We'll Crown the Best Game of the Console Generation: 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 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 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 leading PlayStation and Xbox titles ahead of Thursday’s final battle.

The PS5 Side

For PlayStation 5, 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 PS5 generation: the acclaimed developer. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 enjoyed an easy journey to the final four, defeating Ghost of Yōtei and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (another Insomniac game!) to secure a spot in the final four. Will Spider-Man defeat a home-grown Sony mascot, or is he fated to become a chibi cameo 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, 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 final obstacle on the way to the championship is a big one, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has proven to be a fan favorite, defeating critical darlings like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush. Can it beat a larger-scale title from an established IP that's closely tied to the Xbox brand? If anyone can pull that off, it's probably Indy.

Place your ballots to decide the top PlayStation and Xbox titles of this era, and come back tomorrow to see which games will face off for the ultimate trophy 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 - Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. EST
• Final Four: November 12, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 13, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Final round: 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

PS5 Division

Astro Bot versus Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Xbox Series X Division

Forza Horizon 5 vs. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Make Your Choice