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These last 48 hours have been incredibly eventful. On Monday, we celebrated the half-decade milestone 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 PS5 games and eight Xbox Series X games to face off against each other, culminating in a championship round where the top game from each console would go head-to-head. There have been some incredibly close calls in the first two rounds, especially 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.

PlayStation 5 Contenders

On the PS5 side, we have the giant-slayer, Astro Bot. Perhaps it's expected considering that it took home the top prize at last year’s Game Awards, but its win against God of War Ragnarök seems like a major shock. But to get to the finals, it'll have to go through the most valuable player of the PlayStation 5 era: the acclaimed developer. 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 final four. Can Spidey topple a home-grown Sony mascot, or is he fated to become a miniature appearance in the next Astro Bot game?

The Xbox Series X Side

For Xbox Series X has been more exciting. Coming out on top from a more eclectic field of contenders is Forza Horizon 5. It's a significant win for the racing adventure title already, demonstrating that a niche category title deserves to be on the equal footing as traditional jump-and-run games and cinematic action-adventure games. Its last roadblock en route to the championship is a major challenge, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has proven to be a fan favorite, defeating acclaimed titles like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush. Can it beat a larger-scale title 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 decide the best PS5 and Xbox Series X games of this generation, and come back tomorrow to see who will be competing for the ultimate trophy in the finals!

Polling Timeline

• Round of 16: Monday, Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. EST - November 11, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Round of 8: November 11, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 12, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Final Four: Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. ET - Thursday, Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. EST
• Championship: November 13, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 14, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Champion crowned: Friday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. EST

Head-to-Head Battles

PlayStation 5 Bracket

Astro Bot vs. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Xbox Series X Bracket

Forza Horizon 5 versus Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Cast Your Votes