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Your Move: The Hottest Gifts Of The Season

The hottest Christmas gifts this season are the new round of game consoles from Sony and Microsoft - the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, respectively. At least, I assume they are, considering every time they go on sale, they’re snatched up instantly.

Now, these aren’t going to change the way you play video games. But these new systems are the most powerful gaming consoles on the market.

The Xbox Series X has the biggest library of any console ever, as it plays nearly every Xbox One game, and a large number of Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles, as well. Microsoft has gone all-in on backwards compatibility. And, as a result, the new Xbox feels a whole lot like the old Xbox - just with better graphics and faster loading times.

The PlayStation 5 is also a step up from its predecessor. The most noticeable change is the controller - it’s appreciably larger, and has a few great new features. The rumble feature has been upgraded to be incredibly precise - you can feel the difference between walking on grass and walking on marble. Additionally, motors have been added to the triggers, so they have variably adjustable tension - and can even ‘fight back’ as you attempt to depress them. Almost all PlayStation 4 games are playable on the system, but unfortunately it doesn’t reach any further back.

Both systems have the ability to render games in true 4k, with raytracing for beautiful, accurate lighting and reflections. They both also have new, fast storage to nearly eliminate loading times from games.

At the end of the day, these systems are worthy, if modest, improvements. And don’t worry if you can’t find one yet, as pretty much all games released on these systems are being released on the older systems, too.

Samuel McConnell is a games enthusiast who has been playing games in one form or another since 1991. He was born in northern Maine but quickly transplanted to Wichita.