PlayStation vs. Xbox: Which Is the Better Console in 2024?

Posted on Jul 9, 2024 by Ezequiel Bruni

Xbox Series X vs PlayStation 5. It’s a topic so contentious, that some people get weirdly mad when previously-exclusive games happen to make the jump. The Xbox fans keep saying the Series X is the most powerful, and therefore the best. The PlayStation fans keep saying, “Well, at least we actually have games!”

And here I come, an impartial observer. After all, I’m a PC gamer first and foremost, and therefore I can look at both consoles without favoring either one in particular. I’ll call it like I see it, and that’ll be the end of the debate. Right? Right?!

Wouldn’t that be nice? Well, all I can do is my best. At the end of this, I hope to be able to answer the question of which console is better, and tell you all how to improve the online gaming experience for both of them with Private Internet Access. Let’s get to it.

No matter which console you choose, you should be playing your online games with a VPN. Use PIA VPN to get more stable connections to your favorite game servers, lower your ping, avoid DDoS attacks, or play with your friends in other regions. Whatever kind of gamer you are, PIA can make your gaming sessions that much more fun.



About PlayStation

The PlayStation 5 was released in November of 2020, and has been wildly successful ever since. A mid-range refresh was released in the form of the PS5 Slim in October 2023, and the brand is going from strength to strength thanks to its first party lineup.

Selling almost double the Series X and S combined, the PlayStation 5 clearly has an edge in terms of game selection, and the number of fellow players for online games. Financially, at least, it’s the console to beat.

About Xbox

The Xbox Series X and S were both released in November of 2020, and have yet to see a mid-generation refresh… though leaks and rumors abound, of course. With a dearth of first-party exclusives, and with many of those selling comparatively poorly, Xbox has struggled to maintain the sort of brand reputation that the PlayStation has.

Microsoft initially demanding feature parity in games developed for both models hasn’t helped. But, has the lack of games led people to overlook some of this Xbox generation’s finer points? I think so.

PlayStation vs. Xbox: The Ultimate Comparison 

Game Selection

Both PlayStation and Xbox have a massive selection of third party-titles, but let’s be honest: when people ask about game selection, they’re talking about exclusives. Here, the PlayStation 5 is the clear winner, as it was in the last console generation. With properties like Spider-man, The Last of Us, God of War, and Horizon, Sony’s various studios have been crushing Xbox’s exclusive lineup for a long, long time.

Now, the Xbox’s Summer Showcase in 2024 did reveal an incredibly impressive lineup of first party titles, and we can hope that they’ll be as good as they look. However, I have to make this call based on what’s available now, and PlayStation is just doing better in this regard.

    🏆 Winner: PlayStation 5

Game Subscriptions

PlayStation Plus is no slouch, but the Xbox Game Pass is by far the best deal in gaming. Not only do you get immediate access to a large selection of games for both console AND PC (if you get the ultimate tier), you get day-one access to all of Microsoft’s biggest first-party titles.

Now, that wasn’t always a big deal, but with Fable, Avowed, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and many more fantastic games in their future lineup, Xbox Game Pass is amazing value for the money.

    🏆 Winner: Xbox

Controllers

The PlayStation DualSense controllers are the undisputed winner of this category. They’ve had better, more sensitive controls and a more varied feature set for multiple generations, and show no signs of slowing down. PlayStation just puts… more stuff into their controllers, and that strategy has been paying off.

It is worth noting, however, that the Xbox Series X has a very cool feature that works even with older controllers. It’s called “Dynamic Latency Input,” and basically involves matching the input signals from your controller with the game you’re playing in a way that reduces latency.

    🏆 Winner: PlayStation 5

Cloud Gaming

Performance varies by user – and time of day – but let’s just say that xCloud and PlayStation Cloud Gaming can both deliver decent visuals and performance. Let’s also say that they both have a pretty fantastic library of games available (though Xbox offers day-one exclusives). How do we compare the two?

Well, let’s go with availability. Xbox Cloud Gaming is available on… so many things. Xbox, PC, a number of TVs and other devices. If it can have a controller connected to it, Xbox Cloud Gaming can probably run on it.

PlayStation Cloud gaming is limited to PC, PS4, PS5, and the PlayStation Portal portable handheld.

    🏆 Winner: Xbox Series X (by a hair)

Performance

Fun fact: the Xbox Series X is actually technically more powerful than the PlayStation 5. It’s not too big of a difference, but there it is. We’re not going to talk about the Series S. No one wants to talk about the Series S.

However, it’s worth noting that comparatively few games actually show the Series X at its best. Sure, there’s Forza Horizon, but so few of Xbox’s first party titles have, up to this point, really showcased the power available to them. Starfield in particular made the Xbox look bad by being terribly optimized at launch.

In contrast, Sony’s first party titles, like Spider-Man 2 in particular, have squeezed every ounce of performance out of the hardware in impressive fashion. Xbox’s future games might give a better showing, but that’s only a “might”.

    🏆 Winner: Xbox Series X on a technicality

Ease of Use

Truth be told, both consoles have a pretty simple UI, and a general “set it and forget it” sort of experience. That, of course, is the whole point of having a console as opposed to gaming on a PC. You scroll to your game, press start, and play.

Both consoles give you exactly that.

    🏆 Winner: Tie

Backwards Compatibility

Both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 are pretty good about backwards compatibility, all things considered. The PS5 is backwards compatible with most PS4 games, and you can also play select PS 3/2/1 games… IF you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber.

The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, supports nearly all Xbox One games, as well as a solid selection of 360 and original Xbox games… with no subscription necessary. You just have to own the games either digitally or physically. Thanks to that, Xbox takes this win.

