After two exciting events at the E3 gaming conference from Microsoft and Sony that revealed a slew of details about their forthcoming gaming consoles, we now know how both the PS4 and the Xbox One hardware look like. The battle of the new generation gaming consoles is certainly on. Based on what we know about the two consoles, here is our detailed comparison between the two.
Specs:
Specs
|
Play Station 4
|
Xbox One
|
|---|---|---|
GPU
|
8- Core AMD
|
8- Core AMD
|
Hard Drive
|
500 GB ; Cloud Storage
|
500 GB ; Cloud Storage
|
Motion Control
|
No
|
Yes ; Kinect Included
|
Blu - Ray
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
RAM
|
8GB GDDR5
|
8GB GDDR3
|
USB
|
Yes ; USB 3.0
|
Yes ; USB 3.0
|
Wireless
|
Wireless N
|
Wireless N ; WiFi Direct
|
Voice Commands
|
TBD
|
Yes
|
Second Screen
|
Vital
|
Smartglass
|
Ethernet
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
HDMI
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Bluetooth
|
2.1 ( EDR )
|
No
|
Plays Older Games
|
Yes
|
No
|
Internet Connection Required
|
No
|
Once Every 24 Hours
|
Online Multiplayer
|
Paid Playstation Plus Required
|
Paid Xbox Live Sub. Required
|
Price
|
$ 399
|
$ 499
|
Hardware:
The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 house very similar silicon inside their respective bodies, with a few key differences.
The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 house very similar silicon inside their respective bodies, with a few key differences.
According to an exhaustive analysis by Digital Foundry, the biggest difference between the two systems' hardware is the type of RAM each uses.The PS4 comes with an 8-core Jaguar CPU, 500GB hard drive, 8GB of unified memory, built-in Blu-Ray drive and the new DualShock 4 controller. The Xbox One on the other hand comes with a 500GB hard drive, a similar 8-core Jaguar CPU, 8GB RAM, a Blu-ray player, built-in Wi-Fi, the new Kinect and one Xbox One Wireless Controller. On the hardware front, the specifications of the two certainly are extremely similar.
verdict: PS 4
While the new DualShock 4 happens to be Sony's strength here, the new Kinect will certainly put points on Microsoft's scoreboard. The DualShock 4 which was first showcased in February comes with a capacitive touchpad along with a headphone jack in the controller. It also has a lightbar that can be utilised for identifying players as well as create a 3D gaming environment.
The new Kinect on the other hand comes with voice recognition and happens to be always 'listening'. It is now certainly for more than just motion gaming.
verdict: Advantage PS 4
Pre-owned Games:
Another huge win for Sony comes in the realm of used games. Where Microsoft is allowing publishers the right to set their own rules with regards to allowing them to be re-sold, Sony is doing no such thing.
Pre-owned games will work on the PS4 just as they do with the PS3 and the PS2. You can lend a game to a friend simply by handing them the disc.
However, with Xbox One, you can only lend a game to a person you've had in your Xbox live friends list for longer than 30 days, and you can only do it once. This could lead to reduced availability and/or increased prices for pre-owned titles, though it's hard to predict how it will all shake down when the consoles and games finally go on sale.
"We designed the Xbox One so game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers," said Microsoft on the Xbox site. "Microsoft does not charge a platform fee to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of these games."
verdict: PS 4
Gaming Titles:
At the end of the hardware and the power inside, what matters most is the content. A gaming console is no good without the game. As far as gaming is concerned, both the companies claim that the consoles come with some really good titles.
At the E3 a couple of these titles were showcased. Sony showcased games like Killzone: Shadow Fall, InFamous: Second Son and the racing game Drive Club. It also announced that the upcoming games lineup for PS4 from software developers and publishers will include games such as Destiny, Diablo III, Kingdom Hearts III, Final Fantasy XV, Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, Watch Dogs, NBA 2K14 from 2K Sports, The Elder Scrolls Online and many more totalling more than 110 titles.
Xbox One will be welcoming games such as the historical third-person game Ryse: Son of Rome, Killer Instinct, Minecraft, Project Spark and a new instalment of popular sci-fi game Halo. With Cloud computing being the major focus, Microsoft showcased third-person open-world games like the zombie-fighting sequel Dead Rising 3 and Sunset Overdrive. Titles such as the racing game Forza MotorSport 5 and multiplayer shooter Titanfall will also come to the Xbox One.
verdict: PS 4
Cloud storage:
While being on the cloud is good thing for keeping your data in-sync and creating real-time virtual communities, restricting your device to the cloud and more importantly the Internet is certainly not a wise move. This happens to be exactly where Microsoft went wrong again. Microsoft's Xbox One offers only 24 hours of offline gaming. After the time period, the device needs to be reconnected to the Internet. This factor remains no matter what form your game is in - on the cloud or in a disc.
The Sony PS4 on the other hand stays true to the original tradition of gaming. While there are a host of features for the cloud and there are functionalities that let you record a game and upload the video in real-time with an option for you to take the controller of a friend across the continent, that is not where it ends. You need not connect to the Internet every 24 hours and can play games without it for as long as you want. While there are modern features as well, the traditional disc based gaming has been retained.
Microsoft also announced that it will be doing away with the Microsoft points system for online purchases with its Xbox Live online service, opting instead for local currency.
verdict: PS 4
Requirements:
If you feel strongly about your computer authenticating online every 24 hours, or lending physical copies of games, you basically just want the PS4. Sony bent over backwards to ensure its policies mirror the current generation as much as possible, to raucous applause. And there's certainly no need for an always-on PS Eye, like the turn-offable-but-still-usually-on Kinect.
