The Xbox Series X|S and the PlayStation 5 have their own advantages and disadvantages when choosing one platform over the other. But when picking between each console, you may want to know some of the unique advantages one console has over the other.

For the Xbox Series X|S, these unique advantages come together to present a consumer-friendly experience that places choice and preference for where and how you can play Xbox titles in your hands. But what are these unique advantages of the Xbox Series X|S over the PlayStation 5? Let's find out.

1. The Series X|S Backwards Compatibility Features All Generations and Disc Support

One of the best advantages the Xbox Series X|S has over the PlayStation 5 is shown through each console's backwards compatibility support. Specifically, Xbox Series X|S consoles outdo the PlayStation 5 in two significant ways regarding backwards compatibility.

Most importantly, while the PlayStation 5 does support backwards compatibility, it only allows you to play PlayStation 4 titles. That means original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 titles can't be played by your PlayStation 5. But with Xbox Series X|S, you can play Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox titles.

Xbox Series X|S consoles take this further and feature disc support for their past generations. For backwards compatibility, you can insert your physical games into your Xbox Series X|S to play all your favorite classic Xbox titles, as long as they're part of the backwards compatibility list by Xbox.

When comparing the advantages of the Xbox Series X|S against the PlayStation 5, backwards compatibility support highlights one of the ways Xbox has a clear advantage over PlayStation. With Xbox Series X|S, the ability to play any prior Xbox generation is as consumer-friendly and accessible as possible.

2. Xbox Game Pass Avoids Compulsory Streaming and Allows You to Download Its Entire Library to Your Series X|S

For Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus services, how each service functions on Xbox or PlayStation highlights a key advantage of the Xbox Series X|S over the PlayStation 5. This advantage comes down to the availability to download the games available to you on Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus.

With PlayStation Plus on the PlayStation 5, while you can play and download most titles, you can only stream PlayStation 3 titles available to your console, as the PlayStation 5 cannot play PlayStation 3 games.

Compared to Xbox Game Pass, a service that allows you to download all of its titles straight to your Xbox Series X|S, the PlayStation 5's reliability on streaming highlights a clear advantage of owning an Xbox Series X|S.

Suppose you utilize or rely on streaming services like Xbox Game Pass to play your games. In that case, the Xbox Series X|S's availability to download available games guarantees reliability and quality of play that the PlayStation 5's reliance on streaming can't.

3. Adding High-Speed SSD Storage to Your Xbox Series X|S Is Far Simpler Than on PlayStation 5

With AAA titles requiring more and more storage, with further storage-straining updates guaranteed, ensuring that you can expand your storage on your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S is essential for modern console gaming.

Expanding your PlayStation 5's SSD storage compared to expanding the Xbox Series X|S's SSD storage highlights another advantage of the Xbox Series X|S over the PlayStation. On an Xbox Series X|S, you can simply use Microsoft's official Seagate Storage Expansion Cards to plug in extra storage.

This makes expanding storage on your Xbox Series X|S straightforward while guaranteeing high-speed SSD compatibility. On PlayStation 5, however, you can still expand your SSD storage, but the process is far more complex, involving having to unscrew and dismantle a section of your PlayStation 5.

So in terms of ease of use of expanding SSD storage, Xbox Series X|S has the advantage over the PlayStation 5, with simple plug-in and go expansion cards that quickly fix any storage issues you may have.

4. Play Every Xbox Game Studio Title on Day One With Xbox Game Pass Instead of Select Titles on PS Plus

A further advantage of the Xbox Series X|S over the PlayStation 5, shown through Xbox Game Pass, is the service's guarantee that Xbox Game Studios' titles are available on Game Pass on day one of their release.

Compared with PlayStation 5's use of PlayStation Plus, Sony's Jim Ryan has stated that not all of their games will be put onto PlayStation Plus at the same time as their release, as reported by gamesindustry.biz.

This means that you would have to wait for massive PlayStation exclusives, like God of War: Ragnarök, to be available on your PlayStation 5 through PlayStation Plus, while Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass guarantee its big hitters, like Halo Infinite, on the day of its release.

Access to big PlayStation and Xbox exclusives defines an advantage for the Xbox Series X|S through Game Pass, but despite this, you may want to check out how the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X specifications compare to each other. After all, how useful is early access if your console can't stand up to its main rival?

5. The Xbox Series X|S Are Both Smaller Than the PS5

A more practical advantage of the Xbox Series X|S over the PlayStation 5 is that both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are smaller than the PlayStation 5.

While the Xbox Series X isn't exactly a small console, it still manages to be smaller than the PlayStation 5. Specifically, the PlayStation 5 stands 39cm high, while the Series X stands at 30cm. Even with the width of each console, the PlayStation 5 is 14cm compared to the Series X's 15cm.

So despite the Xbox Series X's fridge-like and abrasive appearance, the PlayStation 5's design only makes for a 1cm reduction in width.

It gets worse for the PlayStation 5 when comparing its size to the Xbox Series S, which stands at 27.5cm vertically, with a width of 6.5cm. But despite Microsoft's success making the Series S compact, in terms of specs, when comparing the Xbox Series S to the Xbox Series X, or PlayStation 5, there is a substantial difference.

Regardless, when purely focusing on size, no matter how you look at it, the Xbox Series X|S has the advantage over the PlayStation 5 and represents the more manageable hardware for organizing and finding a place for your gaming consoles.

6. The Xbox Series S Is the Best Value for Money for Digital-Only Gaming

While having the best hardware possible when it comes to console gaming may be a priority for you, another factor that represents a great advantage of the Xbox Series S is ensuring you get the best value for your money.

And for digital gaming, there isn't a better-valued console than the Xbox Series S. Even the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, as listed on PlayStation Direct, stands at a hefty $399.99, while the Xbox Series S stands at a manageable $239.99 on the Microsoft Store.

So despite the PlayStation 5 boasting better specs than the Xbox Series S, if you're looking for a next-gen compatible digital-only console, the price difference of $160 represents a great advantage of the Xbox Series S over the PlayStation 5.

Get the Most From Next Generation Gaming With Xbox Series X|S

Now you know some of the specific advantages the Xbox Series X|S has over the PlayStation 5, you can dive into console gaming with Xbox knowing you're getting some of the best features and value console gaming has to offer.

However, console gaming is made by the games you can experience on each platform, so you may need to dive deeper into some reasons you may prefer to own a PlayStation 5 despite the advantages Xbox offer. That way, you can get a complete overview of what both PlayStation and Xbox bring to the table.