PS5 vs Xbox Series X: Which to Buy in 2026?
The PS5 vs Xbox Series X debate finally has a cleaner answer in 2026 than it did at launch. Prices have shifted, Xbox exclusives are going multiplatform, and a major Xbox price hike is confirmed for August 1, 2026.
If you need a quick answer: buy the PS5. Buy the Xbox Series X only if Game Pass is central to how you play, and do it before August 1 to save $150 (RM611).
Read Also: Best Open World Games to Play in 2026 (PS5, PC, Xbox and More)
Quick Verdict
| Your situation | Buy this |
|---|---|
| You love single-player story games | PS5 |
| You want the best value after August 1 | PS5 |
| You subscribe to Game Pass and play lots of different games | Xbox Series X (before Aug 1) |
| You have a huge Xbox back catalog | Xbox Series X |
| You want the best-performing console money can buy | PS5 Pro |
| You want the cheapest entry into current-gen gaming | Xbox Series S |
What Changed in 2026: This Is Not the Same Debate
Sony raised PS5 prices on April 2, 2026, citing “continued pressures in the global economic landscape.” The PS5 Standard disc rose from $549.99 (RM2,239) to $649.99 (RM2,645), while the Digital Edition climbed from $499.99 (RM2,035) to $599.99 (RM2,442).
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X currently holds at $649.99 (RM2,645), but a $150 price increase is confirmed for August 1, 2026. That raises the Xbox Series X disc model to $799.99 (RM3,256), making it the more expensive flagship console for the first time this generation.
The other major shift is Xbox exclusives going multiplatform. Starfield is now on PS5, and Bloomberg reports Halo is making its way to PlayStation as well.
Microsoft has repositioned Xbox as a platform rather than a box. That means there are fewer hardware-specific reasons to buy the console if you already own a gaming PC.
PS5 vs Xbox Series X: Price in 2026
Pricing data sourced from Microsoft Store and Sony PlayStation Store, verified July 2026. Note: MYR conversions based on a USD/MYR rate of 4.07, as of July 17, 2026, actual retail prices in Malaysia may vary by seller.
| Console | USD Price (Now) | MYR Price (Now) | USD After Aug 1 | MYR After Aug 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series S | $399.99 | RM1,628 | TBC | TBC |
| PS5 Digital Edition | $599.99 | RM2,442 | $599.99 | RM2,442 |
| PS5 Standard (disc) | $649.99 | RM2,645 | $649.99 | RM2,645 |
| Xbox Series X (disc) | $649.99 | RM2,645 | $799.99 | RM3,256 |
| PS5 Pro | $899.99 | RM3,663 | $899.99 | RM3,663 |
Right now, the PS5 Standard and Xbox Series X cost the same at $649.99 (RM2,645) each. After August 1, the PS5 is $150 (RM611) cheaper. That is a meaningful difference that buys two games or a second controller.
The Xbox Series S at $399.99 (RM1,628) is still the lowest entry point into current-gen gaming. The PS5 Digital Edition at $599.99 (RM2,442) is the cheapest way into PlayStation exclusives.
Specs: What the Numbers Actually Mean
On paper, the Xbox Series X has more GPU power: 12 teraflops versus the PS5’s 10.28. In real-world gaming, that gap is small enough that most players will never notice it.
Both consoles run most games at 4K and 60 frames per second. Both support ray tracing, variable refresh rate displays, and HDR.
Where the PS5 has a genuine hardware edge is storage speed. Sony’s custom SSD runs at 5.5 GB/s, compared to the Xbox Series X’s 2.4 GB/s. In Spider-Man 2, that speed difference lets the game stream an entire open-world city at traversal speed with no loading screen.
The PS5 Pro closes the GPU gap and then some. It runs at 16.7 teraflops, a 39% advantage over the Xbox Series X, plus Sony’s PSSR AI upscaling. Digital Foundry benchmarks consistently show it outperforming standard upscaling solutions in real games.
The Games: This Is the Real Decision
You are buying the games, not the silicon. On that front, PlayStation has the stronger argument in 2026.
Ghost of Yotei launched earlier this year as a PS5 exclusive and was well received. Saros and Insomniac’s Wolverine are both upcoming PlayStation exclusives. Neither is coming to Xbox.
Astro Bot, which most critics called game of the year for 2024, remains PS5-only. GTA VI launches November 19, 2026 on both PS5 and Xbox Series X, per Rockstar’s confirmed date.
Xbox’s biggest 2026 release is Gears E-Day on October 6. It also releases on PC via Game Pass on day one, so Xbox hardware is not required to play it.
According to shattered.io, the PS5 holds approximately 72.5% of current-gen market share versus Xbox’s 27.5%. PS5 lifetime sales stand at roughly 91 million units versus 34.29 million for Xbox Series, a gap that keeps widening.
PS5 Pro vs Xbox Series X: Is the Upgrade Worth It?
The ps5 pro vs xbox series x comparison currently spans a $250 (RM1,018) gap. The Pro sits at $899.99 (RM3,663) versus the Series X at $649.99 (RM2,645). After August 1, that gap narrows to $100 (RM407), with the Pro at $899.99 (RM3,663) and the Xbox at $799.99 (RM3,256).
Digital Foundry testing shows the PS5 Pro consistently holding 60fps with higher image quality in demanding titles where the base PS5 and Xbox Series X both have to compromise. That advantage is most pronounced in games with PS5 Pro Enhanced modes.
