WHILE the most popular esports games are still played on computer, the release of the PS5 and XBOX One are set to shake up the industry. In this article we will take a look at the most popular esports console games and what their advantages are. Firstly, we will break down the top esports games available on consoles, before diving into more about console esports.
Best esports games for PS5
The PS5 is still in its infancy with its worldwide release date November 12, 2020. This means that there are very few esports games available on the newest console to hit the market. What we can do, is run through some of the more popular franchises that have released or will release games on the PS5:
Call of Duty: Cold War: COD has got a huge imprint on esports and the PS4 has been a large driver of this. Now Cold War has been released and eventually will become front and centre with COD esports we think. Although COD at its top level is now played on PC, there is still a thriving online esports scene available to PS5 players.
NBA 2k21: 2K is easily one of the most popular games on the PS5, and it is slowly burgeoning as an esport as well. The NBA franchise was immediately launched when the PS5 came out, and continues to provide basketball fans an outstanding platform. The esports events around NBA 2k are improving all the time.
Fortnite: Upgrade to PS5 in the days after the release of the PS5, Fortnite is clearly one of the most popular esports console games. This battle royal title exploded in popularity and because it’s free to play, has a huge base of players.
Rocket League: An insane game that has take the esports world by storm, Rocket League pits teams of cars against each other in a soccer-style contest. Heaps of fun and their are now plenty of online and in-person esports events.
Best esports games for the XBOX Series-x
The XBOX Series X was released on November 10 and has quickly released a handful of games, including several that are leading esports console titles. Some of the best esports games available on the XBOX series x console include:
Halo: Infinite: Halo is one of the bigger esports titles on x-box with several large tournaments that are likely to transfer over to the Series X in time. Halo: Infinite has been delayed several times and looms as one of the major releases for the new Microsoft machine, when it is released. In the mean-time there continues to be Halo esports events, with it a very popular online pursuit.
Gears of War: Gears 5 has been updated for the XBOX Series X and it has been meet with rave reviews. Gears of War is a first person shooter that has a huge following among esports fanatics and is one of the biggest esports console games.
Rocket League: Has been a popular title on xbox for some time, and is quickly being updated for the xbox series x. Rocket League has plenty of great online tournaments for those looking to enter the esports scene.
Forza: Forza is a racing simulation game by Microsoft that is extremely popular with esports players. Forza Racing Championship is a tiered competition, that can pit pros against challengers. Forza is definitely one of our top picks as a racing esports game on console.
What are next gen consoles?
The next gen of console gaming has arrived with XBOX Series X and Playstation 5 being released. It heralds a new dawn esports and promises to greatly improve the scene. The new hardware is already making a huge difference to console gamers.
Is the PS5 or XBOX better for esports?
The XBOX Series is proving to be more popular with most experts. It’s the more powerful of the two, but PS5 does have a bigger market share. We’ll let you fight this one out, but Forza and Halo are hard to top for professional leagues that anyone can break into.
Why are the majority of professional video game comps on PC?
The extra power and ability to hav more control over the environments has meant many professional esports at the top level, including COD, are now played 100% on PC. You will still be able to play in plenty of esports tournaments online with games like COD, but to reach the top you will have to make the switch to PC eventually. The close links between XBOX and Windows means many players still use the XBOX control.
We expect that 2021 will begin to bring more esports on consoles, with their accessibility, especially in the global pandemic, making them the choice of many gamers. Games like PGA 2k have outstanding potential to provide esports competitions surrounding them.
Can you bet on esports console games?
Yes, all esports console games that have professional leagues surrounding them usually have betting. This means games like Forza, Halo and Gears 5 on XBOX Series x and NBA and FIFA on PS5 will have betting available on them when their are major events on. Check out our guide to esports betting for more information.