It's been a few weeks since we've heard anything meaningful in the battle between Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Series X.
That said, we could be getting a sizeable update on the PS5 at some point over the next day or two, so keep your eyes peeled!
Well, it's about time that we received a meaningful update on Sony's console, with the worldwide Coronavirus outbreak jeopardising production and potentially the release date of the PS5.
What's new?
Microsoft recently revealed some new features ahead of Xbox Series X's release.
With a custom 8-core AMD Zen 2 processor and a speed of 12 Teraflops, it's a remarkable start for Xbox, with still seven months until release.
The new Xbox includes GDDR6 up to 16GB RAM and custom NVMe SSD storage.
SOLID - The Series X design has drawn criticism, but do you actually care?
Visually ray tracing will make the games stunning, along with 8K resolution and 120 frames per second.
Other features include quick resume (for suspending multiple games) Dynamic Latency Input and Variable Refresh Rate - both heavily reducing input lag.
READ MORE: Xbox Series X Specs REVEALED
What's been massive though, is Microsoft announcing their exclusive games will also exist across Xbox One and PC.
What is worth Sony "pinching" ahead of a first PS5 deep dive?
Quick resume
This is the key feature here, with Xbox Series X keeping multiple games or apps running in the background for you to jump in.
Think of this like a smartphone, which allows you to jump into various apps, without closing them down.
SIDE BY SIDE - Snap mode is a similar feature on Xbox One
Xbox One had a much-reduced version of this, allowing you to keep one game open whilst you use other apps - this is about to go up a notch.
With this already revealed by Microsoft, PS5 must follow suit, otherwise they will be 1-0 down to their rivals.
An Xbox family
Now, this is where Xbox does have the early advantage.
Exclusive titles such as Halo: Infinite and Hellblade 2 will also be playable on Xbox One, but not only that, but more games will be added to Xbox's Backward Compatible Game Library.
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE - Hellblade 2 will be exclusively Xbox
Any game in this library will be playable on Series X, so if you already have any of these games, you've got a load already in the bank.
Speed, Power and Performance
Now, expect PS5 to match Xbox almost toe-to-toe.
You can scrap the searches for "What is a teraflop?" after Microsoft announced there would be 12 of them in Series X (insert shrug emoji).
HIGH VOLTAGE - Serie X is set to offer the most powerful, and lag-free, console we've ever seen
However they label it, expect any lag, speed and overall delivery of the PS5 to be almost synonymous with what Series X brings.
Over to you, Sony
So will Sony and the PlayStation team implement any of these when it comes to the PS5?
Speed and performance - almost certainly.
IN THE SHADOWS - We know very little about the PS5
The quick resume function falls into that category too, but the ability to play any game in a certain library swings things heavily in Xbox's favour.
READ MORE: PS5 games rumoured to be at Sony's reveal event
The exclusive games for PS5 are not set to receive versions on previous-gen, but it is understood that "almost all" PS4 games will be playable on the new console.
Interesting, an interview with Hermen Hulstrevealed just how committed they are to strong, narrative driven single player games.
READ MORE: PlayStation Boss REVEALS tactics to beat Xbox Series X
Verdict
The early advantage is with Microsoft and Xbox, but ultimately, it will come to games.
COMEBACK TIME - Expect Sony to make advances very soon
So far the "exclusive" battle sees the likes of Halo: Infinite and Hellblade 2 go up against The Last of Us Part II (a PS4 game) and a potential next God of War instalment.
The fact we already know some games coming to Series X puts the ball in Xbox's court, but expect that to swing when Sony starts rolling out its announcements.
READ MORE: Microsoft Game Stack SCHEDULE - Livestream and Xbox Series X news