Why Esports Fans Should Buy The Xbox Series X Not The PS5

The Xbox Series X is the console for esports fans.

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The time has finally arrived. The next generation of consoles is here and the world is currently trying to get hands-on with the new machines to see which one they should purchase and have as the main console of choice for the next few years. For many the choice will come down to exclusive games, price and of course which console the rest of your friendship group chooses, but for esports fans there is really only one option this time around, and that is the Xbox Series X. 

PlayStation fans will no doubt have a number of arguments against this, but when you look at how each console performed in the esports space over the last generation, and how the crucial marketing deals between consoles and publishers have changed at the turn of the generation, the only real choice is the Xbox Series X. 

The biggest point in this argument is to simply look at the first party games on both platforms and the key differences between them. While Sony has more impressive single-player franchises than you can ever remember, Microsoft has gone in another direction with franchises that have gigantic multiplayer scenes. 

Granted, competitive Fable isn’t going to take off any time soon, but look at the heavy hitters of Halo and Gears of War and you are looking at two of the biggest console esports in the world. If you want to have a shot at going pro in either of those games you will need an Xbox Series X, and unless you are a Gran Turismo star Sony doesn’t really have any games that can stand up to those titles right now. The Gears of War scene has been growing for years, and the Halo scene is one of the oldest in esports, and with a new game coming next year, it looks set to return to its former glory once again. 

The other major factor is the third party games that have competitive communities on console. If you look at the major titles, most of them are played on Xbox, either exclusively or as the leading platform. All of the EA Sports titles feature competitions across both platforms, and in many instances the most competitive platform is Xbox. So if you really want to be able to be the best in the world you are going to need to play against the top players on Xbox consoles. 

The Xbox Series X has a striking look.

Future Publishing via Getty Images

Prior to this new generation, PlayStation had a big advantage over Xbox in the form of Call of Duty. Arguably the biggest console esport was played on the PS4 for years, after switching from Xbox One mid-way through the last generation. This made the PS4 a must-have for anyone wanting to make it to the top of the CoD esports scene, but now that has all changed. 

The Call of Duty League has announced from the 2021 season the game will be played on PC, with players still using controllers. This means that the console divide in the scene has totally disintegrated, and now if you want to go pro in CoD it really doesn’t matter what platform you play on. 

Looking at the esports communities that will find a home on each console there doesn’t appear to be much of a competition between the consoles, especially when you add in the fact that EA Play and both Gears of War and Halo will be available on Xbox Game Pass giving those communities an even bigger chance to grow. With the likes of Fortnite and Rocket League also featuring cross platform play this conversation really does hinge on the exclusives for each console, which, when it comes to multiplayer, Microsoft wins pretty easily. 

Of course, that isn’t to say that esports will be dead on PlayStation, in fact, quite the opposite, but if you are an esports fanatic, or are looking to become a pro player on console then, for now, the obvious choice is the Xbox Series X. But the biggest challenge you will face on this journey right now will be finding one in stock. Across all of the major regions, including the US and UK, it is proving difficult to find an Xbox Series X machine, with some retailers saying that some pre-orders may not even arrive this year. Machines are so scarce that the announcement that telecoms company BT will have stock available for existing customers to buy at full price is headline news in the games industry, with thousands of players hoping to get their hands on the console on launch day. 

In the previous generation, where esports on consoles really took off, we saw the balance of power shift multiple times in the console superiority sector. The Call of Duty marketing deal was a big factor, as was the increased involvement of EA in the competitive scene. While esports on consoles seems to be more settled right now than at the turn of the previous generation, you can never be sure what the esports scene will look like years down the line. But for now, the clear winner is the Xbox Series X.