Xbox One vs PS4: Which console is right for you?

Xbox One vs PS4 is the ultimate showdown between the last-gen consoles.

The Xbox One vs PS4 is somewhat moot now that we have the Xbox Series X and PS5. But with the long tail of the past console generation with cross-generation games rather common now might be a good time to pick up whichever console you don’t have.

Or you could be feeling nostalgic and want to know which console comes out of the top all these years after its initial release.

• The best PS4 games to buy now
• Going with Xbox? Here are the best Xbox One games
• Check out the best PS4 multiplayer games you can play right now

So take a look at our PS4 vs Xbox One breakdown to see which last-gen machine is the current winner.

Xbox One vs PS4: Still worth getting?

Given that tracking down PS5, restock, or Xbox Series X restock is stupidly tough, at the time of writing, one of the easier ways to get a ‘new’ console is to op for one from the previous generation.

Both the Xbox One and PS4 are still worthy consoles offering gaming at 1080p, though the Xbox One X can hit up to 4K. Furthermore, with a mature library of games, you won’t be short on things to play as you wait for the new Microsoft and Sony consoles to become easier to buy.

Xbox One vs PS4: Game library

Given both consoles are now last-generation machines, there’s not a huge gulf between the game libraries of the PS5 and Xbox One. Both have access to some of the best games ever like Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Witcher 3, as well as a suite of indie games.

There are some core differences. The Xbox One gets access to a wider range of backward-compatible games dating back to the original Xbox, as well as access to Xbox Game Pass, which provides a huge suite of games, old and new, to play for a monthly fee.

But the PS5 has access to a range of simply kilter exclusive games from The Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima to Uncharted 4 and God of War. These games are very good and arguably give the PS4 the edge.

That’s not to say the Xbox One is devoid of great first-party games — titles such as Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, Halo 5, Ori and the Blind Forest, and Sunset Overdrive are all major standouts.

Winner: PS4. Both systems have a lot of great games, but Sony’s system has more hit games that you can only play on a console.

Xbox One vs PS4: Backwards compatibility

If you have a library of existing Xbox 3060 and original Xbox games, then the Xbox One is the console to get for backward compatalbity. It’ll play nice with a lot of older games, including classics like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Ninja Gaiden Black, and Jade Empire.

Plus, with Microsoft’s Play Anywhere initiative, you can buy digital versions of games such as Sea of Thieves and Forza Motorsport 7 once and play them on Xbox One and on Windows 10.

And as the extra cherry on top, Xbox One games that get optimized and upgraded for the Xbox Series X and Series S will be free to download on the newer hardware for people who already own them.

You can play older games on PS4, but the need to be digital editions, as the console can’t read older PS3 or PS2 discs. PlayStation Now lets you stream and download older PlayStation games on the PS4 for $9.99 a month or $59.99 for 12 months in the U.S., £49.99 for a year in the U.K.

But overall, the PS4 lacks the depth and ease of use of backward Compatability on the Xbox One.

Winner: Xbox One. Xbox One plays hundreds of Xbox 360 games, offers cross-play with PC, and lets you binge on three generations’ worth of games for a good price.

Xbox One vs PS4: Hardware

The PS4 Slim and Xbox One S are both impressively sleek, offering attractive designs that look great under a TV and can fit into a backpack without a problem. The newest PS4 has a slight edge in terms of sheer smallness, though it lacks an optical input for high-end gaming headsets.

Sony’s 4K-ready PS4 Pro has a chunkier, hamburger-like design, while the Xbox One X, which is even more powerful than the Pro, is somehow slimmer than the Xbox One S.

Both consoles start with 500GB of storage that you can easily expand by connecting one of the best external hard drives for PS4 and Xbox One. PS4 owners also have the option of opening up their consoles to swap in a new 2.5-inch or SATA drive.