We'll Crown the Best Title of the Console Generation: Final Four
The past two days have been incredibly eventful. On Monday, we marked the five-year anniversary of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with a competition to determine the best first-party game of this hardware cycle. We presented eight PlayStation 5 titles and eight Xbox Series X exclusives to compete against each other, all heading towards a championship round where the leading contender from each platform would battle it out. There have been some nail-biting finishes in the first two rounds, especially yesterday’s razor-thin votes. Now, it's time to crown the best PS5 and Xbox Series X games ahead of Thursday’s final battle.
PlayStation 5 Contenders
On the PS5 side, we have the Kratos-killer, Astro Bot. Maybe it should be no surprise considering that it took home the top prize at last year’s Game Awards, but its win against God of War Ragnarök feels like a true upset. However, to reach the championship, it'll need to defeat the MVP of the PlayStation 5 era: the acclaimed developer. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 enjoyed an easy journey to the final four, leaping past Ghost of Yōtei and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (another Insomniac game!) to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Will Spider-Man defeat a home-grown Sony mascot, or is he fated to become a miniature appearance in the upcoming Astro Bot title?
Xbox Series X Contenders
The Xbox Series X side has been even juicier. Emerging victorious from a diverse lineup of competitors is Forza Horizon 5. It's a significant win for the racing adventure title so far, demonstrating that a more specialized genre game earns to be on the equal footing as traditional jump-and-run games and story-driven epics. Its last roadblock en route to the championship is a major challenge, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has shown itself as a fan favorite, defeating critical darlings like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush. Will it overcome a much bigger game from an established IP that's closely tied to Xbox itself? If anyone can pull that off, it's probably Indy.
Place your ballots to determine the top PlayStation and Xbox titles of this generation, and return on the next day to see which games will face off for the grand prize in the championship round!
Polling Timeline
First Round: Monday, Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. EST - November 11, 9:00 AM EasternQuarter-finals: November 11, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 12, 9:00 AM Eastern- Final Four: November 12, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 13, 9:00 AM Eastern
- Final round: November 13, 11:00 AM Eastern - Friday, Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. EST
- Champion crowned: November 14, 11:00 AM Eastern
Head-to-Head Battles
PS5 Division
Astro Bot versus Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Xbox Series X Bracket
Forza Horizon 5 vs. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
