So, its began. The Clash of the Consoles. Microsoft Vs Sony. There can only be one winner. Or is it just that easy to declare one winner? Lets go through this…
Product Design
Starting off with the least important factor it seems that there’s not much to choose between the two. Both appear as black blocks, divided into sections, with the main difference being that the PS4’s whipped-back slant makes it italic to the Xbox One’s bold.
Both controllers are along the same lines, taking no chances, though the PS4’s DualShock 4 does have a capacitive touchpad, a headphone jack in the controller, a built-in speaker, and a “share” button whilst the Xbox One’s controller has only smoothed out its previous iterations and added vibrating feedback in the triggers.
Whats Under the Bonnet?
To start off each console is packing 500GB hard drives, for our music, videos and games but as time ticks on after release date I am sure it won’t be long until they release higher capacities.Each console is also a blu-ray player, as expected, with both having USB 3.0, HDMI ports.Standard.
Also, each have gone for custom AMD chips and eight-core CPUS with 8GB, though the PS4 has an edge there, using GDDR5 instead of Microsoft’s DDR3.
Also, the PS4 has the graphical edge with its GPU being estimated to be on par with the AMD Radeon 7870 whilst Xbox One’s is nearer to the AMD Radeon HD 7790 – a step down for certain.
Both units have their own motion sensor, though the Kinect 2.0 seems to be more sophisticated than the PS4’s Eye, with the latter having to be purchased separately. Also, with the Kinect’s many voice-activated features with live tv ,Microsoft could most definitely be in line to take this one.
In terms of the peripheries that didn’t get seen at E3 – by which I mean the second-screen experiences for both consoles – it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other. Whilst it’ll be easier to hook your smartphone up to the Xbox with SmartGlass, Sony have gone down the track of being able to stream PS4 games to the PS Vita which seems to be a much more attractive feature to gamers – that is if you’ve already forked out for the Vita that is.
DRM & Used games
As I am sure you have all heard the rumours that the Xbox one cannot play used games. Unfortunately, I am here to verify that this is true. No more, lending John Joe from down the road the latest Fifa if your an Xbox One owner. Although, it may reduce the number of game thieves round homes of Northern Ireland.
Also, internet connection once every 24 hours is also required for the Xbox One.
US CEO and President Jack Tretton looked like he was trying to not to laugh when he told audiences that ‘yes’ – the PS4 would be free of limitations on used games, that ‘no’ – there would be no need for online connections, and, a bonus, that ‘yes’ – the console would even be region-free (the Xbox One is not).
Adding it all up: price & conclusion
And this is perhaps where Sony really run away with the thing – the Xbox One will be out in November and will cost $499 in the US and £429 in the UK (don’t do a currency conversion, you won’t be pleased); whilst the PS4 (release date unknown) comes in at only $399 in the US and £349 in the UK.
Quite a lot has been made out of these prices, and a lot of it justified. Comparing the two, it seems that Sony really have solidified the PS4’s position as the better games machine – with slightly better specs for a hell of a lot cheaper, and less worries about unnecessary add-ons you don’t even care for.
Although, Microsoft does include the Kinect sensor with this price i am still unsure if it actually adds up.Although the multimedia features of the One have been widely criticised, they are key to its appeal. For a box that you might have in your front room for up to seven years, it doesn’t seem crazy to pay over four hundred pounds for it. And thinking about how much functionality for the 360 was added over the years, you can imagine that the machine you’re left with will be more than the one you bought.
The main thing is: do you even want this? Is TV that big a deal when you can get Netflix on your laptop and a HDMI cable to plug it into your TV? Do you want to Skype people whilst you’re trying to immerse yourself in a game?
Microsoft has definitely got more ambitious, but it seems like they’re trying to carve out a new niche for themselves in the market – the do-everything console – rather than just sticking with what they know people want. The names said it all really – the PS4, which gives you more of the same; and the Xbox One, which wants to go for something totally different.
