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Xbox Series X is better than the PS5, says Valve’s Gabe Newell

Published Jul 29th, 2020 7:31AM EDT
Xbox Series X vs. PS5
Image: Microsoft

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  • The Xbox Series X is better than the PS5, said Valve’s co-founder Gabe Newell during a recent interview.
  • Newell did not explain why he thinks the Series X is the better console, but he made it very clear that he prefers the new Xbox over the PlayStation 5.
  • The Series X has slightly better specs than the PS5, which should make it somewhat faster, at least on paper. The new PlayStation does have an advantage over the Xbox in the storage department, as Sony’s custom SSD is much faster than the Xbox SSD.

From the moment Sony unveiled the final specs of the PlayStation 5 a few months ago, we saw the first comparisons between the next-gen Xbox and the brand new PS5. On paper, the Xbox Series X offers better performance, featuring a faster clock speed and a faster GPU. The Xbox also has more storage space, but the 1TB Series X drive is slower than the custom 825GB SSD of the PS5. In the real world, both consoles will likely offer comparable performance, and both of them will be significantly faster than their predecessors. We’ll have to wait a few more months to see PS5 and Xbox Series X reviews that compare the two hardware packages objectively. Ultimately, it might not matter as much which one is the faster for gamers that want to play a certain game that’s only available on one of the two ecosystems.

But the Series X and PS5 are both expected to cost more than their predecessors. So if you’re looking to buy the best possible console hardware this year, you’ll probably want to hear from experts before you choose. One such expert is Valve’s well-known co-founder Gabe Newell who thinks the Series X beats the PS5.

The Valve exec spoke to The Project NZ and was asked which of the two new consoles is better. Without hesitation, and without even thinking about it, he answered, “The Xbox.” When pressed on why he thought the Series X was better, he replied, “Because it Is.”

“I don’t have a stake in that race,” he expanded on the matter, saying that Valve doesn’t care. “Obviously, we do most of our development on personal computers, but of the two, I would definitely go with an Xbox.”

Newell has plenty of gaming experience, both when it comes to the hardware and software, so he knows a thing or two about the PlayStation and Xbox. He doesn’t have to back up his preference with factual information, but he’s must have clear reasons why he thinks the Series X is better than the PS5.

Again, both systems will offer a significantly improved gaming experience, from visuals to loading speeds and brand new features. The CPU and GPU are custom creations coming from AMD, and that’s really what should matter to gamers.

That said, Newell’s endorsement seems to validate further Microsoft’s marketing claims that the Series X is better than the PS5 when it comes to the overall package.

Both Microsoft and Sony should unveil the final details about their consoles in the not too distant future. With July almost over, we’re getting even closer to the holiday 2020 season when the two devices will hit stores. The two companies should reveal the actual release dates and pricing details in the near future, and preorders might start soon.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.