Xbox Series X boss shrugs off PS5 threat 🤷 — "I felt good after seeing their show"

Xbox boss Phil Spencer isn't losing any sleep over the PS5 reveal judging by his recent comments on Sony's console unveiling, saying he "felt good" about the Xbox Series X after watching his competitor's show.

Microsoft had a rough patch last month with its Inside Xbox First Look Xbox Series X Gameplay event that didn't go down well with gamers, who were disappointed at the amount of actual gameplay that was shown, and the fact that they didn't look all too impressive either. 

But Spencer is feeling more confident about the Xbox Series X now that Sony has shown its hand, and is looking forward to the July showcase where we'll be treated to a closer look at the first-party lineup. 

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Spencer was asked for his reaction to the PS5 reveal during the Gamelab Live conference this week, and started off tipping his hat to rival Sony, saying he sent PS5 boss Jim Ryan a congratulatory note after the event:

“I watched the show, I thought they did a good job. As a competitor it’s great to have them out there now so we kind of know what the programme is, we see the device, we see the games."

Spencer then took the opportunity to get a bit cheeky, bringing up the new Xbox's specs and the advantages it has over it Sony's console:

"Just being honest, I felt good after seeing their show. I think the hardware advantages that we have built are going to show up as we’re talking more about our games and frame rates and other things.  

"I thought the games line-up that we’re going to have at launch I felt really good about, and we got more clarity on what they’re doing at their show which just helped us focus in on more of what we have, and I think that will be a strength for us at launch."

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While the PS5 has the advantage when it comes to the SSD - offering speeds of up to 5.5GB/s compared to the Xbox Series X's 2.4 GB/s - the new Xbox will put out over 12 Teraflops compared to the PS5's 10.3, which may give Microsoft the edge when it comes to graphics, and the console's array of consumer-friendly features within the Xbox ecosystem may also tip the scales in its favour. 

Earlier this week, director of program management for Xbox Series X Jason Ronald, explained that it's not all about graphics either, with the hardware offering "power that you can feel" as well.  So it seems that if the Xbox team is worried about the PS5, they're certainly not showing it. 

Spencer added that the team has taken on board the feedback from the damp squib the last event turned out to be, and that the July showcase is going to show off what the Xbox Series X is capable of.

"So I feel good about July and the gameplay that we’re going to be showing there and the hardware capability.

"Teams are working hard to get it lined up, we’ve taken feedback from our last event and I think people are really going to be pleased with what we’re going to be showing there. Halo [Infinite] will be a big part of it and I think that’s obviously an important title for us."

After the event, we'll have a better idea of the platform-exclusive titles both consoles are offering, and the competition is really going to start heating up as we barrel towards November's 'holiday 2020' launch window.  

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