As the title says, I'm really struggling to decide between the two, and have been for a while now. I keep settling on one, then moving back to the other and could use help in trying to figure it out. Just to note (bolded for emphasis) I already own both
Series X pros:
Controller – It lasts a lot longer and has removable batteries so battery degradation isn't an issue over the long term (7+ years).
Quick Resume – It makes it much easier to juggle between games, especially since I tend to play multiple games at the same time, and thus don't have to deal with loading screens.
Game Pass – Day one releases make this a great value. It's one of the big things drawing me to Xbox, and I feel like I'd get a lot of value out of it. I will say that PS+ Extra is getting better though, but I find that I've often played (or bought) several of the games they announce, which is less frequent with Game Pass.
First party - Following from the above point, I prefer Microsoft's first party to Sony's. There are more studios that I'm partial to, and the games they tend to make (just in general I mean) suit my preferences more.
BC / enhancements – I do like replaying games, and there are several that are BC on Series X that I want to play but would need to use my PS3 for. It's a much more convenient solution, and I expect that once the next gen rolls around Microsoft will be doing the same thing in keeping BC and also boosting/improving the now current titles.
Ecosystem – I like the ecosystem as a whole. The free cloud saves, the emphasis on PC as well as Xbox (especially with Play Anywhere), the achievements for both platforms, and the OS of the system including things like a "surprise me' button to pick a game. All of it feels like it is geared (no pun intended) to just being a platform for play and letting you get into your game. Even simple things like moving a game in the background while playing another are convenient and helpful.
PS5 pros
Japanese games - I tend to play quite a few Japanese games and 2 of my 4 preorders for the rest of the year are Switch / PS4 titles. I did a count of the installed games on my system (about 100) and 30% of those were Japanese titles that aren't available on Xbox. If I'm on Playstation I don't have to worry about whether or not the games are coming over - especially the Square Enix ones.
Existing library – I already have most of my games on Playstation, so I don't have to worry about buying them or them being on a sub service and expiring before I can play them. I noticed this a lot – I wanted to play Kentucky Route Zero on Game Pass, for example, but it was taken off before I could play, whereas I already own it on PS4.
The other thing here is that I've still been buying games for Playstation despite mainly playing on Series X for the last year – the last 3 games I bought were PS-only titles, and FFXVI will be shipped to me this week. In other words, either way I'll still be in the PS ecosystem.
Physical games – This is a big one. I really like collecting physically, and Playstation is simply better for it. There are more games available physically (Spiritfarer for example), and it's far easier to play and use a physical game on PS5.
Trophies – I prefer the trophy system to Achievements, and trophies are a big reason why I have been playing on Playstation.
If I think about why I want to switch, it is because I feel like I get a better experience overall on Xbox, but I can't seem to decide since at the end of the day I'm still happy (if less so) with Playstation. I know both systems are about equal and there isn't a right answer here, but still. The best I've been able to come with is the following:
If I stay with PS5, things don't change and I just continue having the one box to play pretty much everything. The catch is I won't be making best use of the Xbox (and Game Pass), and I don't know how things will pan out once the generation ends as far as BC etc.
If I move to Xbox, I have a better experience overall, but at the cost of splitting my library and trophies which I'll still have to move back for. It'll also be more expensive as I'd have to pay 2 sub fees and I'm not sure if all of that is worth the time and effort to do so.
What would make more sense?
Series X pros:
Controller – It lasts a lot longer and has removable batteries so battery degradation isn't an issue over the long term (7+ years).
Quick Resume – It makes it much easier to juggle between games, especially since I tend to play multiple games at the same time, and thus don't have to deal with loading screens.
Game Pass – Day one releases make this a great value. It's one of the big things drawing me to Xbox, and I feel like I'd get a lot of value out of it. I will say that PS+ Extra is getting better though, but I find that I've often played (or bought) several of the games they announce, which is less frequent with Game Pass.
First party - Following from the above point, I prefer Microsoft's first party to Sony's. There are more studios that I'm partial to, and the games they tend to make (just in general I mean) suit my preferences more.
BC / enhancements – I do like replaying games, and there are several that are BC on Series X that I want to play but would need to use my PS3 for. It's a much more convenient solution, and I expect that once the next gen rolls around Microsoft will be doing the same thing in keeping BC and also boosting/improving the now current titles.
Ecosystem – I like the ecosystem as a whole. The free cloud saves, the emphasis on PC as well as Xbox (especially with Play Anywhere), the achievements for both platforms, and the OS of the system including things like a "surprise me' button to pick a game. All of it feels like it is geared (no pun intended) to just being a platform for play and letting you get into your game. Even simple things like moving a game in the background while playing another are convenient and helpful.
PS5 pros
Japanese games - I tend to play quite a few Japanese games and 2 of my 4 preorders for the rest of the year are Switch / PS4 titles. I did a count of the installed games on my system (about 100) and 30% of those were Japanese titles that aren't available on Xbox. If I'm on Playstation I don't have to worry about whether or not the games are coming over - especially the Square Enix ones.
Existing library – I already have most of my games on Playstation, so I don't have to worry about buying them or them being on a sub service and expiring before I can play them. I noticed this a lot – I wanted to play Kentucky Route Zero on Game Pass, for example, but it was taken off before I could play, whereas I already own it on PS4.
The other thing here is that I've still been buying games for Playstation despite mainly playing on Series X for the last year – the last 3 games I bought were PS-only titles, and FFXVI will be shipped to me this week. In other words, either way I'll still be in the PS ecosystem.
Physical games – This is a big one. I really like collecting physically, and Playstation is simply better for it. There are more games available physically (Spiritfarer for example), and it's far easier to play and use a physical game on PS5.
Trophies – I prefer the trophy system to Achievements, and trophies are a big reason why I have been playing on Playstation.
If I think about why I want to switch, it is because I feel like I get a better experience overall on Xbox, but I can't seem to decide since at the end of the day I'm still happy (if less so) with Playstation. I know both systems are about equal and there isn't a right answer here, but still. The best I've been able to come with is the following:
If I stay with PS5, things don't change and I just continue having the one box to play pretty much everything. The catch is I won't be making best use of the Xbox (and Game Pass), and I don't know how things will pan out once the generation ends as far as BC etc.
If I move to Xbox, I have a better experience overall, but at the cost of splitting my library and trophies which I'll still have to move back for. It'll also be more expensive as I'd have to pay 2 sub fees and I'm not sure if all of that is worth the time and effort to do so.
What would make more sense?
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