Sony
Sony PlayStation 5 Pro
$699
Released 2024-11
Best Game Consoles · head-to-head
Sony PlayStation 5 Pro vs Microsoft Xbox Series X
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Microsoft Xbox Series X is cheaper at $499. Every spec and price links to its source.
Microsoft
Microsoft Xbox Series X
$499Cheaper
Released 2020-11
Which is better: the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro or Microsoft Xbox Series X?
The Sony PlayStation 5 Pro wins 2 of the 2 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 0. The Microsoft Xbox Series X is the cheaper at $499. Get the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro for the stronger spec sheet, the Microsoft Xbox Series X to spend less.
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Key specs, head to head
The numbers that decide it, drawn to scale — longer bar wins, the accent bar is the stronger figure.
Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | Sony PlayStation 5 Pro | Microsoft Xbox Series X |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $699 | $499 |
| Brand | Sony | Microsoft |
| Released | 2024-11 | 2020-11 |
| CPU | Custom AMD Zen 2 8-core @ 3.85 GHz | Custom AMD Zen 2 8-core @ 3.8 GHz |
| GPU (TFLOPS) | 18.05 | 12.155 |
| RAM (GB) | 16 | 16 |
| Storage (GB) | 2000 | 1000 |
| Max resolution | 4K | 4K |
| Max (fps) | 120 | 120 |
| Optical drive | No | Yes |
| Release | 2024-11 | 2020-11 |
Sources — Sony PlayStation 5 Pro: en.wikipedia.org (verified 2026-06-15). Microsoft Xbox Series X: en.wikipedia.org (verified 2026-06-15).
What's the difference between the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro and Microsoft Xbox Series X?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (4 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.
- CPU: Sony PlayStation 5 Pro Custom AMD Zen 2 8-core @ 3.85 GHz vs Microsoft Xbox Series X Custom AMD Zen 2 8-core @ 3.8 GHz
- GPU (TFLOPS): Sony PlayStation 5 Pro 18.05 vs Microsoft Xbox Series X 12.155
- Storage (GB): Sony PlayStation 5 Pro 2000 vs Microsoft Xbox Series X 1000
- Optical drive: Sony PlayStation 5 Pro false vs Microsoft Xbox Series X true
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
Sony PlayStation 5 Pro
Two whitelisted hands-on reviews (Tom's Guide, TechRadar) cover the exact PS5 Pro. TechRadar spent about a week testing and reported a measured usable-storage figure (1.89TB of a 2TB drive, 94.5%); Tom's Guide is qualitative. Neither published lab FPS or wattage benchmarks. Consensus: the most powerful, best-looking PlayStation, with PSSR blending fidelity and performance at once, but the $699 price is steep for a mid-gen refresh and the graphical gains are subtle/evolutionary rather than groundbreaking. (2 sourced reviews, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: PSSR upscaling lets games hit high fidelity and smooth performance simultaneously; Most powerful, best-looking PlayStation; ray tracing noticeably improved; 2TB SSD with far more usable storage by default is a genuine practical upgrade.
Flagged: $699/£699 price is very high for a mid-generation refresh; No disc drive or vertical stand included by default; Graphical gains are subtle/evolutionary, not groundbreaking for most players.
Microsoft Xbox Series X
Two whitelisted hands-on reviews (TechRadar, Tom's Guide) rate the Series X highly: both measured dramatic load-time cuts (Sea of Thieves 100s to 35s; RDR2 88s to 38s), praise its quiet, powerful hardware, Quick Resume and backward compatibility. Both flag a launch exclusives gap and a barely-changed Xbox One UI. Digital Foundry and RTINGS not used. (2 sourced reviews, 2 lab-tested.)
Praised: Very fast SSD load times, verified with timings across multiple games; Quiet, cool-running yet powerful hardware, near-PC performance; Best-in-class backward compatibility across Xbox generations.
Flagged: Thin lineup of true exclusives, especially at/near launch (leans on Game Pass); UI/dashboard barely changed from Xbox One, no next-gen overhaul; Generational graphics leap over Xbox One X underwhelming.