Although neither console is officially out yet, Xbox Series X and PS5 are already locked in a war for next-generation supremacy. With both Sony and Microsoft systems set to release in holiday 2020, a game of chicken has broken out, as the manufacturers attempt to hold out as long as possible before revealing the prices of their units. Each is hoping they can undercut the other.
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- PS5 games
However, in what seems to be the norm during this console release cycle, Microsoft is moving before Sony, creating an official pre-order page for the Xbox Series X. The page fills gamers in on some of the Series X's key technical specifications, placing particular emphasis on a few PS5-bothering details.
First and foremost, Microsoft details the console's custom AMD processor leveraging 12 Teraflops of power. The PS5's processor is said to have a maximum capacity of only 10.4 Teraflops, placing it on the back foot.
Its cooling system, featuring a split motherboard, heat sink chassis and vapour chamber, is next.
The PS5 has yet to reveal any details on its cooling system. During a tech-heavy presentation by lead system architect Mark Cerny, the cooling system was mentioned but left to be revealed at a later date.
In such an in-depth, tech-heavy presentation, this omission was an odd one which could affect the PS5's performance. Microsoft's emphasis of this technology could be a veiled threat to the PS5, showing it has its own house in order.
Mark Cerny's developer-focused PS5 presentation made no mention of the console's cooling system
Other features highlighted include the Xbox Series X's 1TB SSD. The Sony camp is placing particular emphasis on the capabilities of its enormous SSD, which is said to revolutionise level design by eliminating the need for game designers to disguise loading the next section of the game in bland "corridors". It will even eliminate the need for fast travel and the process of booting games up every time the system is switched on.
Of course, Microsoft's SSD is no slouch either, using the technology not just to store games as normal but switch between multiple games on the fly using the console's "Quick Resume" function. The SSD emphasis on its pre-order sign up page, its first port of call for curious gamers, could be read as another example of the Xbox Series X team thumbing their noses at Sony.
It's worth noting the Xbox Series X is not currently live to pre-order right now: only the pre-order page itself, with a button widget merely listing the console as "coming soon". However, as Xbox Series X gears up for launch, the lack of a big reveal from the Sony camp is deafening.
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