The age of 4K gaming is already here with the launch of PS4 PRO and XBOX ONE X. People who were involved in the gaming niche didn’t quite think that gaming devices with 4k rendering capability would come into play anytime soon. But all of their thoughts were destroyed with the giants in the console gaming industry such as Sony Ps4 and XBOX ONE X. Both the Xbox series and the PlayStation series were known rivals from the very beginning.
Though there are no consoles as of now to match the performances of the XBOX ONE X and PS4 PRO, when they are put head to head, both have their advantages and disadvantages. Let’s find out the best console tailored to your needs.
• Starting off with the GPU:
A massive improvement has been seen in both the consoles from their predecessors. Probably, the most significant gain would be in the GPU section itself. The PS4 Pro houses a 4.2 TFLOP GPU while the XBOX ONE X housing a 6 TFLOP GPU. RAM spec of the PS4 Pro is 8GB of RAM with an additional GB of RAM for the background processes. The XBOX ONE X beats the PS4 in this aspect too with a massive 12GB of RAM. Both of the consoles have GDDR5 type RAM.
Verdict: The XBOX ONE X has better GPU specs and RAM specs than PS4 one. So, in this category, it’s seen that the XBOX ONE X has the upper hand.
• Moving onto the CPU
The CPUs of both the consoles have also got slight improvements over their previous versions. Though both the consoles consist of 8 cores, XBOX ONE X is better in this scenario since the CPU runs at 2.3 GHz compared to the 2.1 GHz of the PS4 Pro.
Verdict: Though the difference in processor speed is very minute and is negligible, on a comparative basis, the XBOX ONE X is the winner here too.
• Let’s talk about the performances of both the consoles here:
Regarding the case of PS4 Pro, there was a controversy that it never ran games in 4k resolution. That is, in native 4k resolution. They were thought to run games in a resolution almost as close to 4k and then using some upscaling techniques managed to run it in proper 4k resolution.
While in the case of XBOX ONE X, it ran all the games at native 4k which was entirely possible with the powerful GPU it housed.
Verdict: Though the XBOX ONE should be the winner in this regard, the image quality of games is almost unnoticeable in both the consoles. So, we clearly cannot say who the winner was in this category.
• Cost for both the consoles
The Sony PlayStation Pro comes at a launch price of 400$ while the XBOX ONE X comes with a launch price of 500$.
Verdict: As you can see from above, the PS4 Pro is cheaper out of the two with a considerable difference in the price tag.
• Selection of games
The hardware specs of the consoles do not matter to many. This is not a gaming rig being assembled but a console. When it comes to consoles, the only concern is which all games it can support.
The number of game selection choices differ to a considerable extent. PlayStation always had a higher number of options that Xbox from the very beginning. This is one of the sole reasons why PlayStation fared better than XBOX in the console gaming market.
• Compatibility regarding older generation games
The best part about XBOX ONE X is that, unlike its older generation versions, the ONE X allows backward compatibility. This means that you can play all your older titles of XBOX series in the new ONE X.
This is a feature that is found missing in PS4 PRO for free. The reason we said like that is because PS4 Pro only allows backward compatibility with paid subscription via PlayStation Network.
It has other cons too such as you have to pay an annual subscription fee of 100$ which is costly and not worth the money because PlayStation Network does not support all the older titles too. Also, you will have to have an internet speed of 5Mbits/sec too at least to get decent playable speed.
Verdict: XBOX ONE X beats PlayStation Pro hands down in this regard, and there is no argument on that!
• Moving on to Online Gameplay
The PS Plus subscription is required to access online gameplay. The cost for an annual subscription is 60$. PS plus allows you to access many free titles per month and you can keep the games as long as you want until the plan expires. Also, PS plus gives discounts to all its users in the PS store.
When it comes to XBOX ONE X, they too have XBOX Live Gold plan which allows you to access all the titles in the XBOX series. The best part is that since XBOX is backward compatible, it will let you play all the games online when the plan is active. Also, XBOX Live’s subscription fee is only 40$ when compared to the 60$ for PlayStation+.
Verdict: The PS plus offers quite a lot of selection, but the cost is more. In this category too, XBOX ONE X beats the PS4 Pro since it is cost effective and also is backward compatible.
- The internal storage space is the same for both the consoles. Both of them offer 1 TB space of hard drive space.
- The Blu-Ray player on the PS4 Pro is a regular one. The one on the XBOX ONE X will support 4K.
• Let’s dive right into the build quality.
The PS4 Pro is an all Matte finish which looks very premium in the black attire it sports. Also, the dimensions resemble a rhombus-like shape with a USB port at the back. A problem with the PS4 Pro is that it is vulnerable to scratches and porting it from one place to another can result in a lot of scratches.
When considering the case of XBOX, the design is pretty much essential. It looks quite familiar to its older generations and is solidly built. Even though it has no “wow” elements regarding physical aspects, the console has the XBOX family feel to it.
Verdict: The PS4 PRO certainly has got the aesthetics, but regarding build quality, the XBOX would be the winner here since it is not very susceptible to scratches as the Sony’s Console.
• Bandwidth usage for both these consoles:
A fast internet connection is a definite must if you need to download updates for your system or even patches. When it comes to 4K, the file size will get even more prominent, and therefore your monthly internet data cap should also be very high.
When it comes to the XBOX, the files that need to be downloaded are pretty big. You can easily see yourself even exceeding a whopping 1 TB per month for all your game updates and downloads. But this is not the case with Sony. The PS4 is generous enough to make your download requirements to around 300-400 GB per month which is a considerable advantage compared to the XBOX.
Verdict: The PS4 Pro is the winner in this regards.
The Pros and Cons Of PS4 Pro:
Pros
PS4 has better value for money than the XBOX. The difference in 100$ is a considerable margin which should be taken into consideration. The PlayStation also supports VR, unlike the XBOX ONE X.
Cons:
The backward compatibility is something that Sony’s console lacks in. This is a significant drawback because XBOX supports it flawlessly. Also, the PS4 does not support native 4K though it does not make much of a difference.
The Pros and Cons Of XBOX ONE X:
Pros:
The XBOX ONE X supports native 4K and lives up to the expectations considering that aspect. It also has a 4K Blu-Ray player and better hardware than the PlayStation.
Cons:
The lack of VR support is a drawback for the XBOX as well as its hefty price tag.
The Final Verdict
There is no clear winner because both are excellent choices according to the user’s needs. If you want powerful hardware and native 4K support, then the XBOX is the ultimate choice. Also since XBOX is backward compatible, you can very well enjoy all the XBOX classics. But the price does take a toll and also there is no VR support. If you are looking for VR support as well as a Blu-Ray player at a reduced cost, then the PS4 pro is the right choice. Even though PS4 does not support native 4K, the difference in clarity is very negligible and hence not a significant drawback. Maybe because of these reasons is that PS4 is still dominating the gaming console market.
With that said, the choice is yours. Both of these are the best in the world, and there is just no replacement for these!