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[DonJorginho]

So I finally did it.

After months of searching around for any stock available anywhere that wasn't ridiculously priced without any success, yesterday I finally managed to buy a new/sealed Xbox Series X for £405 on a nifty little site called Gumtree. With this I finally completed my console collection for the generation.

I already had my PS5 DE and Xbox Series S, but was missing the power I wasn't getting from the S that the X had, and plus I wanted at least one of my consoles to be able to run discs, lowe and behold I finally have that option, but now I have a conundrum.

Some of you may see it as easy to solve, some of you may find it hard like me, some of you may just be wondering why this Kanye obsessed prick is still rambling on about nonsense and you're now deciding you've wasted the few precious seconds of your life you've spent reading this.

You see my problem is this, where should I get my third party games from now? For me each one has it's own advantages.

Xbox Series X - Can play on disc, will likely be the best performer out of the consoles for multi platform titles, supports VRR now, not through some phantom update that no-one knows anything about, if I buy a game digital can also use the Series S to carry over progress when in another room or travelling due to the small size of it.

PS5 DE- Ease of digital, Dualsense support could be great, most times I'll get faster loading probably through the old DE.

Up to now I had been using my PS5 DE as my main console and the Xbox Series S that I had as a BC system and a way to try out Xbox Exclusives like Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5 etc. But now I have access to the full power of the Series X and can play on Discs, maybe there is some reasoning as to maybe reconsider what path I go down.

As I said in the beginning, biggest first world problem bullshit ever, but I thought I could ask and get some feedback on what would be the best way to play my third party games this gen.

Hope you and your families are all doing well and keeping safe.

 

[ParaSeoul]

Xbox Series X -will likely be the best performer out of the consoles for multi platform titles

 

[Digity]

Whatever controller you like better or where more of your friends are.

 

[ParaSeoul]

£405 is a really good deal by the way

 

[DonJorginho]

The results have shown that?

At the start of the gen PS5 was taking the better results, and once developers got more used to the dev toolkits of the Series X we started seeing near identical results performance wise. This ain't no attempt to console war, I say later on in the post that I can always wait to see what version performs better and buy that one, just simply stating what we've seen so far mate

 

[NeonGhost]

Let me tell you about my lord and savior VRR

 

[ParaSeoul]

The results have shown that?

At the start of the gen PS5 was taking the better results, and once developers got more used to the dev toolkits of the Series X we started seeing near identical results performance wise. This ain't no attempt to console war, I say later on in the post that I can always wait to see what version performs better and buy that one, just simply stating what we've seen so far mate

Pretty much every game I've looked at had better performance on PS5,although the last ones I checked the performance videos on were the Matrix demo and Elden Ring demo so maybe its changed.

 

[DonJorginho]

Let me tell you about my lord and savior VRR

I'll need to hear the full pitch from Riky as well before making any final decisions

£405 is a really good deal by the way

I know right! Was close to spending £500 on CEX for an unboxed one when the listing popped up, guy was selling it for cheap to fund stuff for his newborn baby, it was all sealed and came with a receipt so I got the full warranty and all!

 

[DonJorginho]

Pretty much every game I've looked at had better performance on PS5,although the last ones I checked the performance videos on were the Matrix demo and Elden Ring so maybe its changed.

There was some graph that shown the results of most games the last year, the PS5 dominates but it shown near the end of the year that some things evened out, if I can find the graph made I'll attach it in here.

 

[ParaSeoul]

I know right! Was close to spending £500 on CEX for an unboxed one when the listing popped up, guy was selling it for cheap to fund stuff for his newborn baby, it was all sealed and came with a receipt so I got the full warranty and all!

Jokes on him,that baby doesn't even have game pass.

 

[DonJorginho]

Whatever controller you like better or where more of your friends are.

I love them both equally to be fair.... My friends are pretty evenly spread on both consoles and with crossplay enabled for most major multiplayer titles it will be easy either way to play.

Maybe it'll just be the case of waiting to see which version performs better going off DF videos and then picking the superior version up.

 

[TrueLegend]

Series X because it has VRR and with gamepass you get a huge library with many third party games. You can play Hitman Trilogy Now. 60 usd for 1 game or 4 month of gamepass. Mass Effect Legendary Edition too.

