At first, lets take a look at the hardware of both
Xbox One vs PS4 hardware design
Deciding between PS4 and Xbox One is like peeling back an onion, and it starts with the outermost layer, the hardware design.
Xbox One's dimensions make it a menacing gaming beast that measures 13.5 in x 10.4 in x 3.2 in. It's also riddled with vents, a design decision to avoid another Red Ring of Death overheating scenario.
Xbox one has big vents, so at least it wont over heat.
Xbox one has big vents, so at least it wont over heat.
It towers over every other device (though Microsoft advises not to stand it up vertically), and completely dwarfs our smallest home theater gadget, the app-filled Chromecast.
- See the Xbox One price drop: Amazon | Best Buy | Tiger Direct
- Click for the latest cheap PS4 price: Amazon | Best Buy | Toys R Us
PS4 has a more distinctive angular shape with an overall stylish design. This half-matte half-gloss console measures a slimmer 10.8 in x 12 in x 2 in at its widest regions.
These dimensions make Sony's machine more media cabinet-friendly, at least next to Xbox One. The new Xbox also weighs a heftier 3.56 kg vs PS4's 2.75 kg.
Xbox One vs PS4 front and rear ports
More clear cut is the wireless connectivity situation. PS4 makes room for gigabit ethernet and 802.11 WiFi bands b/g/n, while Xbox One includes all of that plus the older 802.11a band.
Xbox One also supports both the 2.4GHz and newer 5GHz channels that are compatible with dual band routers. PS4 limits connections to 2.4GHz, which is likely to have more interference.
Both systems launched with 500GB hard drives and now have 1TB variants, but only PS4 allows user-replaceable internal drives. An Xbox One teardown found a standard-looking drive inside, but replacing it voids the warranty. Be careful.
Instead, the Xbox One June update finally allowed gamers to add external storage to the monster-sized system. There are strings attached. The drive needs to be 256GB or larger and USB 3.0 compatible.
External storage isn't an option that Sony supports in its "go big or go home" internal approach.
Games
Xbox One has, at the time of this writing, around 200 games available for purchase. These include Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Forza Motorsport 5, Killer Instinct, Sunset Overdrive, and Dead Rising 3 - all of which are console exclusive to Xbox One (meaning you can find some of these on PC). Upcoming games include Gears of War 4, Halo 5: Guardians, and a new Crackdown (finally!). Microsoft is also working to make select Xbox 360 games playable on Xbox One; here's a list of the backwards compatible games.
PlayStation 4's catalog clocks in at around 340 available games. Among them, Bloodborne, Infamous: Second Son, Killzone Shadow Fall, and DriveClub round out the console exclusives. Looking ahead, Street Fighter V, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, The Last Guardian, and Horizon Zero Dawn are some of yourupcoming releases. For backwards compatibility, Sony already has a massive back catalogue of PS3 games available on PS4, the only problem is you have to stream these games through a paid service called PlayStation Now.
Highlight to reveal the winner: Playstation 4.
Subscription Perks
Xbox One's subscription service, Xbox Live Gold, will set you back $60 annually and is required for playing games online. A Gold subscription also unlocks Games with Gold and Deals with Gold. Games with Gold is a rotating selection of free games that changes each month and Deals with Gold is just what it sounds like: exclusive discounts on games. For more gaming goodness, there's also EA Access: a separate, $5-per-month subscription service that lets you play select EA classics and gives early access to new EA releases.
PlayStation 4 has a similar service in PlayStation Plus, which will run you $50 annually and is required to play games online. Having a PS Plus membership also unlocks a rotating collection of free games each month as well as discounts for members. But if you really want to go all out, you can also sign up for PlayStation Now, which lets you stream a collection of older PlayStation games to your PS4 starting at $20 per month.Highlight to reveal the winner: Playstation 4.
Now lets talk about the controllers
Subscription Perks
Xbox One's subscription service, Xbox Live Gold, will set you back $60 annually and is required for playing games online. A Gold subscription also unlocks Games with Gold and Deals with Gold. Games with Gold is a rotating selection of free games that changes each month and Deals with Gold is just what it sounds like: exclusive discounts on games. For more gaming goodness, there's also EA Access: a separate, $5-per-month subscription service that lets you play select EA classics and gives early access to new EA releases.
