The Console Wars Have Been Going on for Some Time, and the Leader is Never Set in Stone(2021)! Playstation or Xbox: Which Game Console Should You Gift?

Your parents must have scolded you for spending long hours playing video games. But are you aware that playing video games can have a few benefits too? Yes, gaming can freshen your mood and can have a positive effect on your brain.

The games you play require you to reach specific objectives. Once you reach them, you have a feeling of accomplishing your goal. It gets increased manifold when you play to receive a badge. It provides you with the self-belief for your life too.

Video games can help you cope with failure. Many gamers play their favourite games when they need a break from their hectic life. It can boost your mood and have a positive effect on your mental well-being.

Studies show that specially designed 3D video games can improve the memory of senior citizens. Some of the adverse effects on the brain and ageing can be reversed. Studies show that if senior adults can be trained in video games for a year, they can perform better than youngsters. 3D video games can also boost your memory. It can also protect against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Online gaming can help in ensuring better social interaction among gamers. It is necessary among adolescents. In several multiplayer games, you must be in close interaction with other players and understand their behavioural patterns. Hence, you also gather insights about the trust factors that allow you to have faith in others. Gaming can be taken as a simulation whereby you can take the knowledge about fostering relationships to a real-life environment.

Many of us play video games for enjoyment. Some of us also play them to relieve our anxiety and stress. They are engaging and help us to forget our daily life and stay immersed in the games. Most games require the gamers to accomplish a reward, and completion of these objectives can also enliven your mood. There are instant rewards that can make you feel good too. Gaming can also lead to the secretion of dopamine that can make you feel better.

The Xbox and PlayStation are multi-utility consoles and can be an excellent option for recreation. They can help in live streaming, listening to music, seeing movies, and gaming over the same console. These consoles are also compatible with different USB devices and hard disks. Both brands provide ample gaming options for their enthusiasts. They also have a reliable support option for gamers.

Xbox is a gaming console brand that Microsoft owns. It helped Microsoft gain a foothold in the online gaming marketplace. It is known for its features and can be connected to display media, including your television.

PlayStation is a gaming console that Sony has developed. Over the years, there has been a significant improvement in the performance as well as the picture and sound quality of the console. There has been a steady improvement in its features, and it is currently occupying an enviable position in the console business. There are several genres of games that gamers can play on this console.

As an avid gamer, you must ascertain the games that are supported on the console. There would also be a specific set of games that would be exclusive to the console. You must do research and ascertain whether they cater to the genre that you prefer. Also, it is essential to consider more of the games are multiplayer or single-player ones.

You must consider your current preferences and the storage capacity of the console. If you wish to store several games, it could be challenging to store everything together. Hence, external storage capacity also must be considered. The motion tracking features associated with the console can be another factor to be considered.

Before buying the console, always consider the added benefits that come with it. The features associated with the console must be at your fingertips. The game library can be a critical factor for avid gamers. The hardware, the graphics and sound effects and its performance are other essential deciding factors too.

When you are choosing the console, you also buy into the ecosystem of these brands. They come with paid subscription models that provide access to free games as well as multiplayer ones. You can download and play the games if you are a subscriber. You must also consider the games to which you have access.

Both the PlayStation 5 (PS5) and the Xbox Series X have AMD 8 core CPUs. The one with Xbox is faster at 3.8 GHz, and the one with PlayStation is 3.5 GHz.

The PlayStation uses an AMD Ryzen chipset, and the GPU runs at 2.23 GHz and provides 10.28 FLOPS of power. It also has 16 GB GDDR6 and a bandwidth of 448 GB/s. The PS supports ray tracing and supports screen resolutions up to 8K. It can work with 120 Hz refresh rates and smooth movement with an HDMI 2.1 compliant display.

It also offers 825 GB storage with 5. Gbps throughput that ensures faster loading times of the games. The DualSense controllers have triggers that can simulate actions accurately. There is a headphone jack, too, with a built-in microphone. It can also support 3D audio even when you are using a headphone.

The Xbox Series X uses RDNA 2 and Zen 2 architecture, while the GPU has a performance of 12 teraflops. The Zen 2 CPU has eight cores and 16 threads. The Series X supports 8K resolution and can support 120 Hz refresh rates at 4K if there is an HDMI 2.1 compliant television. The Xbox also provides DirectX ray tracing ability and an internal 1TB NVMe SSD.

It comes with 16GB GDDR6 memory and includes new features such as Auto Low Latency Mode and communication improvements for the controller. It is backwards compatible with the Xbox One. The controller has textured triggers and a dedicated share button. There is a Quick Resume feature whereby you can suspend several games together and start a new one. You can start from where you had left in the earlier rounds. The Xbox Series X also supports Dolby Atmos for streaming and gaming.

