We'll Crown the Greatest Title of the Gaming Era: Semi-Finals

These last 48 hours have been nothing short of dramatic. On 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 PS5 games and eight Xbox Series X games to compete against each other, culminating in a final showdown where the top game from each console would battle it out. There have been some nail-biting finishes in the first two rounds, particularly yesterday’s razor-thin votes. At this point, it's time to crown the leading PlayStation and Xbox titles before Thursday’s final battle.

The PS5 Side

For PlayStation 5, we have the Kratos-killer, 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 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 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 secure a spot in the final four. Can Spidey topple a beloved PlayStation icon, 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 even juicier. Coming out on top from a more eclectic field of contenders is Forza Horizon 5. It's a big victory for the open-world driving game so far, demonstrating that a niche category title deserves to be on the same pedestal as classic platformers and story-driven epics. Its final obstacle en route to the finals 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 well-known franchise that's closely tied to Xbox itself? If anyone can pull that off, it's likely Indiana Jones.

Cast your votes to determine the best PS5 and Xbox Series X games of this generation, and return on the next day to see who will be competing for the ultimate trophy in the finals!

Polling Timeline

• Round of 16: 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
• Semi-final round: November 12, 11:00 AM Eastern - November 13, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Championship: November 13, 11:00 AM Eastern - Friday, Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. EST
• Champion crowned: Friday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. EST

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

Make Your Choice