XBOX One VS PS4 Comparison

If you are looking to find out a little bit more information about the XBOX One and PS4 before deciding which games console to plump for and purchase come launch date, then hopefully this article will help you on your way to making the right decision for you (and your family?).

By the end of this article, we will be hoping to have covered; pre-launch technical specifications, new controller features across both consoles, pre/post launch games and a few other pre-launch glimpses.

The pre-launch overview specification of both consoles

The Xbox One and PS4 will both be very powerful gaming consoles and the core architecture inside the two consoles will be similar to PCs, allowing PC developers to easily port games over with only a couple of additional functions and redesigns.

Both gaming consoles have had press releases, but some details have been kept secret by the companies. From what we know so far, it is enough to make a decision on what will be the more powerful console.

Parts

Xbox One

PS4

CPU

8-core 64bit

8-core AMD Jaguar

GPU

D3D 11.1 chip

AMD Radeon

RAM

8GB DDR3

8GB GDDR5

Storage

500GB

Unknown

Optical Drive

Blu-Ray/DVD

Blu-Ray/DVD

USB

multiple USB 3.0

multiple USB 3.0

Wireless

Three 802.11 WiFi radios, WiFi Direct and Ethernet

802.11 WiFi radio, Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.1

A/V

HDMI, 4K support

HDMI, 4K suport

Motion Control

2nd generation Kinect with 1080p sensor

PlayStation Eye 1280 x 800 camera

It is hard to tell which one is the best from this table, they will both be 8-core x86 processors with powerful GPUs, they both have Blu-Ray and multiple connectivity, wireless and A/V ports and they seem to be pretty competitive.

RAM is a complex subject and both consoles have 8GB of RAM inside, the difference is the architecture, DDR3 is commonly used in PCs, while GDDR5 is a new type of RAM for graphical enhancements.

Some experts view the move by Sony to put 8GB of GDDR5 in their console as bold, while GDDR5 does increase graphical fidelity, it is less stable and may mess up the experience for some gamers.

It would seem the motion control will be advanced by Xbox, with the second generation Kinect having a lot more pixels and better sensors for picking up user feedback. The PlayStation Eye is Sony’s attempt, although it feels a little underwhelming against the Kinect. To some users, both are just gimmicks that need to be out the way, we will have to wait until launch to test the motion control out.

To entice you that little bit more to read this lens, here we have the official XBOX 1 unveil video.

So you've heard the build up, you've read the initial specs, you've seen the XBOX 1 video and now you want to see the revealing and sneak peaks of the PS4? Well, you're in luck, here it is:

An overview containing some details about the new controllers and their features

Controllers for both consoles are admired by gaming fans, with the PlayStation dual-shock loved by millions and the Xbox 360 controller admired as one of the best controllers in the world.

To mix an already great formula is hard business, however both Sony and Microsoft have developed new controllers, although the Xbox One controller has a lot of resembling features from the previous controller.

The PlayStation 4 controller has a small touch-pad in the middle and the 'Select' button has been swapped with the new 'Share' button, allowing players to record game play and upload it to popular social websites. There is also an 'Options' button, to replace the 'Start' button, this will probably bring up the in-game menu.

Sony has made the same dual-shock design for the PlayStation 4 controller, with the buttons, D-pad and toggles similar to the previous controller. The design seems more streamlined and gives users a new experience without making it jagged.

The Xbox One controller is streamlined as well, Microsoft has bundled the battery pack into the controller, instead of having a large outlet on the back of the controller, as the Xbox 360 has. The design is very much the same, the two options buttons have been changed as well, to Share and Options.

Overall both controllers seem to be a general evolution and we suspect both will work well, with Xbox focusing time on making the controller more capable of sending feedback to the user and Sony working on delivering the best experience with better design and refinement.

Post-launch game availability for PS4 and Xbox 1

Both companies are claiming big exclusive titles for their consoles and the main publishers have announced their new IPs and franchises will be ready for the next generation. Microsoft has said they will have 15 exclusive titles, including 8 new IPs for the Xbox One. The PS4 is less exclusive titles, more everything and anything - 32 titles have been announced so far for the PS4.

We expect both to work hard on making games the best for their system and both are trying to grab and create exclusive titles to draw the users in. We heard Microsoft will be putting $1 billion in funding for the Xbox One exclusives in the first year, a big sum.

However, Sony seems to be really pushing gaming and their system seems more designed for gaming. Sony has had great press and great feedback from big gaming fans, simply because they have made sure they look like a company putting all their money on great gaming experiences.

For all you COD fans, here is the official reveal trailer including some in game (not online) footage.

For all you Battlefield fans excited about the release of Battlefield 4, here is something to add to that excitement!

Here we have the official cinematic trailer for Assassins Creed 4. This should help whet your appetite come launch on your next gen console of choice!

With a selection of games provided above with the confirmed releases that coincide with the launch date of the xbox one, here we felt it was only fair - in the true spirit of fairness and unbiased article - that we provide a list of highly anticipated releases for sonys offering; the PS4.

Sony and the mass of top games developers have ensured that the following games will be available to purchase at time of launch:

With the excitement surrounding the xbox 1 and new releases of the big fan favorites including Call of duty, Battlefield 4 and Assassins Creed IV.

Below we provide a handful of the biggest and most popular games to be coming out on the XBOX One, so you can decide - if you have chosen to invest in the XBOX - which games you might like to purchase and enjoy all the new technology advancements that the next generation games consoles bring to the table.

The future is the all encompassing media center. Here we overview some of the basic offerings

It seems a big focus will be on entertainment for both gaming consoles and both Sony and Microsoft have different ways of approaching online and cable content. In our view, Microsoft has the leading edge here because they have devoted a lot of time to entertainment, although we are not sure how many gamers actually want the cable and Internet TV functionality.

Microsoft will offer a lot of cable TV features and the Xbox One will connect to your cable box through a HDMI cable. Microsoft is putting a big focus on the ‘All In One’ entertainment experience, where you can switch from movies, to YouTube, to Skype, to video games, in just one tap.

Sony will offer some channels but unlike Microsoft we do not expect the PS4 to have HDMI to cable TV functionality. This may be disappointing for some, but like we said a small minority of gamers have actually asked for this functionality.

For people wanting the full gaming experience, the PS4 seems to be the slightly more powerful console, although we will have to wait until E3 to see more revealed specs and the console design.

We believe Sony is looking at games, while Microsoft already knows (or thinks) it has games covered, and they will be moving for a more entertainment and 'All In One' based console, revolving around all the users content stored in one place.

With the freedom that the PS4 is offering over and above the Xbox 1 with regards to trading games, not having the restriction imposed upon the game player by forcing internet connection at least once every 24 hours, indie game developers to expand the gaming selection available on the market - for me personally - makes the PS4 the better choice when coming to decide which console to stump up the cash for. And at nearly $100 cheaper than Microsofts offering, it seems like the smart money is spent with Sony too.

So, with all the many, many articles out there online for you to get the skinny on features, games, prices, etc, which games console do you think you will plump for? Microsofts Xbox 1 or Sonys PS4?

If you have found this article useful, helpful, interesting or even if you feel it's the worst thing you have EVER read, please do leave a message below - I genuinely am interested and I really do want to hear what you think about my lens. =)