We'll Name the Greatest Game of the Gaming Era: Final Four

The past two days have been nothing short of dramatic. This past Monday, we celebrated the five-year anniversary of the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles with a tournament to decide the best first-party game of this hardware cycle. We presented eight PlayStation 5 titles and eight Xbox Series X exclusives to face off against each other, culminating in a final showdown where the leading contender from each platform would go head-to-head. We've witnessed some incredibly close calls in the initial matchups, especially yesterday’s razor-thin votes. At this point, it's time to crown the leading PlayStation and Xbox titles ahead of the championship on Thursday.

The PS5 Side

For PlayStation 5, we have the giant-slayer, Astro Bot. Perhaps it's expected considering that it won top honors at the previous year's gaming accolades, but its win against God of War Ragnarök feels like a true upset. 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 final four, leaping past Ghost of Yōtei and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (another Insomniac game!) to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Will Spider-Man defeat a beloved PlayStation icon, or is he destined to become a chibi cameo in the upcoming Astro Bot title?

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 big victory for the open-world driving game so far, proving that a more specialized genre game earns to be on the same pedestal as traditional jump-and-run games and story-driven epics. Its last roadblock en route to the finals is a major challenge, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has proven to be a fan favorite, beating acclaimed titles like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush. Will it overcome 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 generation, and return on the next day to see which games will face off for the ultimate trophy in the finals!

Polling Timeline

• First Round: November 10, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 11, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Quarter-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: Thursday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. EST - November 14, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Winner announced: 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

Make Your Choice