written by: ALEX KELLY, staff writer

Microsoft and Sony have been releasing details for their newest consoles, the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. 

Xbox Series X will be released on Nov. 10, while PlayStation 5 will be released two days after on Nov. 12. Microsoft is selling two versions of their new Xbox: the Series X priced at $499 and the Series S, which does not come with a disk drive, priced at $299.

PlayStation is doing something similar with their new console: offering a version with a disk drive for $499 and one without for $399. The cheaper versions of the consoles that don’t come with a disk drive only allow the user to play digital copies of games, which is important to keep in mind if you’re planning to buy one of them. 

In conjunction with these consoles, an onslaught of games are slated for release. PlayStation’s launch library includes “Spider-Man: Miles Morales,” a sequel to the 2018 PlayStation 4 exclusive “Marvel’s Spider-Man” focusing on the character of Miles Morales. Another major launch title for the PS5 is “Horizon Forbidden West,” which is a sequel to “Horizon Zero Dawn” on the PlayStation 4.

The third major title being released is “Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart,” which is a continuation of the Ratchet and Clank series. Xbox’s launch library includes “Halo Infinite,” another entry in the acclaimed Halo series. Released a few months after launch, “Fable” is a reboot of the fantasy role playing series. 

“Forza Motorsport” is another entry in the Forza racing series. “Psychonauts 2” is also releasing on the Series X as a sequel to the 2005 cult classic. 

Games that are releasing on both consoles include “Cyberpunk 2077,” “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla,” “Resident Evil Village” and countless more.

This generation of consoles is like most new console generations. They have better graphics and performance than the previous generations, with a 4K resolution and up to 120 frames per second. 

What sets this one apart is the widespread adoption of ray tracing. Ray tracing is a rendering technique for lighting in games to make it more realistic. Ray tracing uses an algorithm to trace where the light hits and where it doesn’t., which creates shadows. 

Both Microsoft and Sony are promoting backwards compatibility for their new consoles. Xbox Series X is compatible with Xbox One games meaning that Xbox One is already backwards compatible with Xbox 360 (Xbox One meaning that the Xbox Series X can play every generation of Xbox). PlayStation 5 is only backwards compatible with the PlayStation 4 for the time being. 

Xbox is continuing their Xbox Game Pass on Series X. Xbox Game Pass is a game subscription service where you can pay $14.99 a month and get access to a large selection of games, including first-party Xbox games. PlayStation’s equivalent, PlayStation, now, is also continuing to the next generation. 

The controller for the Xbox Series X is very similar to the Xbox One controller, but differs with a screen sharing button and a new directional pad. 

The PlayStation 5 controller, nicknamed the “DualSense” is a bit different.  It has adaptive triggers where the tension of the triggers change depending on the player’s interaction with the game.