of War: Ragnarok. Halo Infinite. Fable.

These games are on different platforms – the first pair on Playstation 5, the second on Xbox Series X | S – but they have two things in common. First, they are all exclusive to the console. Second, you won’t be able to play any of these games until at least next year.

And that means you don’t have to buy a PS5 or an X Series until next year, either. That’s a hard reality to recognize now, as the hype surrounding two major platform launches happening two days apart is easily overwhelming.

Microsoft and Sony both spent 2020 in a mastery game seemingly focused on what company could say the least about its next-gen console for the longest time. The stalemate ended on September 9, when Microsoft announced that the Xbox Series X launches November 10 for $ 500, as well as the less powerful, digital-only S-series at $ 300. Sony followed up just over a week later, revealing that the The PS5 will hit stores on November 12 and will also cost $ 500. Its digital-only version will cost $ 400.

Pre-orders for both consoles sold out immediately in September and October, and it’s been a Hunger Games-like situation to try and get one ever since. Now social media feeds are inundated with people opening their new Xbox and PS5 consoles. If you don’t own a new console, you may be gripped by FOMO’s feelings.

But don’t feel too bad, because you don’t really need a PS5 or Xbox Series X this year.

Elusive exclusives

For the first time, Microsoft and Sony have different approaches for their future consoles. Sony is hoping to regain its PS2 success with a catalog of games you won’t be able to play on the Xbox Series X. Microsoft, meanwhile, has his Game Pass, a Netflix and Project xCloud-style subscription service that lets you play Xbox games on your phone. His turn Xbox into service.

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PS5 vs Xbox Series X: full comparison

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While we really do feel like we’re on the cusp of a literally game-changing era, for now, the excitement around both consoles is which philosophy will work best. But you are not playing philosophies, you are playing games.

And which games are worth buying at launch? I’m assuming that the best-selling launch games for Xbox Series X will be Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, both of which will be available on the next gen consoles, as well as Fortnite, which was already available on all (until Epic’s recent legal dispute with Apple and Google, This is). The exclusives are slim: there’s The Falconeer, Tetris Effect: Connected, and, for a few months, Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Thin picks.

The PlayStation 5 has a a bit more incentives. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is exclusive to PS5 and is likely to be fun. Demon’s Souls is sure to be spectacular, but it’s also a remake. Then there’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Great Adventure. These were originally marketed as PS5 exclusives, but they will be coming to PS4 as well. Accessories to Sony to take care of its over 100 million PS4 customers, but it eases the urgency to buy a PS5.

So it looks like the two companies’ selling point isn’t the games you can play on next-gen consoles, but the fact that some games will look better on new generation consoles. This is evidenced by the mountain of “launch games” which are actually previous generation games optimized with 4K resolution, smoother textures, and faster load times.

When to buy

There is a large subset – millions of people – who will buy one or both consoles sooner rather than later. Like buying a $ 1000 phone when a $ 400 will do, it’s totally fine if you’re willing to pay for the indulgence. But this is an indulgence.

Invest in a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X | S gets interesting when either platform has some great exclusives. We will most likely be in 2021 before that happens.

Sony’s console looks more promising on this front. Final Fantasy 16 is potentially a few years away, but God of War: Ragnarok is slated for next year and will likely be exceptional. There’s also Gran Turismo 7, although it doesn’t have a release date yet. For Microsoft, Master Chief will carry a lot of weight. Halo Infinite, originally slated for launch, will be released next year. Fable and Forza Motorsport are two other exciting exclusives, but we don’t know if they’ll be released next year or beyond.

If you’ve skipped a console generation and want to get back into gaming, the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S seems like a perfect way to do it. Holiday 2020 titles will be best played on these consoles, as will the remastered versions of the PS4 / Xbox One classics which will be available on launch day via PlayStation Plus Collection and Xbox smart delivery, respectively.

But for everyone else, ask yourself: How much do you care about shorter load times and improved graphics? Because Assassin’s Creed loads fast and looks fabulous on whatever console you already own.