Should You Buy PS5 or Xbox Series X / Series S? (Part 5 – Form Factor, Connectivity, and More)

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been taking a look at various different aspects of the PS5 and the next-gen Xbox consoles and seeing how the two stack up against each other in various regards, from price and launch titles and their technical specifications to their online services and controllers. Now, it’s time to talk about some of more fundamental details of both pieces of machinery, which is exactly what we’ll be doing here in this feature. 

So let’s start with something basic- 

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

That’s the most fundamental question you might be asking- when you buy a PS5 or an Xbox Series X or Series S, what exactly will you be getting inside of the box that you’ll be taking home with you? Microsoft and Sony have both revealed the exact contents of their respective boxes, and there’s no surprises with either console. 

With the Xbox Series S and Series X, you’ll get the console itself, a new Xbox controller and a power cable (obviously). You also get an HDMI 2.1 cable with the Series X but with the Xbox Series S though, you’ll get a regular High Speed HDMI cable. Meanwhile, if you purchase one of the two consoles via the Xbox All-Access option (if you’re in one of the twelve countries that has All-Access, that is), you’ll also be getting 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Otherwise, Game Pass is a separate purchase. 

On the PlayStation 5 front, things are more or less the same. Inside the box, you’ll get either a PS5 or a PS5 Digital Edition, the console’s power cord, a DualSense controller, a USB cable to charge that controller with, and an HDMI cable. You’ll also get a base, which you can use to place your PS5 either vertically or horizontally, while every PS5 will also come pre-installed with Astro’s Playroom. 

FORM FACTOR

Both the PS5 and Xbox have gone with rather unusual designs for their boxes- which is good, seeing as consoles had started looking more and more like boring, vanilla boxes as time went on. That means that there’s plenty to speak of when talking about the consoles’ form factor as well. 

The smallest console of the lot is by far the Xbox Series S. It it 60 per cent smaller than the Xbox Series X, and according to Microsoft, it is flat-out the smallest Xbox console ever made. Its dimensions are 65 mm x 151 mm x 275 mm, and will weigh about 2 kg. All in all, Microsoft says the console’s small enough to easily fit inside of a backpack, and it sure looks that way. 

Its big brother is, aptly enough, a big boy. The Xbox Series X’s monolithic tower design has been grabbing headlines since the moment Microsoft first talked about it at The Game Awards in December of last year, and that, as you would imagine, means the box is not a diminutive one by any means. Its dimensions are 151 mm x 151 mm x 301 mm, and it’s a pretty heavy console, too, at roughly 4.5 kg.

Then there’s the PS5, which is roughly the same size as the Xbox Series X, if not marginally larger. Its dimensions are 390 mm x 104 mm x 260 mm, and weighs about 4.5 kg. The Digital Edition is slightly smaller, with dimensions of 390 mm x 92 mm x 260 mm and a weight of 3.9 kg.

One consideration to keep in mind for both PS5 SKUs is that neither of their dimensions include the base the consoles come with.

PORTS AND CONNECTIVITY

When it comes to connectivity, the PS5 is looking pretty future proof. It’s been confirmed that the PS5 and its Digital Edition will feature support for WiFi 6, which is as up-to-date as it can get right now. WiFi 6 offers download speeds of up to 9.6 gbps, which is significantly more than the 3.5 gbps max speed that the PS4 Pro offered, and even more than the 300 mbps of the base PS4. The PS5 is almost as future-proof in terms of Bluetooth connectivity as well, and will feature support for Bluetooth 5.1. That’s not entirely up-to-date, with 5.2 recently having come out, but it’s still pretty future-proof. 

And what ports exactly will the PS5 have? There will be four USB ports – one high speed Type A port, two Super-Speed Type A port, and one Super-Speed Type C port. There will also be an ethernet socket. The PS5 will have a 350W power socket, while the PS5 Digital Edition will have a 340W power socket. 

And what about the two Xbox consoles? The Xbox Series X and Series S feature support for WiFi 5, which means they’re lagging behind the PS5, with max download speeds of 3.5 gbps. Both consoles also have three USB 3.1 ports, but it’s been confirmed that there will be no USB-C ports, which is a little disappointing. All three ports are for USB Type-A. 

The Xbox Series X and Series S both have an additional slot for SSD expansions, an ethernet cable, an HDMI 2.1 out, and power sockets, though curiously, Microsoft haven’t yet officially revealed the exact power draw for either console. Estimates suggest that the Xbox Series X’s power draw might be up to 300W. Additionally, both the Series X and Series S also feature Braille bumps next to their ports, which is yet another crucial step Microsoft have taken in their constant bid for greater accessibility. 

CONCLUSION

Well, there really isn’t much of a conclusion to draw here, at least in terms of comparisons. It’s not like we’re speaking about things such as the launch lineup or prices or which console has the better controller- these are dry facts, and won’t really be major factors that most will consider when making a purchasing decision. The PS5 is the more future proof console as far as connectivity is concerned with both WiFi and Bluetooth. It also has a rather heavy power draw at 350W and 340W for its two SKUs, but there isn’t a comparison to be made here either, since Microsoft haven’t revealed the exact numbers for their consoles on that front.

When it comes to the form factor, which of the consoles you prefer boils down entirely to your personal tastes, though as far as dimensions are concerned, it’s hard to beat the convenience that the Xbox Series S’ small size and stature go hand-in-hand.