We'll Name the Best Game of the Gaming Era: Semi-Finals

These last 48 hours have been incredibly eventful. This past Monday, we marked the five-year anniversary of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with a competition to determine the top exclusive title of this hardware cycle. You were given eight PS5 games and eight Xbox Series X games to compete against each other, all heading towards a final showdown where the leading contender from each console would go head-to-head. There have been some nail-biting finishes in the first two rounds, especially the extremely tight polls from the previous day. At this point, it's time to crown the leading PlayStation and Xbox titles ahead of the championship on Thursday.

The PS5 Side

On the PS5 side, we have the Kratos-killer, Astro Bot. Perhaps it's expected given that it won top honors at last year’s Game Awards, 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 PS5 generation: Insomniac Games. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 had a smooth path to the semi-finals, leaping past Ghost of Yōtei and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (another title from the same studio!) to land in the semi-finals. Will Spider-Man defeat a home-grown Sony mascot, or is he fated to become a chibi cameo in the upcoming Astro Bot title?

Xbox Series X Contenders

For Xbox Series X has been even juicier. Coming out on top from a more eclectic field of competitors is Forza Horizon 5. It's a big victory for the racing adventure title so far, proving that a more specialized genre game earns to be on the equal footing as classic platformers and story-driven epics. Its last roadblock en route to the championship is a big one, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has proven to be a crowd favorite, beating critical darlings like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush. Can it beat a much bigger game from an established IP that's closely tied to Xbox itself? If anyone can pull that off, it's likely Indiana Jones.

Cast your votes to decide the top PlayStation and Xbox titles of this generation, and come back tomorrow to see which games will face off for the grand prize in the championship round!

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: November 12, 11:00 AM Eastern - Thursday, Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. EST
• Final round: November 13, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 14, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Champion crowned: November 14, 11:00 AM Eastern

Matchups

PS5 Division

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