You'll be missing out on very cool features like the aforementioned license trade-ins, as well as sneaky wonderful things like being able to turn your console on without touching a controller, but for many, that's simply not a concern with a gaming console.
verdict: PS 4
Controller:
On one hand, the Xbox One's controller feels fabulous to hold, and the rumbling triggers are so very much cooler than they should be. They're going to make a big difference. But on sheer potential, Sony's built-in capacitive touchpad, and PlayStation Vita as a (rather expensive) PS4 controller, might be hard to beat.
The PlayStation controller leaving its analog/d-pad layout unchanged, and no matter how comfortable the rest of it is (which is very!), that's a big downer. More to the point, since the Kinect 2 comes bundled with the Xbox One, it should also be included as a default feature of the "controller." The technology in the new Kinect is truly mind-blowing. It's still probably not really for gaming, outside of some specific examples like dance games, but as a means of controlling your system-level commands, it's a massive advantage. One that Sony can't touch.
verdict:: Xbox One
Xbox One Kinect vs PS4 Eye:
While Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will appeal to "core" gamers with mature launch titles, Microsoft and Sony are charging forward with motion-sensing devices.
The Xbox One Kinect was unveiled along with the system during the May 21 announcement, when Microsoft refered to to the advanced camera as "human control for a human experience."
Expanding on that motto, the packed-in 1080p 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.
Less is known about the PlayStation 4 Eye, but Sony did state that its similarly shaped camera bar contains two two 1280×800px cameras.
The PS4 DualShock 4 controller will come into play with the PS4 Eye thanks to its multi-colored light bar. It will also be compatible with those PS4 Move motion controllers that have gone unused.
verdict: Xbox one
Second/ Alternate Screen:
It's tempting to tuck this feature into controllers, since it's obviously a controller-based feature, but this at its heart this is about gameplay. There are simply a ton of unexplored gameplay mechanics that aren't going to be used in a meaningful way with standard controllers. And in that context, the Vita as a controller, while certainly much pricier, is just flatly better than Microsoft's SmartGlass, which is janky and often unusable in its current form.
verdict: PS 4
Non Gaming Power:
Microsoft's first Xbox One event in May was clearly focused on communicating that the Xbox One would be much more than simply a box to play video games on, and began its presentation demoing how the system would integrate with your television.
The Xbox One will allow you to switch from game to TV show, to the Web, to a movie, to Skype, easily and smoothly (without switching inputs), with just the sound of your voice. You'll also have the ability to multitask, running games and other apps simultaneously.
The Xbox One will not replace your cable box, but will instead allow you to plug your cable box into it, bypassing your cable company's interface, giving you control of live TV through your Xbox One. You'll even be able to create your own personalized "channel" with the shows and services you choose.
verdict: Xbox one
Online Policy:
The Xbox One requires gamers to maintain a constant internet connection. If your Xbox One is disconnected for longer than 24 hours, your games will cease to function. You'll still be able to watch TV, use Blu-rays and surf the web, but your games will be off limit. This has made a lot of gamers very mad, so it's surely a huge advantage for Sony that the PS4 has no such limitations.
Unless you're playing online, streaming games or downloading, your PS4 does not need to be connected to the internet. Games will always work regardless.
verdict: PS 4
Multiplayer Gaming:
With both the consoles integrated to work with the Internet, multiplayer gaming goes to a whole new level. But online multiplayer gaming on next generation gaming consoles does come at a price. From now on online multiplayer gaming on the PS4 will require a $50 annual subscription to PlayStation Plus, something that didn't exist earlier. This is similar to multiplayer gaming on Xbox consoles which have a similar requirement with Xbox Live Gold. Xbox Live Gold, which is required for online multiplayer gaming on Xbox 360 and Xbox One, costs $24.99 for three months and $59.99 for 12 months. So the pricing for the both the services happens to be quite similar.
verdict: be it ps 4 or xbox one if you are willing to pay and play multiplayer gaming then both are up for it.
The price:
Both consoles will go on sale later this year - the Xbox One certainly in November, with no exact date confirmed for the PS4. We do have confirmed prices though, and again the Sony PS4 looks to be a more attractive prospect.
The PS4 will cost $399 in the US, £349 in the UK, €399 in Europe and $549 in Australia.
The Xbox One, meanwhile, will cost more - $499 in the US, £429 in the UK and $599 in Australia.
Price was always going to be a key battleground, and in these frugal times it will be interesting to see what percentage of gamers are willing to fork out the extra cash for the Xbox.
Do note that while the Xbox One ships with the Kinect, the Playstation Eye does not ship with new PlayStation. The PS Eye has been priced separately at US $59. So, if you wish to own a PS4 with the PS Eye, the difference between the pricing of the two will be lesser.
verdict: PS 4
Our verdict: PlayStation 4
For now, there is just no getting around the PlayStation's less fumbling rollout. All of the Xbox One's good qualities—ease of use in your home, Kinect magnificence, cloud rendering, possibly super easy trade-ins once the license stuff gets sorted out—are off in the future. They're distinct possibilities, but the PS4 is the bird in the hand right now. It's not made of a bunch of hypothetical parts that may or may not come together. Just know that if everything does work out for Microsoft, it's going to be a very impressive alternative.
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