PlayStation 4 vs Xbox One
The consoles wars have heated up once more. We saw it a couple of others time with the PS3 and the Xbox 360, but that was a little different. The 360 was the first out of the gate, and the PS3 was left to play catch up and the advantage went to Microsoft from the get go. This generation is a direct head-to-head battle of 2 of the last 3 game console titans; Playstation 4 versus XBOX One.
Specs:
The XBOX One and the PS4 are nearly identical in specifications. Both systems feature replaceable hard-drives, but the key difference is that Microsoft makes it so that you have to use their hardware for upgrades, Sony doesn’t. This is a huge difference. Below or the specs for both system.
SONY 8GB GDDR5 XBOX 8GB DDR3
SONY 500 GB Hard Drive (removable by owner) XBOS-500 GB Hard Drive (removable by licensed tech)
Both support cloud storage.
Another key difference in the tech is that the PS4 doesn’t require game installs.
Sony has the upper hand
Although the systems are nearly identical in power and exclusive games, Sony has the upper hand with customer and gamer support. Microsoft got the jump on Sony by announcing more information sooner, but their approach was poorly executed and it actually caused uproar with the gaming community. They were vague and elusive on used game support, selling or trading games to friends and their approach of making their Kinect integrated and “always on” were early deal breakers for gamers. Microsoft also seemed to try to appeal to the home entertainment crowd with their lack of game news. Microsoft was scrambling and sending mixed signals.
Sony took the opportunity at E3 to beat Microsoft over the head with their Playstation 4 controller. Everything that gamers were upset about with the XBOX One, Sony came out in support of. The PS4 doesn’t have to be connected to the internet at least once a day, they support used game as well as trading games and to top it off, the PS4 comes in one hundred dollars cheaper at $399.00 US dollars. Sony will also continue support of its online service and its games. Another misstep Microsoft made was to say that their system would not be backwards compatible with its huge list of downloadable games, therefore making their catalog inaccessible on the new XBOX One. This made many gamers upset because Microsoft has pushed so hard for digital distribution.
Sony has also made headway with their open support for indie games and indie studios. Microsoft has been notoriously hard to work with when it comes to independent studios until this point.
When it comes to peripherals, the new XBOX seems to have redesigned their controller to make it more ergonomic and usable, while Sony has basically kept their same PS4 controller that many loved. The XBOX One does have the integrated Kinect, but that has been poor at worst and hardly usable at best. Microsoft is touting its motion based controls for the entertainment system, but it is required to always be on, or in sleep mode. This has led writers and gamers to call it Orwellian or big brother.
In conclusion, although both systems have exclusive titles, the difference is small when it comes to the games. Both systems will boast powerful graphics and power, but Sony has the clear advantage of momentum and has nearly everything that gamers want.
PlayStation 4 Controller 