Consumers Show Preference for PS5 Over Xbox Series X|S, According to DFC Survey - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 03 March 2022 / 13,719 Views
Research firm DFC Intelligence in a new survey conducted in October and November asked consumers if they preferred the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox Series X|S.
The consumers surveyed showed preference for the PS5 over the Xbox Series X|S. However, they did rate Xbox Live and the current Xbox Series X|S games library higher than PS5.
"The results are somewhat surprising given that in most aspects consumers rate the systems as fairly similar", DFC writes. "The PlayStation 5's main advantage is higher perceived graphics and power, versus the higher-rated library and online services for Xbox."
54 percent of those surveyed said they would probably not or definitely not buy the Xbox Series X|S, while only 34 percent said they would not buy the PS5.
26 percent of non-Xbox Series X|S owners said they would probably or definitely buy the console. This compares to 42 percent of non-PS5 owners who said they would probably buy the console.
The Nintendo Switch remained ahead of the latest consoles from Sony and Microsoft. 60 percent of those surveyed said they already own the console, while 27 percent of those that don't own it said they will buy it.
"Arguably the biggest issue Microsoft faces with the Xbox is the lukewarm desire for online services," reads the report. "Online services, VR, and a cool-looking system were the lowest-rated feature among consumers. Price, power, and great games continue to be the main driving factor."
God of War: Ragnarok and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel are the two games consumers are most interested in. Interest in Forza Horizon 5 and Gran Turismo 7 are similar. Halo Infinite and Horizon Forbidden West had similar consumer interest.
"Among interest in new and upcoming games, Xbox exclusive racing game Forza Horizon 5 had a similar rating as Sony’s exclusive Gran Turismo 7," said DFC in the report.
"PlayStation 5 exclusive Horizon Forbidden West had similar consumer interest to Xbox exclusive Halo Infinite. However, the biggest consumer interest was in God of War: Ragnarok (Sony exclusive) and a Zelda Breath of the Wild sequel (Nintendo)."
Thanks, Wccftech.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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People may prefer PS5 over the Series X/S, but Xbox's goal isn't solely to sell you a console, it's for you to be in their ecosystem through either PC Game Pass, Cloud Gaming on your phone/tablet, or a console. This is where they are far ahead imo.
I think its both. I'm sure they want to sell a lot of hardware, which is why the more affordable Series S is a thing. However, they are also looking to catch people regardless if they buy a Xbox. This is why I always wanted MS to do more PC support. While the cloud and some multiplat releases have also been wise.
I wonder if this might have something to do with the series S as that’s in stock where the series X isn’t so most people hear about the series S and here it’s weaker than the ps5 n not realise that there is a series X.
There is still a huge amount of lingering brand damage the Xbox One did as well. I know a few people that until this year believed Xboxes could not played used games and required on always online internet connection. And Microsoft reversed both of those decisions over 7 years ago
Yeah, I think its more to do with opinions on the Xbox One. I believe Playstation and Xbox users are more hardware savvy, this isn't a Wii U and New 3DS situation.
There is a lot of data pointing out people want this generation of Xbox hardware more than the previous. I mean look at those Japan numbers! If they can keep this momentum going (and I believe they will), outselling the Xbox One should be easy.
Gamepass, if it wasn't for gamepass things would be different. Also the lack of graphic cards is making some people turn into consoles. Also, xbox series X is very cheap for the hardware, compared to a PC similar. Xbox series S is crazy cheap for what you get. Unlike the xbox one when launched at 500 dollars and was very weak compared to PCs, especially still using HDD and a very weak processor.
Also, this time around xbox has the most powerful console, unlike last gen which was ps4 at launch. Plenty reasons for xbox to succeed. The only thing holding it back is the lack of exclusives, that was one of the biggest xbox, 360 and xbox one advantages
I think it all adds up to make the Xbox looks appealing. Good hardware for the price, good software, BC features greatly improves many titles and a notable subscription service.
Xbox One could have been a great success if they did these things.
Xbox will never be as popular, especially now that gamers can have all games on PC or on old xboxes. The fact there's no single exclusive to the new xbox means it cant ever be as popular.
