PS4 Vs Xbox One

As the release date is nearing for both the gaming consoles the fight between PS4 Vs Xbox One become very interesting. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, once the most powerful games machines on the planet are being replaced the former by the Xbox One, the latter by the PlayStation 4. The launches of Xbox One and PS4 are imminent, as both next-generation consoles are about to go toe-to-toe. Both Microsoft and Sony went with very box-like designs for their next-generation consoles.

The Xbox One literally put the box in Xbox, with a large black rectangular shape that has been compared to an oversized 80s VCR unit. The only thing adoring the front is a slot-loading Blu-ray disc drive, while almost all of the cable hook-ups are in the back, including the HDMI input port for Live TV, something the PS4 doesn’t have.

When Sony finally unveiled what the PS4 looked like at E3, it reminded everyone in the audience of the PS2 design. The stand – not included – really drove that point home. PS4 is smaller in size compared to the Xbox One and a little bit sleeker thanks to its angular shape and two-half design.

The Xbox One and PS4 console designs aren’t game changers, especially compared to the more dynamic-looking previous generation of consoles. Some people in the industry are suggesting that the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are around eight times more powerful than the current Xbox 360 and PS3 machines.

Technology

The technical differences between the consoles; they’re pretty negligible to the naked eye. Both are using very similar multi-core central processors and high-end graphics technologies, both have Blu-ray players and 500GB hard drives, and both have 8GB of system memory. There are small differences in the way memory works and how graphics are handled which, on paper, suggest the PS4 is more powerful and will be capable of better visuals. However, developers are very clever and usually work out how to get comparable results from all the available hardware. Even if right now PS4 games look better, that might not be the case a few months down the line when game studios work out how to squeeze extra performance from the Xbox One.

Both offers advanced online functionality. The use of cloud computing, which connects your console to remote servers on the internet, may mean we see a new era of games which have huge online worlds that players can explore together, and that seamlessly grow and evolve over time. We may see game processing tasks like physics and artificial intelligence being ‘outsourced’ to the cloud, meaning we see much more advanced simulations and life-like computer-controlled enemies. It’s a truly exciting time.

Price

Xbox One will cost $499 in the U.S., 429 in the U.K. and $599 in Australia, a premium because it comes with the 1080p Kinect camera out of the box.

The PS4 will cost $399 in the U.S., 349 in the U.K., 399 in Europe and $549 in Australia sans the PS4 camera, previously known as the PlayStation 4 Eye.

Separately, the PS4 camera will cost $59 in the U.S., 54 in the U.K., and $99 in Australia, so PlayStation 4 is still cheaper even when the console and camera are combined.

Performance

They both runs on x86 octa-core CPUs, and these eight-core processors are built by the same chipmaker, AMD.

The use of AMD in the Xbox One and PS4 is certainly a switch for both companies.

Microsoft had used an IBM PowerPC processor, while Sony partnered with Toshiba and IBM on its own complicated Cell processor that developers didn’t warm up to.

While the Xbox One will run a heavily modified eight-core AMD processor, PS4 will utilize a x86-64 “Jaguar” CPU.

Both console makers are also relying on AMD to design their next graphics processors that will produce the next-generation visuals that differentiate console games from the emerging smartphone market.

The Xbox One marries its GPU to the CPU in a system-on-a-chip design, according to Wired, with DirectX 11.1 support.

The single 40-nanometer SoC really contrasts with the two dedicated 90-nm chips found in the Xbox 360.

However, it only marginally contrasts with the PS4, which also combines its AMD CPU with the chip maker’s GPU.

In the case of PS4, the graphics processor is described as semi-custom AMD Radeon that runs at 1.8 TFLOPS.

One of the most impressive things about the PS4 specs has been its use of 8GB GDDR5 RAM.

Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One to have 8GB RAM as well, but it’s DDR3 memory variety.

That may mean more to game developers in the long run as opposed to gamers themselves right now, but it’s still an interesting choice for the Xbox One.

Further complicating this memory game is the fact that each console requires a portion of the RAM to run the operating system.

PS4 reserves up to 3.5GB of memory for the OS, leaving developers with 4.5GB, according to documentation. They can sometimes access an extra 1GB of “flexible” memory when it’s available, but it’s not guaranteed.

Xbox One’s “guaranteed memory” amounts to a slightly higher 5GB for developers, as the OS takes up 3GB, which probably doesn’t make up for the DDR3 memory usage for most developers.

