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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 tournament to decide the best first-party game of this hardware cycle. We presented eight PlayStation 5 titles and eight Xbox Series X games to face off against each other, all heading towards a championship round where the leading contender from each console would go head-to-head. We've witnessed 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 Thursday’s final battle.

The PS5 Side

On the PS5 side, 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 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, defeating Ghost of Yōtei and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (another title from the same studio!) to secure a spot in the final four. Will Spider-Man defeat a beloved PlayStation icon, or is he fated to become a chibi cameo in the next Astro Bot game?

Xbox Series X Contenders

The Xbox Series X side has been more exciting. Emerging victorious from a diverse lineup of competitors is Forza Horizon 5. It's a significant win for the open-world driving game already, proving that a niche category title deserves to be on the equal footing as classic platformers and cinematic action-adventure games. Its final obstacle en route to the championship is a big one, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has proven to be a crowd favorite, defeating acclaimed titles like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush. Can it beat a much bigger game from an established IP that's closely tied to the Xbox brand? Should anyone manage this feat, it's probably Indy.

Cast your votes to determine the top PlayStation and Xbox titles of this era, and return on the next day to see which games will face off 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
• Semi-final round: Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. ET - Thursday, Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. EST
• Championship: Thursday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. EST - November 14, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Winner announced: November 14, 11:00 AM Eastern

Matchups

PlayStation 5 Bracket

Astro Bot versus Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Xbox Series X Bracket

Forza Horizon 5 versus Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Cast Your Votes