We'll Crown the Best Game of the Gaming Era: Final Four
These last 48 hours have been nothing short of dramatic. On Monday, we marked the five-year anniversary of the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles with a tournament to determine the top exclusive title of this hardware cycle. We presented eight PS5 games and eight Xbox Series X games 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, particularly the extremely tight polls from the previous day. At this point, it's moment to decide the leading PlayStation and Xbox titles before Thursday’s final battle.
The PS5 Side
For PlayStation 5, we have the giant-slayer, Astro Bot. Maybe it should be no surprise given that it took home the top prize at the previous year's gaming accolades, but its win against God of War Ragnarök seems like a major shock. However, to reach the championship, it'll need to defeat the most valuable player of the PlayStation 5 era: Insomniac Games. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 had a smooth path to the semi-finals, leaping past Ghost of Yōtei and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (another title from the same studio!) to secure a spot in the final four. Can Spidey topple a home-grown Sony mascot, or is he destined to become a miniature appearance in the next Astro Bot game?
The Xbox Series X Side
The Xbox Series X side has been even juicier. Emerging victorious from a more eclectic field of contenders is Forza Horizon 5. It's a significant win for the open-world driving game so far, proving that a niche category title deserves to be on the equal footing as classic platformers and story-driven epics. Its last roadblock en route to the championship is a major challenge, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has proven to be a crowd favorite, defeating acclaimed titles like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush. Can it beat 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 decide the best PS5 and Xbox Series X games of this era, and return on the next day to see which games will face off for the grand prize in the championship round!
Voting Schedule
First Round: November 10, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 11, 9:00 AM EasternQuarter-finals: Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. EST - Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. EST- Final Four: Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. ET - November 13, 9:00 AM Eastern
- Championship: November 13, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 14, 9:00 AM Eastern
- 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 Division
Forza Horizon 5 versus Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
