When Microsoft introduced its Xbox Series X, it made it clear that it was the most powerful console on the market. Its peculiar configuration allowed it to have a greater graphical power at the numbers level than PS5However, with the launch of the new PS5 Pro, all of this is set to change quickly. But by how much exactly?
CPU differences
The main component of the consoles is not exactly what determines the winner. Both proposals are based on the same platform, the AMD Zen 2 Octa-Core, although depending on the console, one is capable of working at a higher speed than another. Xbox Series X reaches a maximum frequency of 3,8 GHz, while PS5 Pro, like PS5, stays at 3,5 GHz. This indicates that Xbox Series X is slightly superior (even when working in multithread at the limited 3,6 GHz), but it is not something that is especially differentiating.
GPU: What really matters
The key is, obviously, in the GPU. The custom Xbox design features an AMD RDNA 2 with 52 computing units running at 1,82 GHz, which translates to a processing power of 12,15 teraflops. This is the famous figure that made Xbox the winner on paper, since PS5 stayed at 10,28 teraflops with its 36 computing units at 2,23 GHz.
Now, as shared by Sony, PS5 Pro features 67% more computing units, which could translate into approximately 60 CUs that could deliver just over 17 TFLOPS. However, these calculations are mere speculation, as Sony has not gone into much detail at the moment.
In any case, given what we've seen, it seems clear that PS5 Pro will be more powerful than Xbox Series X at the GPU level, something more than expected considering the promised performance.
Other differences
Something highly criticized about PS5 Pro is the absence of Blu-ray disc reader. This component must be purchased separately, so the final price of the console rises even further. This does not happen with Xbox Series X, since the design of the console includes the reader from the first version that hit the market.
In terms of storage, both consoles have a 2 TB version (by default on PS5 Pro and a higher model on Xbox Series X), although there is an interesting detail to highlight in PS5 Pro, and that is that the included RAM is 28% faster than the normal PS5 version, something that we should find more details about in the coming months.
Finally, it is also worth mentioning that PS5 Pro includes a slot for SSD drives, while Xbox Series X relies on the proprietary format of the expansion modules (of the Compact Flash Express Type B type).
Which console is better?
It's true that at the level of specifications we might not find too many differences, but it is those small changes introduced in PS5 Pro that allow for superior performance. According to Sony, The idea is to offer 4K without limits and without having to force the user to choose between different performance modes., so that the experience is the best at all times. Something that Xbox Series X does not achieve.
The problem is that in practice it doesn't look like all games will be able to reach native 4K, as AI-powered scaling techniques will be used with the new PlayStation Super Spectral Resolution to achieve great resolution without strangling the GPU. For that reason, at this point the purchase might not be justified for some users, so we'll have to wait for more details to find out the full performance and specifications of the new console.