As for performance Xbox performs better due to higher resolution and VRR and improvements with updates that DF does not cover. Both PS5 and Series X can go toe to toe but PS5 has to go to 1800p where Xbox can do 2160 because it's lacks VRR and developers have to opt for lower resolution to give solid 60. A 59 fps in non VRR output is as bad as 45 fps with VRR.

Quick Resume is also a really good practical feature compared to gimmicks of dualsense which you can only enjoy in Astro's playroom for most part. Series X is way better in long term for 3rd party titles.

 

[Sosokrates]

I have an xsx and ps5 disc, which platform i play on is determined by cost, im not going buy a game on ps5 thats on gamepass and vice versa.

 

[Soodanim]

Digital Foundry do plenty of comparisons of multi-platform games. If you really want to decide which is best, wait for their comparisons before you buy

 

[GasTheWeebs]

PC > Series X > PS5 > Switch

 

[AV]

Ease of digital

Is the absolute worst excuse for fucking yourself out of reselling games you don't like. Ain't even a choice, chief

 

[Soodanim]

I don’t have either console, but Xbox’s quick game switch does seem like a very useful feature if you aren’t sure what you want to play

 

[spons]

I use my Xbox on a FreeSync monitor and that shit's a game changer.

 

[Soodanim]

Is the absolute worst excuse for fucking yourself out of reselling games you don't like. Ain't even a choice, chief

To be fair, if you still have to download a game and stick the disc in to play it, and digital refunds exist to help with the worst games, then I can see why people would want to go digital. Not everyone buys games that they will resell.

I’d still prefer physical for the most part, personally, but I wouldn’t begrudge anyone for going the digital route.

 

[AllyITA]

Whatever controller you like better or where more of your friends are.

this
for the rest of the differences you need Digital foundry to zoom in 400% and slow down the footage to 20% to see.

 

[AV]

To be fair, if you still have to download a game and stick the disc in to play it, and digital refunds exist to help with the worst games, then I can see why people would want to go digital. Not everyone buys games that they will resell.

I’d still prefer physical for the most part, personally, but I wouldn’t begrudge anyone for going the digital route.

If people have no interest in reselling or are very careful/lucky with their game purchases then sure, I will just never understand folks who pay $60 for a game, play it for two hours, hate it, then just accept that they've lost $60 and move on. More money than sense IMO.

 

[spons]

To be fair, if you still have to download a game and stick the disc in to play it, and digital refunds exist to help with the worst games, then I can see why people would want to go digital. Not everyone buys games that they will resell.

I’d still prefer physical for the most part, personally, but I wouldn’t begrudge anyone for going the digital route.

I went digital this generation. And yes, refunds at least on Xbox are easy to claim and quickly accepted in my experience. I did it for Diablo 2. You have to enter a reason during the claim, but I doubt they give a shit unless you've completed the entire game or something.

 

[cireza]

Series X looks like the better choice. There is Game Pass as well.

 

[GymWolf]

Why not stadia?

 

[spons]

If people have no interest in reselling or are very careful/lucky with their game purchases then sure, I will just never understand folks who pay $60 for a game, play it for two hours, hate it, then just accept that they've lost $60 and move on. More money than sense IMO.

Xbox doesn't enforce a 2 hour limit.

 

[DonJorginho]

Why not stadia?

 

[TrebleShot]

I am in a similar situation and have had both consoles for just under a year.

PS5 since launch
XSX since a coupe of months after

Playing on an LG C9

VRR - most overhyped non-noticeable feature that gets the most traction throughout the arguments etc...its just not that impressive and makes little to no difference.

I used XSX for MCC, Gears and Halo Infinite and will likely get more use out of it in the future.

PS5 has basically been my main console, the biggest differentiator being the DualSense controller which has mostly been implemented on the games I play, has a nicer user experience and there has been no visual difference between PS5 and XSX versions, you'll miss out more on DS implementation than you will on any performance deltas which are minimal.

 

[GymWolf]

Oh ok, you need time to think about it.

 

[AV]

Xbox doesn't enforce a 2 hour limit.

Which only drives the choice home further. Sony's refund policy is ass, don't tie yourself into all-digital on their platform.

 

[Nankatsu]

PC, easy.

 

[DonJorginho]

PC, easy.

too much of a casual i'm afraid

 

[Rudius]

I would go with PS5 for the Dualsense features. Performance differences between both are impossible to notice.

