P
REIGN OF
TERAFLOPS
Like a couple of pregnant pandas, the PlayStation 5
and Xbox Series X are ready to drop and expectation
is sky-high. With the promise of vast power upgrades,
flashy new titles and two versions of each console,
next-gen gaming is here at last. But which will it be?
andemic be damned: nothing,
apparently, can stop the
launch of the next generation
of games consoles, nor the
immense hype built around
them. As promised, Sony
and Microsoft are both releasing new
hardware in November, each claiming
significantly more power and speed
than their predecessors along with
other perks and upgrades that are
sure to feel like must-haves to fans
still clutching their rapidly ageing
current-gen boxes.
This time around, however, it’s not
as simple a decision as ‘PlayStation or
Xbox’. That’s just step 1. On the Sony
side, the PS5 is the core console but
there’s also a cheaper Digital Edition
that kicks the disc drive into touch for
a download-only future; and while the
Xbox Series X represents Microsoft’ssupercharged vision of native 4K
gaming, the Series S hits the 2K middle
ground between power and price.Not quite ready player one
In truth, neither launch is happening
completely unscathed by the state of
the world. The Xboxes arguably took
the biggest hit with the late-breaking
delay of Halo Infinite into 2021, but
both launch line-ups are thinner on
the big system-sellers that we usually
expect. On top of that, manufacturing
delays could make all these consoles
tricky to get before Christmas.
But that won’t stop us from trying,
will it? So, envisaging Black Friday
brawls across a once-dignified nation,
here’s our hot take on the sleek new
PlayStation and Xbox consoles rolling
out right about now – and the games
that’ll make you scramble for ’em.[ Words Andrew Hayward ]