We'll Name the Greatest Title of the Gaming Era: Final Four

These last 48 hours have been nothing short of dramatic. This past Monday, we marked the half-decade milestone of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with a tournament to determine the top exclusive title of this hardware cycle. We presented eight PS5 games and eight Xbox Series X exclusives to face off against each other, all heading towards a championship round where the top game from each platform would go head-to-head. There have been some nail-biting finishes in the initial matchups, especially the extremely tight polls from the previous day. Now, it's time to crown the best PS5 and Xbox Series X games ahead of the championship on Thursday.

The PS5 Side

On the PS5 side, we have the giant-slayer, Astro Bot. Perhaps it's expected given that it won top honors at the previous year's gaming accolades, but its win against God of War Ragnarök feels like a true upset. But to get to the finals, it'll have to go through the MVP of the PlayStation 5 era: Insomniac Games. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 enjoyed an easy journey to the semi-finals, leaping past Ghost of Yōtei and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (another Insomniac game!) to land in the semi-finals. Can Spidey topple a home-grown Sony mascot, or is he destined to become a chibi cameo in the next Astro Bot game?

Xbox Series X Contenders

For Xbox Series X has been even juicier. Coming out on top from a diverse lineup of contenders is Forza Horizon 5. It's a big victory for the open-world driving game already, demonstrating that a more specialized genre game earns to be on the equal footing as traditional jump-and-run games and cinematic action-adventure games. Its last roadblock on the way to the finals is a big one, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has shown itself as a crowd 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? Should anyone manage this feat, it's probably Indy.

Cast your votes to determine the top PlayStation and Xbox titles of this generation, and come back tomorrow to see who will be competing for the ultimate trophy in the championship round!

Polling Timeline

  • First Round: November 10, 11:00 AM Eastern - Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. EST
  • Quarter-finals: November 11, 11:00 AM Eastern - Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. EST
  • Semi-final round: Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. ET - November 13, 9:00 AM Eastern
  • Final round: Thursday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. EST - Friday, Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. EST
  • Winner announced: Friday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. EST

Matchups

PS5 Division

Astro Bot vs. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Xbox Series X Division

Forza Horizon 5 versus Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Make Your Choice

Morgan Beasley
Morgan Beasley

Sustainable architect and writer passionate about eco-friendly design and geodesic structures, sharing insights from years of experience.