PlayStation 4 has a similar service in PlayStation Plus, which will run you $50 annually and is required to play games online. Having a PS Plus membership also unlocks a rotating collection of free games each month as well as discounts for members. But if you really want to go all out, you can also sign up for PlayStation Now, which lets you stream a collection of older PlayStation games to your PS4 starting at $20 per month.Highlight to reveal the winner: Playstation 4.
Now lets talk about the controllers
box One's basic controller retails for about $50 and its design is both comfortable and ergonomic. It has an upgraded d-pad that's (thankfully) superior to the Xbox 360's, and the joysticks have great grip. Additionally, the integrated battery pack keeps the back from bulging out like the 360's did, and the rumbling triggers are fun (if not essential). However, those triggers are also a bit mushy, and their bumper neighbors are even more troublesome than before. This keeps the Xbox One's controller from being the full upgrade it could have been.
PlayStation 4's DualShock 4, on the other hand, is a massive improvement over its predecessor in almost every way, with a fantastic d-pad, satisfying buttons, a wider gap between the joysticks, and a headphone plug-in jack. The clickable touchpad in the center remains largely underutilized, typically serving as just a big button in the center of the controller. The only real drawbacks are the option and share buttons, which are too flush with the controller making them needless difficult to press. It's also a bit pricer than the Xbox One's controller, around $60.
Prices:
Xbox One at its most basic retails for $349 (assuming you live in the US). That gets you the console, a single controller, a 500GB hard drive, and a download code for a game with certain bundles. If you're willing to pay an extra $50, you can also find bundles with a 1TB hard drive instead. None of these bundles include the now-defunct Kinect. Also keep in mind that you'll probably want to cough up an extra $60 annually for an Xbox Live Gold membership to play online. We'll cover this in more detail on the next slide.
PlayStation 4 at its most basic retails for $399 (again, in the US). That gets you the console, a single controller, 500GB hard drive, and a copy of Batman: Arkham Knight if you get the most recent bundle. Otherwise there aren't a whole lot of options. Other bundles exist, but their limited stock has ratcheted up their prices. Also keep in mind that you'll probably want to drop $50 annually for a PlayStation Plus membership if you want to play online. We'll cover this more in the next slide.
PS4 1TB Ultimate player Edition is also available now.
PS4 1TB Ultimate player Edition is also available now.
Interfaces:
Specs:
Available Colours:
Both of the consoles are available in Black as well as in White.Both of the consoles are available in Black as well as in White.
Closing arguments: Xbox One
Microsoft has had the preeminent online gaming service in Xbox Live for more than a decade, and it's still going strong. You can feel the software giant's experience in maintaining online products in its frequent updates.
Xbox One lets you snap the Achievements app to the side of the screen, which is an awesome tool for you completionists out there. There's also a progress bar for each game so you can see how far you are at a glance.
You can use up to two external hard drives for extra storage. Hard drives must be 256GB or larger and support USB 3.0. Once formatted, they can hold games, apps, DLC, or whatever else is filling up your Xbox One.
Cable TV boxes can be hooked straight into your Xbox One, letting you watch TV with Xbox One functionality. This means you don't have to switch inputs when you want to watch TV, and you can even use Kinect to change channels.
Closing arguments: PlayStation 4
The PS4 can hook up with all kinds of devices. Android and iOS tablets can run the PlayStation app for basic interaction with the console, while select Sony smartphones can even remote play games. And using the PS Vita to remote play Destiny in bed is a dream.
You can view global completion rates for individual trophies on PS4. It’s a nice bragging right to perform an "Ultra Rare" feat that only 0.10% of players have accomplished.
Spotify is fully integrated on PS4, letting you enjoy your favorite playlists while you play. You can even use your smartphone or tablet to fiddle with the music without interrupting your game.
The PS4 is physically smaller than the Xbox One and does not come with a bulky power brick taking up extra space.
The Winner: PlayStation 4 (for now)
At the time of this writing, the PlayStation 4 is absolutely nailing that ideal triumvirate of great games, robust online features, and slick hardware design. It may cost a little more, but some extra green is worth it in our opinion for what you're getting. But the Xbox One is not far behind. There's a lot to love in both boxes, and this console war isn't going to be wrapping up any time soon. Once Windows 10 is up and running on Xbox One and Project Morpheus takes off on PS4, the battlelines may look very different.
But at the end of the day, one factor should rise above all else: the games. The name of the game is the game, as the saying goes, and if there's a particular game that you really want to play that's only available on one console or another, let that be your guiding light when making a purchase. You won't be disappointed with either box, so get out there and play the games you love.
Gallery:
PS4
Xbox One