With that said, if you want an excellent hardware that costs less than half the price of a PC and its smaller and quieter, xbox series X is the answer. Or you can play new games for only 300 dollars which is half price of a graphics card alone, series S. It also comes included with a controller which the PC doesn't. On top of that gamepass is a massive deal and incentive to get xbox so that's the only thing they have going for it.
I personally prefer xbox over ps, mostly due to controller, I just prefer offset sticks, on ps if feels like my thumb is going to slip forward when moving forward in most games, I don't have that issue with my xbox controller (use it on pc) and switch pro controller. Also I prefer the xbox due to being smaller and better design, example doesn't need a stand, and its quieter.
With that said I chose the ps5 this generation, because there's actually exclusives not found on any other console or PC such as returnal, demon sould, ratchet and clank.
Most PC gamers will find a reason to get a ps5 and a switch, but most PC gamers will have no reason to get an xbox.
So many to do for Phil yet if People still think Xbox is weaker version of PS. Xbox is not worse than PS in any aspects. For me its all about games right now. Thats the one and only difference but... Since MS is much more prepared in that aspect for current gen I think its a matter of time when gamers will choose the console based on games not system, services or power.
A thing we already knew.
Wow, thank God for this survey. I wasn't aware Sony was more popular.
Some of those complaints about Xbox doesn't really even seem valid to me. MS actually has great hardware this gen, Gamepass is awesome and they're releasing more notable content/exclusives. These are the things that really matter and why MS is likely going to do a lot better this gen than the last.
Heh... I'm confused. Did they really need a survey to know that? Couldn't they just look at the sales charts?
That ^
I mean they have 70% of the market share... If anyone had any doubts... They need to explain for where this is coming :) Even if this generation is going to be more balanced; you cannot just change that in one year. (if you can change it at all...)
Marketshare isn't a good metric when every system is supply constrained. Lots of people have got Series S when they preferred Series X, or got Series X/PS5 when they would have preferred PS5/Series X. There's pent-up demand for every system right now, except for Series S (which had pent-up demand at one point, but demand and supply seemed to have approximately matched each other for Series S now).
Nintendo's swap from hero (NES/SNES) to zero (N64/GC), back to hero (Wii), back to zero (Wii U), back to hero (Switch) proves that you can change it, it not in a year, at least generation by generation. And I'd argue that the Wii U debacle proves that you can change it within a year. I don't think much will change in a year when it comes to PS5 and Series X|S because all three of those systems are far more desirable than a Wii U.
And when I say "zero", it's just because it rhymes. :) Obviously the N64, GC, and Wii U all have their fans, it's not a judgement on their quality, just their sales.
Market share is the best metric... The article is about people who do not own an Xbox Series X/S or Play Station Five already. Therefore, those 70% (it is 70% closer , not 60%) is the target audience for those survey. If 70% of people already own a Play Station Four... The chance that they would prefer to upgrade to a a Five is quite higher imo.
Not saying people are not changing from one to another, but that's a hell of a headstart :)
Now we can clearly see a change and Xbox is gaining traction obviously this generation, but you would not need a survey to predict the actual preference.
You make a reasonable point. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.
That 70% is actually just 60%, so they're much closer than before. But there's still a very long road ahead of Xbox. (Thanks Dom Mattrick ?)
Really? You think Xbox could be more desirable than ps5. Honestly?
For some people, absolutely! Quick Resume is an excellent quality of life improvement. The PS5 is pretty gigantic, and I don't even think it would fit in the space I would need to use it in.
If you're a big fan of the Forza Horizon series, then PS doesn't have an exclusive game series quite like that (Gran Turismo is not an open-world car adventuring game).
With the return to form of Halo, and Microsoft's purchase of id Software, if you're into FPS games then Sony not having had a quality platform-exclusive shooter series in a long while might be a downer for you (probably time for them to bring back Killzone, honestly, and there are rumours that they may be). If you're a big FPS fan then you'll get your Call of Duty and your Battlefield on both, but also getting Halo, Doom, Quake, etc., and you should probably go Xbox.
And Game Pass is a killer app for many. And "Spartacus" likely won't include many (any?) Day 1 AAA releases, meaning it wouldn't be a replacement for Game Pass for most people. Game Pass can save you money even if you buy a lot of games, since it lets you try before you buy, potentially saving you from buying a "dog", and giving you a discount when you do decide to buy something that's in Game Pass.
