The PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X recently came out, and they are coveted by fans on both sides. Both consoles have their advantages, but the ability to play with friends seems to be the deciding factor in which console someone will choose.

“If it was my choice, I would probably go with the PS5, but I just stick with my friends,” said sophomore Nicholas Von Briesen, who is buying the Xbox Series X.

Although both consoles do have many great features, the PlayStation 5 seems to be the most appealing, with “an estimated 2.1 million to 2.5 million” sales, compared to “an estimated 1.1 million to 1.4 million” for the Xbox Series X, on the first two days of each console’s launch, according to CBR.

“As far as quality goes, both are really great. For me, the PS5 is also really aesthetically pleasing over the Xbox Series X. Playstation also has a lot of exclusive games that Xbox doesn’t have that I want to play such as Demon Souls, Bloodborne, and the Spiderman games,” said freshman Donovan House, who is buying the Playstation 5.

These consoles do come with quite a hefty price tag at $499 for both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. However, both do have cheaper counterparts, with the Playstation 5 digital version, and the Xbox Series S, at $399, and $299 respectively.

“I definitely think that for $500,  it might be overpriced, but from the parts it’s using, and if they live up to what Sony is saying, it could be good at $500,” House said.

The price hasn’t even been the biggest issue with getting one of these consoles; just being able to order one has. As the demand for both skyrockets, supply just can not keep up, and people are left having to wait for months or buy from scalpers who resell the consoles for sometimes upwards of $1,000.

“One hundred percent I hate the ordering process. It wasn’t set up well. On launch day, the moment you got into the website, the website crashed, and only scalper bots were able to buy it. Websites weren’t able to handle everyone buying the PS5 as it came out. So as a whole it was launched horribly,” House said.

Despite these issues with buying the newest consoles, people still love gaming as it brings people joy and entertainment. Another benefit of gaming, made especially apparent during this pandemic, is the social aspect of being able to talk and play games with friends.

“I like the achievements of it, like ‘I finally beat that level’. Also just socializing with friends, especially now we don’t hang out in person all that much, so it’s good to hang out online,” Briesen said.