One of the best ways to adjudge performance is to run any of the games together in both systems, it will get loaded within the same time. The games will ideally run at 4K at around 60 frames per second. There would be no significant difference in lighting and animation.

Both the systems provide ray tracing, but the Series X provided better contrasts between shadow and lights. It seemed to be performing better at the 120-fps mode. Both the consoles have excellent performance, but the PS5 loads the games a bit faster.

The Xbox Series X looks like a black tower and can be kept vertically or horizontally. It weighs 4.45 kgs and measures 30 cm X 15 cm X 15 cm. A 130 mm fan brings in cool air from the vents present at the bottom of the device. The hot air is let out through the top.

The PS5 has a glossy finish and has curvaceous lines that make it look different from the Series X. It looks massive, and two faceplates that protect the central console that is sandwiched between the plates. It is whitish and can be challenging to fit into an AV cabinet. The PS5 Digital Edition is a bit thinner. It can be laid horizontally or can be made to stand on end.

Both use a single fan that is a bit large in proportion to the size of the console. The PS5 has a constant whirr sound, unlike the Series X that is more silent. The disc drive is noisy too, but the PS5 is a bit quieter here. Both weigh the same – the PS5 weighs 4.5 kgs, while the Series X weighs 4.44 kgs.

As an avid gaming enthusiast, you must be wondering about the games supported by these consoles. Some of the games that PS5 supports are Godfall, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Astro's Playroom, Demon's Souls, The Pathless, Destruction AllStars, Bugsnax, etc. Very few of them are exclusive for PS5,

Xbox Series X supports Halo: The Master Chief Collection, The Medium, Gears 5, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Dirt 5, Forza Horizon 4, and Viking-themed Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 would also be supported by it.

There are a few exclusive games on both fronts. Gamers can play Flight Simulator, Halo Infinite, CrossfireX, The Gunk, STALKER 2 and Sable on the Series X. The PS5 has Deathloop, Horizon Forbidden West, Returnal, God of War: Ragnarök, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Gran Turismo 7, etc.

Microsoft has acquired ZeniMax Media that makes several games to be part of the Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft is eager to continue with cross-gen play support. There is a difference in the distribution of the games. Sony will charge users separately for the exclusive games, which could see prices up to Rs. 5,000. Microsoft will charge the exclusive games as a part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription at the launch phase. It is priced at Rs. 699 per month (taxes extra).

Both the consoles have new controllers, and the PS5 comes with a DualSense controller. The controller is ergonomic and is made from high-quality materials. The technical advancements in the controller allow gamers to play games without any hassles. There is a series of motors that provide resistance to the triggers and haptic feedback. The general shape and the layout of the controls are like the one in PS4 but are a bit heavy.

There is an integrated microphone that has a mute button too. It allows the gamer to plug any standard microphone too. The microphone can utilise the benefits of the 3D audio technology, and the clarity is descent with no background noise.

The Xbox controller is a bit smaller and is easier to grip for new gamers. There is a modified D-pad and a "Share" button too. The D-pad is needed for games that need sweeping actions. The controller also has a Dynamic Latency Input to synchronise the controller input with what you see on the screen. It is also essential to know that the controllers of the Xbox One can also work with the Series X. However, there are no rechargeable batteries provided with the controller.

Both the consoles provide a gaming performance that is better than their predecessors. The frame rate of gaming at 4K is double of the earlier versions. The Xbox has a Dolby Vision that is not supported by the PS5. But the Xbox is louder when running a 4K Blu-Ray. The PS5 can convert any SDR content to HDR that can create some issues in colour and contrast. It can be said that the Xbox is a bit ahead in video streaming, while the PS5 noses ahead in being a better Blu-ray player.

The PS5 uses the Dolby Atmos feature that is an optimal way to enjoy soundtracks. It also has a 3D audio system, and the Tempest Engine provides spacious, atmospheric sound with high-quality effects. It can also cater to the needs of a surround system if you do not have one. The sound quality of the Series X is also excellent, and if you have the Xbox Wireless Headset, it will allow you to have the features of DTS Headphone: X and Dolby Atmos. The PS5, on the other hand, has limited Atmos support.

The PS5 and the Series X price is the same in the country and cost Rs. 49,990. The PS5 Digital Edition is priced at Rs. 39,990, but it does not have a disc drive. The Xbox Series S is priced at Rs. 34,990. It does not have a disc drive, and the storage capacity is half that of the Series X.