PS5 Vs Series X: Which Has The Stronger Launch Lineup?
The Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 are neck and neck in the fight for your attention. The systems will launch around the same time, with similar pricing and hardware specs. Both are also suffering from high demand and not enough supply. These factors make a strong launch lineup more important than ever.
Both consoles will share the majority of their launch titles. Highly anticipated entries such as Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla will be available on day one for both platforms, as will games like NBA 2K21. Players will also be able to pick up where they left off in Fortnite, Marvel's Avengers, and Destiny 2.
If the Series X and PS5 only shared multi-platform titles for their launch lineups, you'd be back at square one. That's not the case, however. Each console offers "exclusive" games that will not appear on the rival platform. So, if your future console purchase rests solely on the shoulders of what you can play from the get-go, you need to know which platform has the stronger lineup.
Series X and PS5 launch titles
The Xbox Series X's exclusive launch roster will mostly consist of games audiences know and love that are also available on PC. These will include:
- Gears 5
- Bright Memory
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Tetris Effect: Connected
- Sea of Thieves
- Gears Tactics
- Forza Horizon 4
Microsoft isn't playing it 100% safe with the Series X lineup, though. The console will also feature upcoming titles that will come to PC such as:
- The Falconeer
- The Medium
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon (timed exclusive, also available on PS4 and Xbox One)
Meanwhile, the PlayStation 5's exclusive launch lineup will feature titles that are mostly not available on PC, Xbox One, or Xbox Series X. A large chunk of titles will feature backwards compatible PS4 games, but the console will also include plenty of PS5 exclusive sequels, remasters, and new IPs, including:
- Demon's Souls
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales (also available on PS4)
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- Godfall (also available on PC)
- Astro's Playroom (comes pre-installed)
- Destruction Allstars
PS5 has the exclusives advantage, but Game Pass makes Series X very attractive
While the Xbox Series X has the larger launch library, the PlayStation 5 wins in terms of exclusive titles. With the exception of Godfall and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, all PS5 exclusives are bound to the platform. Moreover, each PS5 comes with a copy of Astro's Playroom pre-loaded onto the console, which is a boon the Xbox Series X has yet to match.
The Series X's "exclusive" launch library, meanwhile, is anything but. Most games coming to the Series X but not PS5 are already available on the Xbox One and PC, such as Gears 5 and Bright Memory. Plus, games that aren't currently available, such as The Falconeer and The Medium, will launch on PC alongside the Series X. And one big title Microsoft has a hold on for a longer period of Series X exclusivity – Yakuza: Like a Dragon – will eventually release on PS5 and also on last-gen consoles.
It's important to note, however, that the Xbox Game Pass significantly heightens the appeal of the Xbox Series X. Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda through ZeniMax Media only bolsters this, making the console, and its less expensive digital counterpart, highly attractive in terms of backwards compatibility and the sheer number of available games.