We compare today’s two best gaming consoles: PlayStation 4 Pro vs XBOX One X. Find out which one’s the best in our in-depth guide.
PlayStation 4 Pro or the Xbox One X? These two gaming consoles are still battling head-to-head thanks to the advanced features compared to their predecessors. But which one should you get? If you have the money to buy both, then that’s really not a problem. Of course, not everyone can do that, so which one should you choose? Is it the PlayStation 4 Pro or the Xbox One X?
In this post, you’ll see a breakdown of the notable features of each console compared to one another. By the end of this, you’ll be able to know which one you should buy depending on your preferences, budget, and priority.
A Quick Overview on the Consoles
As you already know, Xbox One X is Microsoft’s most competitive console. Aside from being the newest, this iteration of the Xbox One has put it on the map, making it a console worth looking at. Why? It’s mainly because it’s powerful and compact that you would prefer it over the PlayStation 4 Pro.
On the other hand, you have the more popular console – the PlayStation 4 Pro. The PS4 Pro is much more affordable than the Xbox One X, and it also has a lot of exclusive games that any kind of gamer will enjoy.
Need more details? Don’t worry; here are those aspects broken down and compared.
Hardware and Design
First up is hardware. If you’ve seen a PS4 and you’re expecting a smaller and more compact, then you’ll be disappointed with the PS4 Pro. The latter is a lot bulkier and larger with 15.6 x 11.6 x 2.6 inches. However, it is a lot lighter than its predecessor.
The problem with the PS4 Pro is that it’s bulky in design. It’s a stack of three slim rectangular boxes, and although those boxes are slip, they’re rather voluminous. It’s like looking at flatter VHS tapes which give you a sense of nostalgia to the ‘80s. Nonetheless, what’s great about the design is you can put your PS4 Pro vertically or horizontally, depending on the case. Prop it up if you want to make it look a little more modern.
The Xbox One X is lighter and more compact. It’s only 11.8 x 9.4 x 2.3 inches which let you place it in smaller spaces. The only problem here is it’s a lot heavier. Though you wouldn’t be carrying it all over your house, it does look like its weight.
In all honesty, when it comes to the modern design, the Xbox One X does not fall far from the PS4 Pro because it also looks like your ordinary DVD or VHS player. It only comes in matte black which makes it look dull than if it had a more modern splash of color. It’s two rectangular boxes stacked on top of each other with the logo on the right-hand side. And no, you can’t place the Xbox One X vertically.
There’s no clear winner here for the hardware and design because it depends on your taste and the space you have at home. It’s not an aspect you would typically think long on because they’re not exactly the primary things people care about when it comes to consoles.
CPU, GPU, and Performance
What about performance? Now that is something people care about. When you talk about performance in consoles, you’re talking about the CPU, GPU, and the 4K or HDR support. For the 4K and HDR, you’ll be glad to know that both consoles support them so it’s a tie for that. But again, it all comes down to the other specs.
For the CPU and GPU, Xbox One X definitely wins. It has an 8-core 2.3 GHz CPU and a GPU of 1.17 GHz. The GPU also has an AMD Polaris architecture that gives a total computing power of 6 teraflops. On the other hand, the PS4 Pro falls a little short in this department with just an 8-core 2.1 GHz CPU. Although it also has the same AMD Polaris architecture that the Xbox One X has, it falls short with 4.2-teraflop computing power.
What does this all mean? If you have no idea what was just said, then this is what you can take away from this comparison – that the Xbox One X is more powerful and has a gameplay of 60 frames per second. This means a more fluid and consistent CPU and GPU are working in the background.
For obvious reasons, the Xbox One X wins this round. Take note, though, that just because the PlayStation 4 Pro is not as powerful doesn’t mean that it gives a lousy performance or that it’s too slow that the graphics can’t keep up. It’s really not like that. For the keen observers, you will notice that the Xbox One X does perform well and more fluidly, but the PS4 Pro is not half bad. To the untrained eye, it’s still a great console with a good CPU and GPU.
Interface
Fortunately, both the PS4 Pro’s and the Xbox One X’s interfaces are modern and sleek enough for anyone to love. It all comes down to how comfortable you are with their distinct features.
When it comes to the Xbox One X’s interface, it looks similar enough to a Windows operating software. If you use a Windows PC, going about the whole interface will be easy and comfortable. It has small to large tiles that make it look like a large dashboard of the newest and the most popular games and channels.
On the other hand, the PS4 Pro’s interface is similar to its successor’s UI. It’s relatively easy to use, especially with the icons that correspond to games, TV, web, and sharing. The PS4 Pro has done right to make game-sharing easy both on the interface and on the controller.