    🏆 Winner: Xbox

Privacy and Security 

Without going into a full analysis here, Xbox is slightly better about privacy. It collects just a tiny bit less of your personal data than PlayStation will, and Sony may share your data with third parties, and other services in the Sony network. Microsoft won’t do that.

Moreover, Sony and PlayStation are kind of notorious for getting hacked, where Xbox has a much better track record of keeping hackers out.

    🏆 Winner: Xbox Series X

Player Base

Due to selling a lot more consoles, the PlayStation 5 just has a bigger potential player base for online games. This isn’t such a big deal for games that have crossplay in any case, but some don’t. In those cases, the larger player pool makes quite a big difference in your ability to find matches quickly.

    🏆 Winner: PlayStation 5

Cross-Platform Cooperation

PlayStation was initially highly resistant to the idea of cross play in games. Frankly, it’s only due to the initiative of Xbox and Nintendo – and the insistent pleas from fans of a few highly popular online games – that Sony allowed game developers to implement crossplay at all.

Due to Microsoft’s heavy involvement in both the console and PC gaming scenes, Xbox is usually one of the first platforms to implement cross platform features, and in many cases it leads the way.

    🏆 Winner: Xbox Series X

PlayStation vs. Xbox: Pros and Cons

PlayStation Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Better game selection in terms of exclusives
  • More people to play with
  • Great ease of use
  • Solid backwards compatibility
  • Better controllers

Cons:

  • Slightly lower performance (technically)
  • Weaker privacy and security
  • Reluctant cross-platform participation
  • Slightly less-good game subscription

Xbox Pros and Cons

  • Better game subscription
  • Slightly better cloud gaming
  • Slightly better performance (technically)
  • Better privacy and security
  • Great ease of use
  • Leads the pack in cross platform cooperation
  • Better backward compatibility

Cons:

  • Fewer good exclusive games (may change)
  • Smaller player base
  • The Series S exists and we’re taking that personally
  • The controller isn’t bad, but it’s not a DualSense

PlayStation vs. Xbox: Which One Should You Choose?

Well, that’s the complicated thing. Going only by the number of categories in which the Xbox Series X is nominally the winner, I should say “Xbox,” right? That’d be the easy way out. And, if Xbox’s future games do as well as I hope, then it might be the right answer.

But I’m writing this now, and not in the future.

All the technical stuff is just window dressing unless you have games to play, and people to play with. Right now, Sony is still crushing it in terms of exclusives and playerbase. While crossplay is making the size of the playerbase a bit of a non-issue for some games, that doesn’t apply to all.

Until more Xbox exclusive games come out, I have to give the win to PlayStation. For now. But your own decision will ultimately depend on your own personal preferences.

Why You Need a VPN for Gaming

A good gaming VPN can elevate your console experience in a number of ways. First off, there’s better connections in general. A VPN can actually lower your ping in some circumstances, and will usually make your connection more stable, at least. Just connect to a VPN server that’s close to the game server, and go.

A VPN also adds an extra layer of security by hiding your IP address. This has the dual effect of helping you to avoid DDoS attacks, and giving you the ability to play games in other regions.

Why PIA Is the Best VPN for Consoles

Whether you need an Xbox VPN or a PS5 VPN, PIA has you covered. With just ten minutes and a VPN-enabled router (you need that for consoles), you can enjoy all the benefits.

PIA has 10-Gbps NextGen VPN servers in over 90 countries. These servers are finely-tuned to handle massive amounts of data, to keep up with your running, jumping, shooting, and dodging as you play. And with all those server locations, you can always find a server close to the game servers you want to play on.

PIA also uses robust VPN encryption to protect your data between your home network and the VPN server, and comes with advanced security and privacy features like a kill switch, the ability to choose your VPN protocol, a strict no-logs policy, and more. Combine that with a 30-day money-back guarantee for a fantastic VPN.

FAQ

Which console has more storage?

By default, the Xbox Series X has more storage, with a 1TB NVMe custom SSD. The PlayStation 5 has a custom SSD with 825GB. However, it’s worth noting that both options have options for expanded storage. It’s not cheap, but it’s available. Given how large games are getting, you’ll probably want expanded storage no matter which console you have.

Which console has better overall performance?

This an odd one. In terms of raw hardware, the Xbox Series X actually beats the PS5 by a whisker. Or rather, by .3GHz on the CPU, and 1.7 Teraflops on the GPU. However, few games, and very few of the Xbox’s first party exclusives, have truly shown that increased power and what it can do. Sony’s first party titles are, usually, better-optimized.

Will there be mid-gen refreshes of the PS5 and Xbox Series X?

Yes, yes, and yes. That is to say, the PS5 has already had something of a mid-gen refresh, but there are pretty solid rumors that we might see a PS5 Pro coming as well. Mind you, rumors are only that… but this one seems to have some legs. Meanwhile, we know for certain that a digital-only refresh of the Xbox Series X is coming.

Which has sold better: PS5 or Xbox Series X? Is PlayStation outselling Xbox?

According to VGChartz, the PS5 has sold nearly double the units: 54.17 million units in 39 months, vs 27.68 million units Xbox Series X and S combined. This is in large part due to the dearth of good Xbox exclusives, Xbox’s strategy of sharing focus with PC gamers, and the mere existence of the Series S, which many people regard as a mistake.

What is the most powerful console right now?

Until further notice, the Xbox Series X takes the title of “most powerful console”. We may see the balance upset if the rumored PS5 Pro actually shows up, but there’s no way to be absolutely sure. In any case, it’s been a close race between Xbox and PlayStation.

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