Let's Name the Best Title of the Gaming Era: Semi-Finals

The past two days have been incredibly eventful. This past Monday, we celebrated 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 PS5 games and eight Xbox Series X exclusives to face off against each other, all heading towards a final showdown where the top game from each platform would go head-to-head. We've witnessed some nail-biting finishes in the initial matchups, especially the extremely tight polls from the previous day. At this point, it's time to crown the leading PlayStation and Xbox titles before Thursday’s final battle.

PlayStation 5 Contenders

For PlayStation 5, we have the giant-slayer, Astro Bot. Perhaps it's expected considering that it took home the top prize at the previous year's gaming accolades, but its victory over God of War Ragnarök seems like a major shock. But to get to the finals, it'll need to defeat the most valuable player of the PlayStation 5 era: Insomniac Games. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 enjoyed an easy journey to the final four, defeating Ghost of Yōtei and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (another title from the same studio!) to land in the final four. Will Spider-Man defeat a beloved PlayStation icon, 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 more exciting. Emerging victorious from a diverse lineup of contenders is Forza Horizon 5. It's a big victory for the open-world driving game so far, proving that a more specialized genre game deserves to be on the equal footing as classic platformers and story-driven epics. Its final obstacle en route to the championship is a major challenge, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has proven to be a fan favorite, beating critical darlings like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush. Can it beat a much bigger game from an well-known franchise that's synonymous with Xbox itself? Should anyone manage this feat, 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 grand prize in the finals!

Polling Timeline

  • Round of 16: November 10, 11:00 AM Eastern - Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. EST
  • Round of 8: Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. EST - November 12, 9:00 AM Eastern
  • Final Four: Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. ET - Thursday, Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. EST
  • Final round: November 13, 11:00 AM Eastern - Friday, Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. EST
  • Winner announced: Friday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. EST

Matchups

PlayStation 5 Bracket

Astro Bot versus Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Xbox Series X Division

Forza Horizon 5 vs. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Cast Your Votes

Nathan Huynh
Nathan Huynh

A passionate writer and cultural analyst with a background in international relations, sharing unique insights on global affairs.