This isn't about a phone this time around, but rather the brand new home video game consoles Microsoft and Sony are launching soon. Both companies have their latest and greatest effort coming down the pipe, with Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Sony's PlayStation 5 (each with its own variant) set to go on sale in November. Pre-orders went live not too long ago, though, so I'm curious to know if you chose one over the other.

At least both companies make phones, so it's not completely out of left field.

Both consoles launch on the same week, with Microsoft's arriving first on November 10. And then on November 12 Sony's console arrives. Both consoles will have exclusives, in some cases just timed right out of the gate, while others will be more permanent single home titles. There will be other games, like Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War, which will be available on both at launch, too.

However, this year's launch feels a little weak. And that's putting it nicely. The good news is that it's not the consoles that are the weak spots, but rather the availability of new games at launch. Of course, some folks will be more excited for what's available right out of the gate than others, but I can safely say that I'm not really looking forward to anything launching in November, or even before the end of 2020 for that matter.

I think the strangest move is on Microsoft's part, though. Right now, when you look at the Xbox One X and the PlayStation 4 Pro, there's one key difference: software. And I don't just mean the obvious part here, but rather that Sony hasn't upgraded the PlayStation 4's software like Microsoft has. The Xbox One X is currently running the same software that will be present on the Xbox Series X (and Series S) when it launches next month. Sony's deciding to wait, letting PlayStation 5 owners get a fresh take on the PS5's dashboard.

I think it's a strange move because of the weak launch library, because now it means anyone with an Xbox One X isn't even getting a new software experience when they turn their brand new (and expensive) console on. Oh, the new consoles will have dynamic backgrounds, so that'll be new.

Point goes to Sony in this regard, though.

Not that I'm keeping score or anything. I'll eventually pick up both consoles at some point, I'm sure. I use an Xbox to keep up with friends and family when we play games together, but it's the PlayStation I turn to (mostly) for single-player adventures. That will be the case with this generation, too.

But, what about you? Did you pre-order either the Xbox Series X or S, or Sony's PlayStation 5 or PS5 Digital Edition? Let me know!