The PS5 and Xbox Series X have both been out for two years, and they’re finally a little easier to find than they used to be. Not only can you walk into a store and pick one up anytime you feel like it, but restocks are often available for hours or days rather than seconds.
However, if you’re planning to buy a PS5 or Xbox Series X for Black Friday, you may be facing some stiff competition. Game consoles are routinely a top contender for holiday gifts, and this year probably won’t be an exception.
While PS5 restocks and Xbox Series X restocks may be rare on Black Friday, you should have the opportunity to buy one or the other sometime over the next week, at least if you’re diligent. If you’re planning to buy a PS5 or Xbox Series X on Black Friday, but aren’t sure which console to use, we’ll recap the main pros and cons, as well as which games and accessories you’ll want to grab.
PS5 vs Xbox Series X: Cheat Sheet
First, if you want a detailed comparison of the two consoles, you should consult the PS5 vs Xbox Series X faceoff. In this piece, we break down each console’s specs, price, game library, performance, design, controller and more.
If you don’t have time to go through everything now, here’s a brief overview:
PS5 and Xbox Series X have more in common than differences. Both cost $500, both play huge libraries of high-quality games, both work well, and both double as 4K streaming media/Blu-ray players. If you just want a powerful console to play third-party games like Madden NFL 23 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, you can get either system and call it a day.
The big differences between the two consoles include the physical design and look of the console, exclusive games, and game subscriptions. To address the first two points, the PS5 is ugly; The Xbox Series X is less awful. The PS5 controller is innovative, but oddly enough; The Xbox Series X console plays its safe, but feels a little more comfortable.
Exclusive games and game subscriptions are more serious issues. Sony has built the PlayStation brand on strong exclusivity foundations, and the PS5 is no exception. This year alone, we had the best Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, and God of War Ragnarök. The Xbox Series X, on the other hand, doesn’t have real exclusives, as every first-party Xbox title is also available on PC, and to stream via Xbox Game Pass.
Speaking of Xbox Game Pass, it’s one of the best Xbox Series X features — although you don’t technically need a console to use it. With this subscription service, you can download more than 400 games to a gaming console or PC, or stream nearly that to a smartphone or web browser. Sony’s counterpart, PlayStation Plus, is more limited. While you can still download or stream hundreds of games to the PS5, the PC app is a mess, and there are no smartphone apps at all.
In short: PS5 has a more robust library of exclusive games, but Xbox Series X makes it easier to play games on whatever screen you want.
Holiday games for PS5 and Xbox Series X
As we discussed in the previous section, the PS5 and Xbox Series X have exactly the same library, for the most part. To put this in context, consider NPD video game sales statistics. In October 2022, eight of the 10 most popular games were available on both consoles; In year-to-date sales, seven out of the 10 most popular games were available on both consoles. Only two of the PS5 exclusives (Horizon and Gran Turismo) cracked the top 10, while the other exclusives were all on Nintendo Switch.
Based on our sales data, search traffic, and observations, here are some popular games for this holiday season. Most of them are available on both units:
Black Friday PS5 and Xbox Series X restocks.
We know for a fact that there will be some PS5 restocks on Black Friday. Right now, Walmart has confirmed that it will be hosting three separate restocking events: 12 PM ET on November 21, 12 PM ET on November 23 and All Day in Stores on November 25 (Black Friday itself). You must be a Walmart plus member for the first one, but not the last two.
The Xbox Series X is more of a mystery nowadays. No retailer has made a specific announcement about Xbox Series X availability. However, the Xbox Series X has been more widely available than the PS5 in general, so just check with the usual suspects over the next few weeks, and you should be able to pick something up. . At the time of writing, you can get your hands on the Xbox Series X at Best Buy (Opens in a new tab) or paper clip (Opens in a new tab)or Direct from Microsoft (Opens in a new tab).
You can also get a $300 Xbox Series S fairly easily. The Series S is much less powerful than the Series X, at 1440p and lacking a disc drive. However, if you have an older TV or a mid-range gaming monitor, you might be better off with the Series S.
Black Friday deals on PS5 and Xbox Series X games.
There are already quite a few good Black Friday deals available for PS5 and Xbox Series X games, though we imagine there will be even better deals next week. However, if you want any of the games in question, you might want to get them while they’re still in stock:
Black Friday deals on PS5 and Xbox Series X accessories.
While the PS5 and Xbox Series X itself likely won’t see any Black Friday discounts, we usually see some excellent deals on accessories this time of year. To get started, we recommended an extra controller and mid-range wireless headset for each system.
PS5 and Xbox Series X Black Friday predictions
Whether you want a PS5 or Xbox Series X on Black Friday, you’ll probably have to do some work to get one. Both devices are very popular and tend to sell out quickly. This is not surprising, considering that each device is an excellent piece of hardware with a rich selection of games to play.
In general, if you want to play Sony exclusive series, such as God of War and Ratchet & Clank, you will need a PS5. On the other hand, if you want to take full advantage of Xbox Game Pass and be able to play games on almost any screen in your home (or outside), you’ll need the Xbox Series X. If you don’t feel that strongly about either category, then it should be. Either system is fine.
Stay tuned with Tom’s Guide, as we’ll update this page with the best Black Friday deals we could find.
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