PS5 vs Xbox Series X: what we know so far

We've also got the lowdown on a number of features such as Smart Delivery, which will let you play the "best possible version" of a game you've bought on the Xbox One, without having to purchase it again.Sony, however, hasn't given away many details on the PS5 quite yet - but we're expecting that to change in February, with the rumored PS5 reveal event.We may not know a huge amount about what these next-generation consoles are packing under the hood, but what we do know is that their release dates are at the same time, so they'll be going directly head-to-head, most likely splitting gamers once again into camp 'Xbox' or 'PlayStation'.The upcoming console launches represent big stakes for both manufacturers, with Sony's lead in the current console war up for grabs as new high-powered hardware hits the market. But can the Xbox Series X take the crown, and what will the new consoles actually do differently from the older Xbox One and PS4?We've put together this Xbox Series X vs PS5 guide to put both next-gen consoles under the microscope, and gauge whether what we know about their pricing (definitely expensive), release date (late 2020), and hardware capabilities (lots) can tell us about the future of console gaming.Though it was Sony to make the first move, giving the first concrete details about its PS5 back in April 2019, Microsoft’s E3 2019 showcase showed that both companies appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet with their new machines’ internal specs. A blog post by PlayStation said that haptic feedback technology would replace last-gen "rumble" features, while "adaptive triggers" will be able to recreate different levels of resistance for different weapon loadouts or types of terrain you might be navigating in-game.The Xbox Series X, at this stage, is looking startlingly similar.It too will use custom AMD internals using the same Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architecture of the PS5, making it 4x more powerful than the Xbox One X – this generation’s most technically-impressive gaming hardware.It too will be able to run content (if not games) at an 8K resolution, and it too will support 120Hz refresh rates. So you can buy a game like the Cyberpunk 2077 for Xbox One, safe in the knowledge you'll get to play the souped-up version on the Xbox Series X at no additional cost.Microsoft also announced a Quick Resume feature that will let you have multiple games paused on the console at once, and pick up where you left off "from a suspended state almost instantly, returning you to where you were and what you were doing, without waiting through long loading screens." We'll be getting Variable Rate Shading (VRS) to "prioritize individual effects on specific game characters or important environmental objects" too.It’s worth mentioning that rumors surrounding Xbox Series X have also involved the possibilities of there being another disc-less console on the horizon codenamed Project lockhart. While Sony has claimed the PS5 will be much more energy efficient than its predecessor, the PS4, analysis by Digital Foundry suggests Series X will be pulling twice the power of the Xbox One X – and putting out more heat as a result.It’s early doors for the new next-gen consoles, but already we’re getting a picture of the sort of experiences you can expect to see on the Xbox Series X and the PS5. How deep Microsoft goes on the libraries of the other generations remains to be seen, but it’s been relatively generous in their support during the Xbox One’s lifetime.We currently don't know any of the PS5's launch titles but we do know the likes of Watch Dogs: Legion and Godfall will be making their way to Sony's next-gen platform.