It's no surprise that Microsoft was aiming for more power and bigger numbers with the Xbox Series X after it was skewered last generation for being less powerful than Sony's machine. Still, with increased power comes diminishing returns, and what's clear is that even though the PS5 has a weaker CPU and GPU, it'll still be an incredible console. System architect Mark Cerny detailed the advantages of using an SSD and how players would encounter near-instant load times in games.
| Category | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 8x Cores @ 3.5GHz Custom Zen 2 CPU | 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz Custom Zen 2 CPU |
| Graphics | 10.28 TFLOPS, 36 CUs @ 2.23 GHz Custom RDNA 2 | 12.155 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 |
| Memory | 16 GB GDDR6, 256-bit | 16 GB GDDR6, 320mb bus |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448GB/s | 10 GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s |
| Internal Storage | 825GB Custom NVME SSD | 1 TB Custom NVME SSD |
| I/O Throughput | 5.5GB/s (Raw), 8-9GB/s (Compressed) | 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed) |
| Expandable Storage | NVMe SSD slot | 1 TB Custom SSD expansion card |
| External Storage | USB external HDD support | USB external HDD support |
| Optical Drive | 4K UHD Blu-Ray drive | 4K UHD Blu-Ray drive |
| Size | 390mm x 104mm x 260mm | 301mm x 151mm x 151mm |
| Release date | November 12 | November 10 |
You notice that the SSD is oddly less than 1TB. Here's what Eurogamer and Mark Cerny have to say about why this is:
...Sony's solution is proprietary, 825GB is most optimal match for the 12-channel interface and there are other advantages too. In short, Sony had more freedom to adapt its design: 'We can look at the available NAND flash parts and construct something with optimal price performance. Someone constructing an M.2 drive presumably does not have that freedom, it would be difficult to market and sell if it were not one of those standard sizes,' Mark Cerny says.
Next-gen is finally here
You can buy a PS5 right now, and it's by far Sony's most powerful console with a wicked fast SSD, 3.5GHz CPU, and 10.28 TFLOP GPU. This is the place to be for exclusives like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West, and a whole lot more.