If you're on a budget, and especially if you're into Game Pass and/or xCloud, then the Series S might be a more appealing choice to you than the PS5 Digital Edition.
Speaking of gaming on a budget, $70 first-party games on PS vs. $60 games so far still from Microsoft, and the aforementioned discounted games via Game Pass, and Game Pass in general, and Microsoft's better commitment to back-compat (more generations, more bespoke upgrades to back-compat games) may add up to less expensive gaming in total on Xbox for many people.
And if you have a lot of Xbox games from past gens that are back-compat on current-gen Xbox, that's another reason you might prefer an Xbox.
It's been alleged that there are more "Optimized for X|S" games than upgraded for PS5 games this gen. If that's correct (and I'm still trying to confirm it), that's a reason some might feel like they'd get more value out of an Xbox at this point. And with the Xbox selling better than last-gen, and with indies possibly even favouring Xbox over PS this gen, the library size may not favour PS5 this gen over Xbox (or at least not significantly).
Speaking of libraries, if you're into shooters and western RPGs, then the purchase of Zenimax bringing the aforementioned id Software and Bethesda (Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Starfield) probably makes Xbox a better choice for you than PS this generation.
If you're into narrative-driven third-party games, and can physically fit the PS5 in the space you'd need it to go in, it's likely the right system for you. If you're not into games like that, or if some of those other things I mentioned matter to you, then PS5 might not be the optimal choice.
I'm not mentioning Japanese games as an advantage either way, as I predict most popular Japanse-style games are going to gravitate almost entirely to Switch. But if that prediction ends up being wrong, then that could be a reason to go PS again this gen.
Lots of good reasons to go PS5 this gen, especially with its back-compat with the huge PS4 library. And lots of good reasons to go Xbox this gen too. It just depends on what you like.
Quick resume is nice, nowhere near something that would be better than exclusives such as god of war, horizon, uncharted, ghost of tsushima, spiderman, demon souls, ratchet and many many more. Xbox could never be as desirable because all their games is on PC, so there's less reason to have one for most gamers.
Then there's the controller, with haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, trackpad, speaker and microphone.
Games is the number one reason for a console selling more than the other, always has been.
You speak bethesda, I agree, but those games such as elder scrolls 6 is years away from launch, by then ps5 will have a massive library of exclusives. Also those games can be played on PC day 1.
You are trying to convince me that a few more optimized old games is more desirable than just brand new exclusive games? C'mon now.
Indies favouring xbox? You're just stretching now, my all time favourite indie game is still not on xbox, Resogun. Developers, be it indie or not, will always favour the console that sells the most, that's the PC, then the switch, and then its going to be ps5, there is no chance of xbox being the favourite.
The only 2 things I could agree with you is Halo, I'm the biggest fan, I will play it on my PC as soon as I get some time off work which will be January. And gamepass, which I don't care for but many will do. I prefer to wait for sales and buy and own my own games forever.
I also prefer the xbox controller just because of the offset sticks, but most people do not agree with me on that, so ps5 wins again for controller.
There's a lot of good reasons for the xbox to do well, but to beat PS they will have to bring the big guns, brand new masterpieces of exclusive games, I'm talking game of the year level of games, and even then xbox will still struggle to catch up, because of brand popularity, and because japan doesn't care for xbox.
TLDR: Your opinions are subjective, but you're passing them off as objective.
Explain, the opinion that xbox will not be as popular as ps5 is subjective? The opinion that ps has so far had the best gaming library of exclusives? Its well known and accepted, in fact that's the biggest complaint people have against the xbox.
Its a very well know fact that japan, and even Europe (apart from UK) is PS land. Xbox cant win on popularity with USA alone.
They are doing better this generation, but you don't change peoples minds and perception overnight.
Sony has beaten microsoft on past 3 generations, and in some cases by a lot, its safe to say the same will happen this generation, in fact its already happening as we speak its not an opinion.
The article we're commenting on suggested that people preferred PS5 hardware and Xbox software, doesn't it?