The PS4 Pro’s controller has a specific button that allows for game-sharing and screenshot-taking all throughout the game. This feature also allows you to share your photos and videos of your game to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and even on YouTube.
Deciding which has the best interface depends mainly on a person’s preferences. Since the PlayStation 4 Pro makes it easy to share your games with your friends, it’s become more preferred by many people. However, if you’re more comfortable with the Windows-like interface, you’ll appreciate the Xbox’s attempt to replicate a similar user interface.
Price
When you have budget restraints, it’s easy to choose which one is better. The more affordable among the two (even though they’re not exactly “affordable”), is the PS4 Pro. It retails at $399 but you can get them in bundles or discounts depending on where you buy it. The bundles often come with a few free games.
On the pricier end is the Xbox One X which retails for $499. As you can see, it’s a hundred dollars more than your PS4 Pro which makes a lot of people’s heads turn. Sure, it’s powerful and more compact, but is it worth the price? That’s for you to decide.
When deciding if something is worth it, it all comes down to how much it is priced relative to the specs it offers and if you are going to use it as much. For the Xbox One X, the price got affected by the CPU and the GPU, which is somewhat justified given that you get a more consistent and fluid gaming experience. For others, this is worth putting their money on.
If you’re looking for the cheaper one, the PlayStation 4 Pro tops this round.
Game Library
Which has the most celebrated games? There’s no doubt that the PS4 Pro is way ahead of the Xbox One X in having popular and great games when it comes to exclusive games. Some of the former’s best picks are The Last of Us: Remastered, Nioh, Uncharted 4, God of War, and Spider-Man. This list of games alone makes you already want to get your hands on the PS4 Pro to play right away.
As for the Xbox One X, the games aren’t that bad with exclusive games such as Forza Horizon 4, Cuphead, Halo 5: Guardians, and Sea of Thieves. However, Microsoft has to catch up with Sony if it wants to increase the exclusive games they provide.
If you’re set to buy the Xbox One X and feel disheartened by the lack of games, you still have hope. There are still independent game developers that offer a ton of fun, exciting, and exciting games that you can play on both consoles.
To add to that, the Xbox One X also allows games compatible with the Xbox 360. This means that you can play so many different games and versions from other Xbox models. You can also play and share them on your PC.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is a big hit today and it’s going to keep on being famous. Is your future console VR-equipped? Unfortunately, the Xbox One X is not. Initially, Microsoft unveiled plans of making their PS4 Pro suitable for VR, but apparently, this did not fly.
Fortunately for PlayStation fans, the PS4 Pro is VR-enabled if you have the PlayStation VR headset. It’s bought separately from the console and it costs another $399. Yes, it’s that expensive. While the headset is expensive, gamers might find this new addition to give a whole different experience to their PS4 Pro games.
Which One Should You Get?
And now for the decision – are you supposed to get an Xbox One X or a PlayStation 4 Pro? Here’s a summary of what the Xbox One X has better over the PS4 Pro and vice-versa. Hardware and design are excluded here since these highly depend on a person’s preference.
First, interface. The PS4 Pro wins this round because while Xbox One X has an excellent interface, it’s not as user-friendly for game-sharing and posting online. PS4 Pro, however, has an ideal user experience for game-sharing. You can easily access it on the console and the homepage.
The second is the price. Are you a sucker for affordable things? If you are, then you’ll love the fact that the PS4 Pro is a lot more affordable compared to the Xbox One X. It’s at least $100 cheaper so you don’t have to use up all your savings.
What about the games? Well, even if the PS4 Pro has the upper hand here, there are also great games that are exclusive to the Xbox One X. For this department, it really depends on the games you play and enjoy. But if it’s in terms of the number of exclusive games that have made it to the most popular list, then the PS4 Pro definitely has a slight advantage.
Finally, virtual reality. Face it, not everyone’s a fan of VR, and even if they are, it’s still not entirely worth it to shell out another $399 for a headset. Unfortunately, you can only enjoy VR on the PS4 Pro because the Xbox One X does not support VR.
Based on this comparison, it’s pretty clear that the PlayStation 4 Pro has a lot more points than the Xbox One X. For Xbox One X lovers, don’t fret. This console is still more powerful and compact, which is also a great plus for people looking for a sleek-looking box with superb performance.
Conclusion
Both consoles have their strengths and weaknesses, but as you might already know, picking consoles almost always depends on your preferences and priorities. Do you look for power and design more? Then it’s the Xbox One X. Do you prioritize the gaming library, and do you have budget restraints? Then the PS4 Pro is obviously a better fit. It’s really up to you to decide, and hopefully, the comparison above has helped you know which one to buy.