Xbox One vs Playstation 4: What We Know So Far

Updated: May 22, 2013

After today’s reveal of Microsoft’s Xbox One, we now have at least a little info to compare between it and the PS4. Looking at both conferences I have to say that there is a clear difference between the two companies approach at advertising their next-gen consoles, especially considering how similar they are hardware wise based on what little info each has given.

Both systems incorporate 8-Core processors which as of now have to be clarified in terms of processing power. The units also both sport 8GB of RAM, USB 3.0 Ports, Blu-Ray drives, and HDMI outs. Both conferences started out with a quick bit discussing these features, but past this point is where we begin to see some radical differences on what each company has chosen to emphasize. Now granted, neither of these consoles can compete with a custom build PC but they are still drastic improvements over the current gen aging Xbox 360 and PS3.

While both companies settled to take a good deal of time discussing UI features of their respective systems, the implications of each are decidedly different. Microsoft placed a heavy emphasis on the One being a multimedia device, allowing users to quickly and easily switch between playing games, watching tv, browsing the internet, or even perform some of these tasks simultaneously all at the cost of a few words.

Sony on the other hand spent a great deal more time talking about new social and internet features with an emphasis on how it relates to actual gaming, ie rewinding and recording gameplay, live streaming to friends, and being able to play games as they’re being actively downloaded.

Right away we see a clear distinction between the two, with Microsoft trying to portray their machine as something that does it all media wise, whereas Sony wishes to focus more on support services that are still meant to emphasize the unit as a gaming machine first and foremost.

This distinction becomes all the more clearer once you look at actual game announcements and gameplay footage featured at both shows. Microsoft essentially clearly announced roughly 5 games if you include EA sports offerings, alongside a new Forza, a teased game by the name of Quantum break, and spent a whole ten minutes emphasizing COD: Ghosts.

It’s worth noting that of these titles, only two are Xbox exclusives, although some features may be limited to just Xbox. Microsoft did make it a point to at least quickly mention that the system would boast 15 console exclusives within the first year of it’s launch, 8 of which are new franchises, but no further detail was given. Add on to this that the only other new announcement from them is a TV series based on a game, further pushing the agenda of combining several forms of media.

Sony on the other hand roughly announced 10 titles, at least half of which are exclusive, though some were more akin to mini games and motion based work. An important difference however between how the two companies portrayed these games was Microsoft’s use of only cut scenes and pre rendered footage, whereas Sony had videos that were actual real gameplay footage for games like Killzone and Drive Club. While it can be argued that Microsoft scored a one up by showing their actual physical unit, Sony has an upper hand in that we saw actual footage of what the console can do in game, that is assuming what was shown wasn’t faked or processed on a separate device.

While both Consoles look to be about the same performance wise based on currently released information, it does look as though Microsoft is walking down a path focused much more on pleasing the everyday consumer that wants access to multiple forms of media all at once, whereas Sony is trying to appeal to a more gaming centric audience by being fully dedicated as a gaming machine, albeit one that’s trying to incorporate multiple social functions into it. To be fair this is all based on two separate hour long conferences focused more on buzz words than solid info, and in the end what will really show the true colors of either system will be their eventual launch later this year.

Hopefully with this coming E3 we’ll be getting a lot more information regarding both systems, not just consumer info like street dates and pricing, but also seeing more in terms of what each has to offer game wise right at launch and at the very least. Hopefully the Playstation 4 is a little more attractive than the Xbox One, which to us, seemed to take a step back in terms of design and lacked any aesthetic appeal If you missed today’s Xbox One event, you can check out our full recap here and be sure to let us know your thoughts on both consoles. Are you excited for either of these upcoming launches? or are you PC all the way and couldn’t care less about the Xbox One or Playstation 4?