Speed will be the issue that will define the PS5 and Xbox Series X in the next generation. Sony seems to be paying particular attention to this factor, as it can compensate for many other factors.
While it is still not clear how the final specifications and benchmarks will turn out, according to a note from the Phison Electronic Corps that will deliver the SSD for the Xbox Series X, Microsoft is relying on an NVme Gen4. 7.5GB / s SSD. This is currently a popular choice when it comes to fast storage, but only corresponds to that of a standard PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive.
https://twitter.com/PostUp_bbb/status/1219768015518158849
This is where the latest statements from Sony come into play, which have stated that their custom SSD has a larger bandwidth than any SSD currently available for the PC. Back to Xbox Series X it says:
“The Phison PS5019-E19T is a low-cost SSD controller that was specially developed for connection via the PCIe 4.0 interface, does not use a DRAM cache chip and is based on a PCIe 3.0 controller. You can expect that from a pure PCIe 4.0 device. ”
A standard PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive is still a good bit behind the state-of-the-art Samsung SSD drives, which are probably used in the PS5. It is not for nothing that Sony will assume that the PS5 can compete with the fastest PCs in a similar gaming environment.
Although the specifications can still change and Microsoft can use other components, it is currently assumed that these have been bound to Phison as a supplier. However, recent comparisons at CES have shown that they cannot stand up to Samsung in terms of speed.
“This could be the difference between the two next generation consoles. Since both have similar AMD technologies, Microsoft seems to be aiming for a faster GPU and Sony for a faster SSD. ”
The PS5 and Xbox One Series X will be launched in late 2020.
