After months of speculation, Sony finally revealed the PlayStation 5 price to be $499. It exactly matches the Xbox Series X’ price. Additionally, the difference between the specs of the two consoles is negligible, leaving me to wonder why the internet is filled with the age-old discussion between PlayStation and Xbox fans. Isn’t there only one valid, objective argument to make? Doesn’t the DualSense tip the scales in favor of the PlayStation 5. Now, before you spontaneously combust, hear me out!
PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X is nonsense
Ever since companies like Nintendo and Atari left the mainstream console war, Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation have been fighting over the gamer’s attention (and money). Every generation, two virtually identical consoles spark huge amounts of debate. The PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X debate is no different.
But does it really matter what strangers prefer? Is there anything sensible to say about someone preferring Pepsi over Coca Cola? What is the value of comparing the two, when ones preference just differs from another? Is it fair to judge people that are siding with ‘their’ brand?
Does a brand really have the power to sway someone who’s been drinking a certain beverage all their life? Is a 7% difference in calories, negligible difference in sugar, or marginal distinction in price really make someone abandon all their friends that prefer the same drink. Okay, that last metaphor didn’t work perfectly, but you get the point; we choose a console based on habit, irrelevant characteristics, or because our friends did the same. In other words, there’s no accounting for taste.
But the DualSense though..
With that out of the way, I’d argue there is one objective argument one could make in the PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X debate: the DualSense controller. Sony revealed the upcoming controller earlier this year, now pricing it at $69.99. It’s presumably a little bit more expensive than the Xbox Series X controller. Regardless of price, the DualSense is said to really immerse the gamer into a game, enhancing the gaming experience.
Microsoft on the other hand, offers a very traditional controller that uses an arguably outdated battery system. That basically gives PlayStation the upper hand. If everything else is the same, and only the controller differs, you’d also go with the more advanced one, right?
Of course, not everything is the same
But let’s be real, there are some differences between the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 besides the DualSense that could convince the non-fanatical gamers. Exclusive games, for example, could really draw someone towards one brand or the other. Design may factor in, as well as brand marketing, secondary features, the reputation of a company, and even the country you live. After all, not many Japanese people own an American Xbox Series X, and most Americans won’t prefer a PlayStation 5.
So I guess what I’m trying to say, is that it’s okay to prefer one or another. Let’s not bash each other’s heads in to ‘convince’ each other. But you can’t deny Sony made a smart move by differentiating themselves with a completely unique, new controller.