On Controller

Microsoft is making a big deal about its updated Kinect motion controller, which uses a camera to watch player movements allowing you to control the onscreen action with arm waves, head nods and other gestures. Kinect was available for the Xbox 360, but it wasn’t very accurate and required a lot of light and space to work. The new Kinect is more sensitive and more powerful it’ll be able to watch several players at once in quite a small room, it can recognise individual players, and it can even monitor your heart rate. This isnt at all creepy. It also has a microphone, so you can actually shout instructions at your console and it’ll obey. Again, Xbox 360 did this, but not very well. Oh, and Microsoft has assured everyone that the Kinect won’t be watching you 24 hours a day and then beaming live footage to the NSA. Its privacy statement assures users that all footage is kept locally on the machine.

So this is all very exciting, but then, the PS4 also has a new version of its own PlayStation Eye peripheral which does a lot of the same stuff. According to Sony, it can recognise your face and voice, and it can track body movements, although it uses a different technology and there are doubts that it’ll do this as accurately as Kinect.

Perhaps the key difference, however, is that while the Xbox One ships with Kinect, PS4 owners will have to buy a PlayStation Eye camera separately. This will probably mean that developers are more likely to support the Kinect as they know everyone will have one. So if controlling games by wafting your arms around and/or talking is attractive, that’s a tick in the Xbox One column.

While Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will appeal to “core” gamers with mature launch titles, as evidenced by the strictly motion-less E3 line-up from Microsoft and Sony.

However, behind-the-scenes, the two companies are charging forward with motion-sensing games thanks to the Xbox One Kinect and PS4 Camera.

Microsoft designed the 1080p Kinect to track up to six skeletons for immerse video game effects that the company says is “human control for a human experience.”

Expanding on that motto, the packed-in Kinect 2.0 will be able to process 2GB of data per second, analyzing more joints, the slight rotation of a wrist or shoulder and your heartbeat.

The PlayStation Eye, which will not come with the PS4 system, features two 1280800px cameras inside a similarly shaped camera bar.

In addition to human interaction, the DualShock 4 controller will come into play with the PS4 camera thanks to its multi-colored light bar. It will also be compatible with those PS4 Move motion controllers that have gone unused.

Games on launch

Xbox One Launch Games

More than the subtle differences in specs, the games that result from those specs is what will determine which console gamers choose.

Xbox One launch games include exclusives like Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead Rising 3, Forza Motorsport 5, Killer Instinct, LocoCycle, and Kinect Sports Rivals: Preseason.

Also on day one is Call of Duty: Ghosts. It’s not exclusive to Xbox One, but the downloadable content (DLC) is going to be a timed-exclusive (likely a month) for Xbox One gamers.

Further out, notable Xbox One launch windows games are Titanfall with a March 2014 release date, Project Spark, and Minecraft: Xbox One Edition.

PS4 Launch Games

Sony is also stacking its PS4 launch game lineup starting with Killzone Shadow Fall and Knack, both of which are exclusives releasing on day one.

Sadly, DriveClub was recently delayed into early 2014, leaving EA’s multiplatform title Need for Speed Rivals as the only option for racing game enthusiasts.

Joining Killzone and Knack is another action-adventure favorite, Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag from Ubisoft.

Yes, AC4 is also releasing on Xbox One, but PS4 (and PS3) gamers are going to see an extra hour of gameplay. The same deal is set up for Watch Dogs, though that was delayed into 2014 just like DriveClub.

Sony has been consistently showing off PS4 games like inFamous: Second Son, The Witness and The Order 1886, all of which are coming out in 2014.

Really, though, everyone is waiting to see what Naughty Dog has in store – possibly Uncharted 4 – and find out what Sony’s stable of other first-party developers like SCE London Studio and Media Molecule are going to announce.

Maybe one of these developers will announce a post-launch game, as promised by a recent report.

Pros and Cons PS4 Vs Xbox One

Xbox One

Pros

• Truly next gen system philosophy with slick, fast UI, voice and gesture commands and seamless integration of all sofa-based entertainment, Skype, fast switching, multi-tasking, snap mode has a thousand possibilities
• Games launched instantly without disc switching due to installs
• Add as much extra storage as desired through external HDD
• Kinect 2.0 included finally frees up developers to explore the tech and its possibilities for integration into core gaming, unnoticeable latency, provides high quality Skype camera, and will be great for UI and media control via voice command and gesture
• Smart Glass can finally show its potential now it will be linked directly via Wi-Fi to the console (rather than the old SG to web, web to Xbox method that lagged a lot)
• Controller looks amazing with surround rumble and every area subtly improved, and overhauled D-pad
• GAMES the launch window games for Xbox One contains loads of exclusive titles Im actually interested in Ryse, Forza, Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct, Project Spark, Titanfall, Quantum Break, D4
• General good track record with online services and reliable media and UI performance
• Sharing family is an amazing feature. Really surprised me how generous the terms are.
• Huge cloud advantage to 300,000 servers (I read somewhere Sony has access to 30,000?)

