The PS5 Pro offers stunning fidelity and butter-smooth performance, without a trade-off – but this comes at an eye-watering price.
For
- Provides noticeable performance and visual upgrades over the regular PS5
- Having both fidelity and performance due to PSSR is dreamy
- Extra brilliant with 120Hz displays
- 2TB of storage is excellent – plus there’s more usable storage on board by default
- Wi-Fi 7 is a welcome boost
Against
- Graphical advancements are broadly subtle and not hugely transformative
- No disk drive or stand included is poor
- High price tag means its value is questionable
The Xbox Series X is a solid gaming performance that offers smooth performance and impressive fidelity – at a more affordable price.
For
- SSD grants super-fast load times
- Dolby Vision and Atmos support
- Supports up to 4K/120Hz
- Best-in-class backward compatibility
Against
- Exclusives lacking without Game Pass
- Minimal UI improvements
The PS5 Pro is finally out, but how does Sony‘s upgraded machine compare to Microsoft‘s powerful Xbox Series console? We’ve reviewed both machines and are here to tell you the key similarities and differences between the consoles so you know which best suits your gaming needs.
From the price and design to the specs and performance, we’re breaking down how the PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X compare so you can decide whether to buy a PS5 Pro or keep your eyes peeled for the best Xbox deals.
Rather stay in the PlayStation ecosystem? Check out our PS5 Pro vs PS5 guide, which breaks down how the upgraded console compares to the original.
PS5 Pro vs Xbox Series X: Price and Value
Unless you’re Scrooge McDuck, price is always a key factor when weighing up which console you should buy – and there’s a big disparity between the PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X price tags.
The PS5 Pro currently retails at an eye-watering $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,199, more than $200 more than the RRP of the PS5 Slim. That’s a lot of money, especially considering it’s an all-digital console and that you need to buy a vertical stand and disc drive separately – taking the price to $820 / £825 (roughly AU$1641.79).
By comparison, a standard, 1TB Xbox Series X – with a disc drive – retails for $499 / £479.99 / AU$799. If you’re happy with an all-digital console, you can pick it up for $449.99 / £429.99 / AU$699 or get the 2TB Galaxy Black edition for $599.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.
An Xbox Series X costs considerably less than a PS5 Pro, with the Pro over $200 more. So, if price is a crucial factor in your purchase decision, the Xbox Series X is the more affordable option – and we regularly see bundle deals on it around sales periods. With the PS5 Pro still fairly new, it’ll likely be a good few months – if not a year – before we see sizeable discounts.
The PS5 Pro comes with some more advanced features, which we break down below, but it’s still hard to justify its current premium price tag unless you’re a PlayStation enthusiast. The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, offers a solid gaming experience for considerably less.
PS5 Pro vs Xbox Series X: Specs and Performance
Here are the full list of specs for the PS5 Pro and the Xbox Series X:
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | PS5 Pro | Xbox Series X |
| Price | $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,199 | $499 / £479.99 / AU$799 |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 15.2 x 3.5 x 8.5in / 388 x 89 x 216mm | 6 x 11.6 x 6in / 151mm x 301 mm x 151mm |
| Weight | 6.8lbs / 3.1kg | 9.8 lbs / 4.45kg |
| Storage capacity | Custom 2TB SSD | 1TB NVMe SSD |
| Storage expansion | M.2 NVMe SSD slot; external storage via USB | Seagate or Western Digital PCIe 4.0 Storage Expansion Card slot; external storage via USB |
| Connectivity | WiFi 7, ethernet, Bluetooth 5.1 | WiFi 6, ethernet |
| CPU | 8 core / 16 thread AMD Zen 2 | 8-core / 3.8GHz AMD Zen 2 |
| GPU | 16.7 TFLOPs, AMD Radeon, RDNA-based graphics engine | 12.0 TFLOPs, AMD RDNA 2 |
| Memory/RAM | 16GB GDDR6 / 2GB DDR5 | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Upscaling | PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution Upscaling) | Supports 8K HDR and can upscale to 4K |
| Ports | 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x Ethernet, 2 x USB-C, 2 x USB-A | 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Ethernet, 3 USB 3.0, x1 storage expansion slot |
There are some key differences between the PS5 Pro and the Xbox Series X. First, the PS5 Pro comes with more storage, a whopping 2TB, as opposed to the standard Xbox Series X’s 1TB. You can expand the storage for both consoles, and a 2TB Xbox Series X is available, but ultimately, the PS5 Pro has more native storage, so you can download a heap of games before running out of room – and you’ll need it with no disc drive.
The PS5 Pro has 67% more compute units and 28% faster memory than the standard PS5, meaning games render 45% faster. Alongside this, its advanced ray-tracing, beefier graphics card, and the implementation of PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) upscaling tech means you don’t have to choose between fidelity and performance – you can get both in an impressive package. While PS5 Pro enhanced games benefit from this the most, this machine also boosts non-enhanced PS5 and PS4 games.
The Xbox Series X, by comparison, is still impressive. Thanks to its 3.8GHz CPU and 12 teraflops GPU, the Xbox Series X is natively super fast, so your games run smoothly while being graphically impressive. Xbox Series X-optimized titles make the most of the console’s capabilities, running at a faster, more steady framerate (up to 120fps) with heightened visuals.
The PS5 Pro has more of an edge when it comes to performance and graphics, however, with a six-thread AMD Zen 2 CPU and 16.7 teraflops GPU meaning it can offer a high standard of both at the same time.
If you’re looking for solid performance and graphics, you can’t go wrong with the Xbox Series X, but if you want a higher standard of performance and fidelity – and the latest gaming tech – the PS5 Pro is the better option.
PS5 Pro vs Xbox Series X: Design and Dimensions
Design is often a matter of personal opinion, but if you’re wondering whether aesthetically (and spatially) your console will fit into your home, here’s what you need to know.
The PS5 Pro is slightly bigger than the Slim, measuring 15.2 x 3.5 x 8.5 inches. The Pro has a futuristic design, matte white with black detailing, and its height is the main thing you’ll need to contend with when finding it a home. At the time of writing, there are no variations on design or official plates available to customize the design.
The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, is chunkier, weighing over a kilogram more. It’s got more width (but less height) than the Pro, measuring 6 x 11.6 x 6 inches, but the sleek, black matte design makes it unimposing. There are also options for other designs if you want something a bit different.
Both consoles are quiet and offer a multitude of ports that should suit all your needs. The biggest difference, however, is that the PS5 Pro doesn’t come with a disc drive – if you want one, you need to buy it separately, which increases the cost further.
PS5 Pro vs Xbox Series X: Verdict
Whether you opt for an Xbox Series X or PS5 Pro will depend on a few factors. The games you want to play is important – both systems still have their own exclusives, at least to a degree.
However, away from games, the main one is probably going to be your budget. The PS5 Pro costs considerably more, but for this price tag, you get the latest console tech, which means improved performance and fidelity – without having to trade one for the other.
If you’re a PlayStation enthusiast or want a console that boasts cutting-edge technology, the PS5 Pro is worth considering. If you’re not fussed about a bunch of bells and whistles and simply want a solid console that provides a high-end gaming experience – without the extra expense – then you can’t go wrong with the Xbox Series X.
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