I actually think the two will be a lot closer this gen, more like PS360 than PS4/One. But likely with the PS5 being at the top of the dedicated home console podium.
I think much depends on Spartacus. If Spartacus isn't appealing in comparison to Game Pass, then Xbox will continue to slowly gain marketshare. The Series S' price point will also help Xbox Series consoles gain share, especially if Microsoft starts bundling the heck out of the Series S now that it's no longer supply-constrained. But I don't know how competitive Spartacus will be, or how aggressive the Series S bundles will be, so there are too many unknowns to reliably predict.
I would get a series s if they can stick to their promise of 1080p 120fps. When I see games hitting 720p, I just shake my head. I might have to get a switch to stand beside my ps5 instead, and wait till starfield releases and see if xbox improves.
I hope Microsoft releases a Series Y as soon as possible, a 5nm console. We could get new consoles every 2 years, that would be fine with me.
I agree with everyone else really, nothing here is shocking at all.
PlayStation is more popular than Xbox, we all know this.
Xbox has had the superior library so far, we all know this.
Live is the better network, we all know this.
The only surprising thing is people going PS5 for graphics, these are people who either have never seen Horizon 5 or think only the Series S exists. Not surprising since they’ve likely never seen a Series X on the shelf.
I would have thought that the One X being decisively more powerful than PS4 Pro would have moved the needle more on perceptions of Xbox vs. PS power. And maybe it did, but not enough yet to fully get over the inertia of Xbox One (VCR) vs. PS4. That, or the Series S has muddied the waters for the casuals who pay only limited attention to gaming news, as others have suggested.
Superior library? What kind of drugs are you on. The reason ps is always more popular is the library of games
It's been claimed that the Xbox has a larger library of games optimized for current-gen. I'm actually trying to confirm this at the moment. If I'm able to confirm this, then that's an argument in favour of the Xbox's library. Game quality is subjective, but the size of the library optimized for current-gen would matter to some gamers.
And given that it's subjective, I would argue your aggressive response is inappropriate. Some people will prefer the PS library, some will prefer the Xbox library, some will prefer the Nintendo library, and some will prefer the PC library.
Library size goes to PC. Library average review score quality may still go to the Sega Dreamcast (at one point it had the highest average review score of any system in history, though maybe that's changed since I last checked). What you prefer in a library is subjective. And you're right that the PS library the last couple of gens has been a sales asset for it, but you're wrong to attack another user over having a dissenting opinion.
First you say superior library, now you say quantity of games optimized, which one is it?
This is not even just an opinion, go check with google, every single comparison between ps and xbox says ps wins for games. If its just an opinion, its an opinion shared by the vast majority of people and reviewers.
OK, so lets see what excellent games can you play on xbox that you cant on ps5, Ill start with the opposite
God of war, god of war 3, god of war ragnarok
Demon souls, spiderman, spiderman miles morales, ratchet and clank
Days gone, Uncharted trilogy, uncharted 4 and Uncharted lost legacy
Final fantasy 7 integrade, last of us 1 and 2, ghost of tsushima, dead stranding
Infamous, killzone, resogun, horizon 1 and 2, shadow of the colossus, bloodborne
Driveclub, GT 7, The last guardian, Persona 5, Until dawn, Dreams, Sackboy, wipeout omega collection, concrete genie, detroit
Returnal
And many more I cant remember, do you even realize playstation has a huge collection of VR games, which xbox doesnt even have?
Your turn, the great games you can play on xbox that is not on ps5.
Firstly, I didn't say the Xbox had a superior library. That was @LudicrousSpeed. So your entire comment shouldn't have been directed at me, you're conflated what I said and what @LudicrousSpeed said.
Secondly, "superior" can take on different forms. Is larger superior? Is more diverse superior? Is higher average review score superior?
To say what system has a superior library you first have to define superior. That's why it's not objective, and that's why I don't generally go there.
Since larger is a form of superior, I merely threw it out there that some may consider a larger library of optimized for current-gen to be a reason why they'd favour Xbox Series over PS5.
Personally I'd take both Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 over any games you listed, but that's because my subjective interests align with those two games and don't align with any of the other games you listed. And I have a PC VR headset, and no interest in VR on console.
oh you're right, I thought I was responding to the same person. my bad.