The caveat is that not every game gets Enhanced mode support. For cross-platform titles that have not been specifically updated, the experience is closer to an improved base PS5 than a generational leap.
If PlayStation exclusives are your priority and you can absorb the price, the PS5 Pro is the best-performing console this generation. For Game Pass-focused players who mostly play multiplat titles, the Xbox Series X at its current price is more economical.
Game Pass vs PlayStation Plus: The Subscription Question
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $22.99 (RM93.57) per month in 2026. Every Microsoft first-party game, including Gears E-Day, arrives on Game Pass on day one at no extra cost.
PlayStation Plus does not work the same way. Sony’s biggest exclusives, including Ghost of Yotei, Spider-Man 2, and God of War: Ragnarok, come to PS Plus months after launch, not on day one.
The math favors Game Pass for high-volume players. Four new games at $70 (RM285) each costs $280 (RM1,140), roughly equal to one full year of Game Pass at $275.88 (RM1,123).
If you finish every game you buy and buy three or four per year, PlayStation’s model works just as well. The subscription argument only wins for players who cycle through many titles every month.
The Controllers: More Different Than You Think
The PS5 DualSense uses adaptive triggers that change physical resistance mid-game based on context. In Returnal, the left trigger has two zones: a light press to aim, and a full press that activates the weapon’s alt-fire with real mechanical resistance.
In Astro Bot, every surface (sand, water, grass, metal) produces a distinct vibration pattern through the controller. You stop consciously noticing it and start just feeling the world, which is the point.
The Xbox controller is the better option if comfort and familiarity matter most. Its ergonomics are excellent, and AA batteries mean you swap cells in ten seconds instead of waiting 30 minutes for a charge.
Neither controller is wrong. The DualSense offers something genuinely new. The Xbox controller offers the most refined version of something familiar.
Storage and Backward Compatibility
The Xbox Series X ships with 1TB; the PS5 comes with 825GB. Both will fill up faster than expected. Modern games regularly exceed 100GB each.
Expanding the PS5 is affordable and straightforward: any compatible M.2 NVMe drive works, and options are widely available. Expanding the Xbox for current-gen games requires proprietary Seagate expansion cards, which cost significantly more than standard M.2 drives.
Backward compatibility is not close. Xbox wins decisively. The Xbox Series X plays thousands of original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One titles natively, many with automatic resolution and frame rate improvements.
The PS5 handles most PS4 games well. PS3, PS2, and PS1 discs are not natively supported. Older PlayStation titles require a PlayStation Plus subscription for streaming access through the classics library.
Who Should Buy the PS5?
Buy the PS5 if single-player story games are your primary reason for owning a console. Ghost of Yotei, Astro Bot, Spider-Man 2, and the upcoming Wolverine and Saros are exclusive to PlayStation. None of these are available on Xbox.
Buy the PS5 if you want the lower-priced console after August 1, when the Xbox Series X rises to $799.99 (RM3,256). The PS5 Standard at $649.99 (RM2,645) will be $150 (RM611) cheaper than the Xbox flagship from that point forward.
Buy the PS5 if the DualSense interests you, especially if you have not tried it yet in a store. The adaptive trigger and haptic system does things that genuinely change how certain games feel, and no Xbox controller does any of that.
If you are upgrading from a PS4, the transition is seamless. Your digital library, save data, and PlayStation Plus games all carry over without friction.
Who Should Buy the Xbox Series X?
Buy the Xbox Series X if Game Pass Ultimate fits how you actually play. If you cycle through five or more games a month rather than finishing one and buying another, the $22.99 (RM93.57) subscription covers more than its cost.
Buy the Xbox Series X if you have a substantial Xbox One, Xbox 360, or original Xbox library you want to keep playing. No other current console comes close to Xbox’s backward compatibility breadth.
Buy the Xbox Series X before August 1, 2026 if you have decided on it. Microsoft confirmed the $150 (RM611) price increase so buying this month saves you real money on identical hardware.
After August 1, at $799.99 (RM3,256), the Xbox Series X becomes harder to recommend for most buyers against a $649.99 (RM2,645) PS5 with a stronger exclusive library.
What About the Xbox Series S?
The Xbox Series S at $399.99 (RM1,628) is the cheapest way into current-gen gaming. It targets 1440p instead of native 4K, and its 512GB internal drive will need expanding sooner than you expect.
It runs the same Game Pass library as the Series X, including every first-party day-one release. If budget is your primary constraint and Game Pass is the plan, the Series S is a sensible starting point.
Final Verdict
The Xbox vs PlayStation debate in 2026 has a cleaner answer than at any point this generation: most people should buy the PS5.
It has the better exclusive library, the lower price after August 1, a stronger SSD, and the most innovative controller on the market. With roughly 91 million PS5 units sold versus 34 million for Xbox Series, it also has the larger online community for multiplayer games.
The Xbox Series X is not a bad console. It is an excellent one. Its strongest argument is Game Pass, and that argument is genuinely compelling for the right type of player. But if you need the console itself to justify the purchase rather than the subscription, the PS5 wins that argument in 2026.
If budget allows and PlayStation exclusives are what you care about most, the PS5 Pro is the best-performing console this generation. Nothing else matches it in benchmark testing, and at $899.99 (RM3,663) versus the post-August Xbox at $799.99 (RM3,256), the price gap is shrinking while the performance gap remains.