 

[plip.plop]

I have both the PS5 and Series X regardless of performance, I have leaned more towards the MS ecosystem. They have laid out their BC plan which makes it easier for me to move onto their next-gen system not having to wonder if those games are coming with me.

 

[Kimahri]

Two things that make me prefer Xbox SX.

1. Quick Resume

2. The PS5 is the biggest but fuckingly ugly thing that has ever entered my house. I hate it, and the SECOND there's a slim version I'm trading it in. Fuck that bloated monster.

 

[Banjo64]

Xbox is cheaper in the UK.

You can buy game codes from third party sellers like CD Keys which Sony stopped.

You can also buy and redeem a code from another region (Elden Ring is £25 for an Argentine code from Eneba) easily. All you do is activate a free VPN Chrome extension and then redeem on your standard MS account without needing to change region/address etc.

Plus MS have shown greater commitment to back compat, are you bothered about playing future Series X games at 120fps on the Series X2 etc?

I use Xbox for multiplats and PS for exclusives and From games. Plus this way I just have 1 subscription (Game Pass Ultimate) as most of Sony’s games are single player.

 

[SoggyBiscuit]

For multiplat SX is an easy choice. Though I'm surprised the supposed power gap that exists hasn't been utilised by any devs whatsoever, at least not from any evidence presented by DF, NX Gamer or any other analysis channel.

Well done on securing the SX at a reasonable price though dude.

 

[spons]

Xbox is cheaper in the UK.

You can buy game codes from third party sellers like CD Keys which Sony stopped.

You can also buy and redeem a code from another region (Elden Ring is £25 for an Argentine code from Eneba) easily. All you do is activate a free VPN Chrome extension and then redeem on your standard MS account without needing to change region/address etc.

Plus MS have shown greater commitment to back compat, are you bothered about playing future Series X games at 120fps on the Series X2 etc?

I use Xbox for multiplats and PS for exclusives and From games. Plus this way I just have 1 subscription (Game Pass Ultimate) as most of Sony’s games are single player.

I have only just found out about this. Some of their offers are dirt cheap. Is this legit? Where do they get all those codes anyway?

 

[DonJorginho]

I have only just found out about this. Some of their offers are dirt cheap. Is this legit? Where do they get all those codes anyway?

It is 100% legit, I use them all the time to get games for cheap.

 

[FingerBang]

I have both, I don't have a main one. I buy games where they are cheaper or where a specific feature might be of use. Most games perform identically.

 

[RafterXL]

I don't see how anyone, who already owns both systems, can look back at the past 5+ years of differences between how Miceosoft handles their ecosystem compared to how Sony handles theirs, and comes away thinking this is even a choice. Everything from BC to enhancements to current gen upgrades and pricing schemes favors Xbox and it's not even particularly close.

Playstation = exclusives
Xbox = everything else

 

[Banjo64]

I have only just found out about this. Some of their offers are dirt cheap. Is this legit? Where do they get all those codes anyway?

Just sign up for Xbox alerts on hotukdeals. There’s various third party sales sites foreign codes. There’s some regions you don’t even need a VPN for. This morning I bought the new Skyrim anniversary edition/Fallout 4 GOTY bundle for £3.74 direct from the Hungarian Xbox store. Took 20 seconds.

 

[Nankatsu]

too much of a casual i'm afraid

In all seriousness, I think you can flex your way throw it, you don't necessarily need to play all third party games in one specific console.

Since you have them all, go case by case.

I think you're creating a problem where there isn't none.

 

[Riky]

I buy all third party games for Xbox entirely digitally as you can get them from third party key sellers sometimes cheaper than on disc, plus smart delivery is a big bonus with how the save structure works.
PS exclusives I buy discs and the PS4 version if available so I can still use my PS4 Pro.

 

[Pantz]

My main reason for picking third parties on Xbox is their messaging of being respectful to people's digital libraries. So I feel a bit safer about my games still working on even the next Xbox consoles. And the backwards compatibility team seems to always be looking for more ways to boost older games. Might not be a big deal if you mostly play new games.

Secondary reasyons
- prefer Xbox controller
- prefer achievements
- microsoft rewards/game pass quests earn me free games

 

[Y0ssarian]

Buy everything I want to own on PS5. Use Series X for Game Pass and backwards compatibility