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These last 48 hours have been incredibly eventful. On Monday, we celebrated the five-year anniversary of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with a competition to decide the best first-party game of this hardware cycle. You were given eight PS5 games and eight Xbox Series X exclusives to face off against each other, culminating in a championship round where the leading contender from each console would battle it out. There have been some nail-biting finishes 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 Thursday’s final battle.

PlayStation 5 Contenders

For PlayStation 5, we have the Kratos-killer, Astro Bot. Maybe it should be no surprise given 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 MVP of the PlayStation 5 era: the acclaimed developer. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 enjoyed an easy journey to the final four, leaping past Ghost of Yōtei and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (another title from the same studio!) to land in the semi-finals. Can Spidey topple 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. 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 already, proving that a more specialized genre game earns to be on the same pedestal as traditional jump-and-run games and cinematic action-adventure games. Its last roadblock en route to the finals is a major challenge, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has shown itself as a fan 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.

Place your ballots to decide the top PlayStation and Xbox titles of this era, and come back tomorrow to see who will be competing 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
• Quarter-finals: November 11, 11:00 AM Eastern - Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. EST
• Semi-final round: November 12, 11:00 AM Eastern - Thursday, Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. EST
• Final round: Thursday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. EST - November 14, 9:00 AM Eastern
• Winner announced: November 14, 11:00 AM Eastern

Head-to-Head Battles

PlayStation 5 Bracket

Astro Bot versus Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Xbox Series X Division

Forza Horizon 5 versus Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Cast Your Votes