Cons

• Refusal to allow self-publishing on Xbox One is a huge mistake in my mind, and will rob the platform of some of the most interesting games next gen. Its a possible deal breaker for me.
• 24 hour check in is an obvious and necessary way of protecting against piracy within a system where games are fully installed, instantly launched and sharable with friends digitally BUT lack of any fail-safes for times the internet goes is a major concern. Another possible deal breaker in my mind.
• Slight lack of power over PS4 could become an issue later in the generation, and could lead to superior PS4 versions of cross platform games
• Huge size of the console, obviously due to overheating paranoia, makes it less of an attractive proposition in my entertainment centre
• Higher price over PS4
• Used game restrictions only bother me in that it seems to favour big businesses like GAME and Gamestop. Will my local games shop be allowed to sell on Xbox One games? I dont patronise the used game industry personally as I think it is choking the real games making industry, but I dont like these big-corporate favouring policies.
• Fear over what could happen at the end of the generation. While it is more logical to think that theyd just run an update that removed the online check, there is the spectre of risk that all your paid-for games could become unplayable.

PS4

Pros

• No worries or hassles about online requirements, used games, long term ownership
• 80 cheaper than Xbox One
• Slight power advantage could allow some unique experiences later in the generation, and could lead to superior PS4 versions of cross platform games
• Lots of quality first party studios such as Naughty Dog promise some special next gen experiences
• Much improved control pad over the DS, looks actually usable
• Touch pad should help with UI/media/web aps control
• Much smaller box, more discreet in entertainment centre

Cons

• Lack of next-gen vision, still relying on disc swapping (or going digital download wholesale, which I will if I go PS4 as I hate disc swapping), UI smoothness and usability still and unknown quantity, media functionality undetailed and general historical poor form on these fronts (even as recently as the Vita) do not bode well for a slick, usable ecosystem
• General lack of reliability when it comes to online services and updates this morning it was announced that the latest PS3 firmware was bricking some PS3s. Seven years into this console and five months away from the next this sets off serious alarm bells for me as to Sonys competence in this area.
• Much less servers to rely on for cloud functionality
• Throwing their one innovation under the bus to score cheap points. They drop the Eye so they can be 80 rather than 20 cheaper than Xbxo and instantly make it an irrelevance. Developers wont support it if they dont know every console has it.
• Small box with little ventilation makes me think this will either be a) a noisy system with powerful fans or b) prone to overheating
• Lack of launch window exclusive games that really appeal. Only SecondSon and The Order: 1886 really appeal to me and it’s a bit depressing that the two launch titles I would likely buy Watchdogs and FIFA 14 would both be on Xbox One as well.
• Lack of support for external harddrives. No matter how much Sony fan boys may insist on it the ability to replace the harddrive is not a better feature. In an ideal world Id want both features, but just being able to replace the harddrive means you are paying for something you will eventually dispose of. If I want 2tb+ on day one, for Xbox One I add an external and then have 2.5tb, nothing wasted. On PS4 I replace the internal harddrive with a 2tb model and then I have basically paid for a 500gb harddrive I have no further use for. If I do it further down the road I have to go through the laborious process of transferring data over, whereas with Xbox One I simply add more, keeping everything where it is on the internal one. Sorry Sony fanboys, this is a worse situation to be.

On the end

The Sony PS4 has a pretty solid claim as the ‘gamer’s console’. Its basic package is cheaper and its graphics processor is more powerful. You also don’t have to sign up to any additional paid services in order to access things like Netflix, LoveFilm and so on. It’s the people’s console. Both consoles will offer tons of on-demand movie and TV options, but Xbox One seems to have a wider array of options, including the potential compatibility with your Sky or Virgin Media box. You need to think of these machines, not just as games consoles, but as all-round entertainment devices. You need to especially remember that when you’re handing over your 400. Xbox One has a more powerful smartphone and tablet application in the form of SmartGlass and developers are already using it in very interesting ways. But PS4 has strong connectivity potential with the PlayStation Vita console. Neither PS4 nor Xbox One are compatible with old games or controllers. Xbox One possibly has the stronger launch lineup in terms of big triple-A hits, although graphically it may be lagging behind its rival. PS4, meanwhile, is very strong on offbeat indie games. Xbox One and PS4 are both loaded with social features such as video chatting and video sharing, allowing users to communicate and share content with friends and the wider web. Xbox has traditionally been the best platform for online multiplayer gaming, but PlayStation is really pushing it this time round.

They’re both super advanced machines with tons to offer, so in the end, it’s down to personal choice.