PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X specs: Using a PC to test next-gen consoles' power

The specs of the forthcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X were last month revealed by Sony and Microsoft. Both spec lists have plenty of technical information to digest, but they're essentially both using variations of high-end PC hardware that's easy to find in many current gaming computers. So why not build a PC as close as I could to match the specs of the next-gen consoles?

PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X specs: Using a PC to test next-gen consoles' power Picture 1

I built the computer using parts as similar as I could, while matching the specs with the understanding that the PC would not be a true representation of the new PlayStation and Xbox. My goal is to simply test out how powerful the consoles might actually be. 

After running some tests pitting the PlayStation 4 Pro against this mighty PC, it became clear that these next-gen consoles are going to be true powerhouses in comparison to their predecessors. Not only is the PS5's fourth-gen PCIe NVMe drive going to significantly improve load times, the GPU in the Xbox Series X is really going to bring the console up to modern gaming standards. 

These tests do not directly correlate to or predict exactly what we might expect from the upcoming consoles. We can get a general sense, using these stats and the PC version, noting the amount of time it takes the games to load between the current-generation titles and counterparts that we run on the PC.

Watch us test Red Dead Redemption 2, Fortnite and other popular titles in the video embedded above.