Superior means superior, be it in quantity, quality (game of the year awards), technology (VR, motion, trackpad, haptic feedback, adaptive triggers) or whatever spin you put it sony still wins.
PS exclusives also have more diversity, from rpgs to racing, to fighters, to adventure, to shooters.
You say larger, but ps has the larger library of games.
You could say graphically, then again, xbox has a few enhanced games, but ps4 has a lot of games that were never enhanced and are 1080p on ps4 and 900p on xbox. Example I am currently playing dragon age Inquisition, and it has better graphics on ps5 than xbox series X.
You not wanting VR on a console doesn't make it not count.
That's like me saying I have a powerful gaming PC therefore xbox is totally useless. But I don't generalize my personal setup to the rest of the world gaming population.
By your logic, then xbox has no games at all, because they're all PC games.
Also some PS4 VR games are not on PC.
Yeah, I tried out PS4 VR at an EB Games location and was reasonably impressed with it, actually. Very good for a budget VR set-up.
As for the library, it's all subjective.
Someone who is a big FPS fan and sees all the third-party stuff coming to everything, but PlayStation not having future instalments of Halo, Doom, and Quake, is likely going to see the Xbox as the more desirable platform.
Someone who's a big western RPG fan and sees third-party stuff (such as BioWare) going everywhere but PlayStation not getting new instalments of Fallout, Elder Scrolls, or Starfield, will probably see Xbox as preferable for them.
Racing/driving games aren't as big as they used to be, but if you're huge into that genre then the twin pillars of Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon is likely more appealing than just GT. GT is racing, as is Motorsport. But Forza Horizon flips the script and is a driving (as opposed to racing) game. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 25 million played FH4, I think, and FH5 has surpassed 12.5 million in one month. Games like NFS go everywhere, but PS misses out on a strong exclusive driving game like that.
It looks like the Switch is becoming the platform of choice for indie games and Japanese-style games.
That mostly leaves narrative third-person adventure games as being where PlayStation currently dominates.
But it's all subjective, and depends on what you like. For example, I don't like racing games, but I love driving games. They're one of my all-time favour genres, ever since falling in love with Metropolis Street Racer on the Sega Dreamcast. PlayStation has racing games, but not really challenge/adventure-based driving games, so the PS library is deeply deficient for me. I know I'm not the norm, but that just shows you how subjective this all is.
At any rate, as LudicrousSpeed says, the people polled preferred the Xbox library overall. Maybe there were a lot of driving, FPS, and W-RPG gans in the sample. You'd have to ask the people polled though.
It's right there in the article. The people surveyed rated the Xbox library better, and Xbox Live better.
xbox still playing ketchup to sony
Where's your sauce for that info ?
Could it have to do with the fact you don't need actual Xbox hardware to play Xbox games..
Unlike Nintendo or Sony, Microsoft is split between XBox and PC. An important factor to consider...
Their choice, I am happy for that, because it means I don't need an xbox as I have a powerful PC. But Microsoft could really compete this generation if it was not the case, they could even win, bethesda games + gamepass is a huge advantage.
Winning in the console market isn't winning for the business. Its all about maximising the profits. It costs money to produce consoles, infact these companies lose billions manufacturing them. The less they make the less they lose if they can make that money back elsewhere. Hence GamePass, PC, Xcloud.
Xbox series x is like 30% more powerful than the ps5. Xbox series systems have , vrr, vrs, a full rdna 2 feature set , which Ps5 doesnt have. I really like my Ps5 alot and have 51 Physical games for it and I also really likey Xbox series x as well.
I think both systems will do very well in the long run and that makes me happy so much, because competition is kong.
It's not even 30% more powerful. PS4 was 30% more powerful than the Xbox One. Although I never really seen a big difference there. It's the same here. The difference is marginal at best. Series X and PS5 are pretty even albeit a few things each machine does better than the other.
They push higher resolution on most Series X games unfotunately. They should keep it on the same level.
The graphics thing could be a misperception , or it could allude to the fact that Sony exclusives tend to punch above their weight class in visual quality. They are able to get incredible things out of the hardware they are restricted to.
Essay Pro