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The past two days 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 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, culminating in a final showdown where the top game from each console would go head-to-head. There have been some incredibly close calls in the first two rounds, particularly yesterday’s razor-thin votes. Now, it's time to crown the leading PlayStation and Xbox titles before the championship on Thursday.

PlayStation 5 Contenders

For PlayStation 5, we have the giant-slayer, Astro Bot. Maybe it should be no surprise given that it won top honors 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 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 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 destined to become a miniature appearance in the upcoming Astro Bot title?

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 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 last roadblock on the way to the finals is a major challenge, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has shown itself as a fan favorite, defeating acclaimed titles like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush. Will it overcome a much bigger game from an established IP that's closely tied to the Xbox brand? If anyone can pull that off, it's likely Indiana Jones.

Place your ballots to determine the top PlayStation and Xbox titles of this generation, and return on the next day to see which games will face off for the ultimate trophy in the championship round!

Voting Schedule

• 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 - Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. EST
• Semi-final round: November 12, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 13, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Final round: Thursday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. EST - November 14, 9:00 AM Eastern
• 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 versus Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Cast Your Votes