After Many Years, Xbox Has Beat the PlayStation

The console wars began soon after the creation of both the Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and since then, each has had its own set of pros and cons over various generations. The original Xbox featured an internal hard disk drive, while the PlayStation 2 supported an HDD but required you to purchase an adapter and a separate hard drive. Xbox Live was also superior to PlayStation’s multiplayer support at the time. The Xbox 360 couldn’t play Blu-ray discs, whereas PlayStation made Blu-ray a standard feature. There are many other features I could outline, but I won’t—because I can’t be bothered to do so.

Each console had its own exclusive games, just like today. However, you wouldn’t find those exclusives on the other platform after a few years of slowing sales (cough… The Last of Us). For many people, exclusives were a major deciding factor when purchasing a console. You chose the console based on which games seemed the most interesting to you, or in some cases, simply based on loyalty. I had a PlayStation 2 as a kid, then a PlayStation 3, before buying an Xbox 360 because I wanted to play Gears of War. Nowadays, I can just buy Gears of War on PC without needing to own an Xbox console. Which leads me to my next point.

The major misstep for PlayStation is their lack of PC support. Xbox has always had the PC market in its corner, as Microsoft owns the Windows Operating System. Since the majority of PC owners today use a Windows-based OS, Microsoft and Xbox Studios have been able to convert those users into potential customers by introducing Game Pass. Owning an Xbox One or Series X alongside a PC allows you to take advantage of Game Pass Ultimate. I can play a game on my desktop in my office, save my progress, then walk into my bedroom or living room, boot up my Xbox, and pick up right where I left off.

I’ve always been a fan of physical media over digital, and I still am. That’s why when Xbox announced Game Pass and Sony introduced PlayStation Plus, I couldn’t care less. The thought of paying to play online coupled with “owning” a digital product didn’t sit well with me. However, I do have a rather large Steam library. I understand those titles are digital, and I don’t truly own any of them. I only buy games digitally on PC when all of my friends are doing so as well. If the game is single-player, I prefer it on console. Game Pass Ultimate changed the way I play, solely because of the cross-platform integration. I love the fact that I can set up an Xbox in any room and have a “gaming PC” right there, without needing a fancy build. It makes my life far easier.

PlayStation simply cannot compete with the cross-platform integration Xbox has with PC. Not to mention, the next version of Xbox will feature Steam support, bringing even more titles to the console alongside PlayStation Studio games. Yes, you’ll be able to play PlayStation titles on the Xbox through the Steam integration on the next-gen Xbox release. However, we are still some time away from this, and it is subject to change.

Throughout the years, Xbox and PlayStation consoles have been pretty close when it comes to answering the question of which console is the best. It really comes down to personal preference. For modern-day gaming, Xbox surpasses PlayStation, mainly because of its integrations. I’m not getting into performance, because at the end of the day, it’s a console. If you want performance, build a PC.

If you are a PlayStation fan or an Xbox fan, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you enjoy the hobby and you’re supporting the industry. Downside is consoles are dying and I have a grim opinion of what the future holds for gaming consoles. Who knows, maybe Nintendo might beat everyone.