PS5 Pro vs Xbox Series X refresh: Which will be the more powerful gaming console?

The PS5 Pro has been in the rumor mill for a few months. Looking at the competition, a reported Xbox Series X refresh has leaked from Microsoft vs FTC court trial documents. However, unlike the last-gen Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, these consoles differ completely in terms of their underlying and performance targets, making this current generation interesting.

If the leaked information on the upcoming Xbox consoles is anything to go by, Microsoft isn't planning to make the mid-cycle refresh Series X more powerful than the gaming machine you can buy today. On the contrary, the upcoming device will be slimmer, lighter, and completely digital, like the Series S.

The PS5 Pro, on the other hand, will feature more powerful hardware than the original PS5. Leaked specs hint at a machine capable of native 4K 60 FPS with the latest RDNA 3 and Zen 4 technologies from AMD. Therefore, PS5 will win the rendering prowess comparison round.

However, which device will make for a better gaming machine? Let's try to answer that question.

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The PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X refresh will have their pros and cons

The upcoming PS5 Pro will likely be a tier above the currently available consoles. As per the Xbox leaks, the new Series X and S refreshes are comparable to the PlayStation 5 slimline models that will debut on November 15. Do note that the Xbox Series X is more powerful than the current PS5. It will lose the performance crown to the Pro model when it launches.

There has been no news on a beefed-up Xbox Series console yet. There are valid reasons why Microsoft (and potentially even Sony) might skip a costlier and more powerful refresh this generation, one being that most games aren't using the full potential of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. Therefore, launching devices with more hardware capabilities might also go unused.

Moreover, the current-gen consoles haven't been able to meet the sales targets. The market was heavily disrupted by the pandemic and the resultant chip shortage, which has restricted much of the industry to older hardware. This makes it difficult for gamers to utilize the latest features and technologies supported by the new consoles, like mesh shaders and ray tracing.

However, the lower performance barrier of the upcoming Xbox Series X refresh will have several upsides over the PS5 Pro: it will be slimmer, lighter, sleeker, and potentially cheaper than the Sony alternative. But leaked documents already reveal the device will be all-digital. This might be problematic given PlayStation users can simply buy the $70 Blu-ray drive accessory for their consoles.

Overall, the PlayStation vs Xbox battle is all set to heat up in the second half of the ninth-gen console lineup. The upcoming hardware will promise gamers a better experience with the latest games. If the leaks about the current consoles are anything to go by, they will get even more options to choose from for their gaming rig.