Playstation or Xbox: Which game console should you gift?
The new Xbox and Playsation consoles are shipping now. Here's where to get these gaming consoles right now.
Whitson Gordon
The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, also launching Nov. 12, has the exact same hardware as the PlayStation 5, but eschews the disc drive for a more affordable price tag: $400. It'll play all the same games with the same top-tier graphical fidelity, but you'll have to buy those games digitally and download them rather than buy them on disc. It also won't be able to play 4K Blu-rays without that disc drive. Personally, I think $100 is worth the disc drive capability so you’re left with at least one device able to read the medium.
If you go with the PlayStation 5, you might also consider grabbing an extra controller, a charging station and a wireless headset like Sony's Pulse 3D or the HyperX Cloud Flight S.
Just launched, The Xbox Series X looks like it'll be the most powerful console of this generation, at the same $500 price tag as the PlayStation 5. It'll have many of the same games as the PS5, including Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, with a few of its own exclusive titles, like Gears 5 and the upcoming Halo Infinite. It can also play all Xbox One games, as well as some Xbox 360 and original Xbox games, giving it a leg up on Sony for those that like to revisit older titles. It also has a 4K Blu-ray drive for movie buffs.
Also just launched, the Xbox Series S is a lower-cost alternative to the Series X. It plays the same games, old and new, but gets rid of the disc drive and downgrades the graphics a bit — games might not look quite as good as they do on the Xbox Series X or on either of the PS5 models, but it hits a far more affordable $300 price point.
Xbox players may also want a second controller or a wireless headset like the HyperX CloudX Flight.
Demand is high for these new consoles and we're already seeing models selling out, but we should see stock trickle in and out over time now that some of the consoles have launched. If you aren't in a rush, though, don't feel like you need to buy them right now — for the time being, a lot of the newest games will still come out for the current-gen PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, including Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Cyberpunk 2077 and others. Some games may even come with a free upgrade to the PS5/XSX versions, if and when you decide to grab the latest console. So if you'd rather make your decision once more reviewers get their hands on these new systems — I'll be taking both for a spin myself — feel free to hold off and give your current hardware a bit more playtime.
Catch up on Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
