Xbox One vs PS4: Lets break down the actual differences

• Price
• GDDR5 RAM
• User Replaceable Hard Drive w/ standard connection
• Faster Bluetooth (* it has been confirmed by MS that it won't have any BT)
• PS4 Controller that integrates various control and output - visual, touch, and tactile
• Allows for various types of headsets to be linked via three (or more) methods (users choice) as well as a free basic headset in the box.
• Seemingly a better relationship with developers since they seem to have made alliances not just with indies, but with some top developers and publishers too.
• ...AND an executive team that already communicates well with the public and each other.

There are probably a few more things Sony or MS has that I just don't know about. Only a teardown upon release will reveal what sort of parts and how they go together in the systems. Moreover, only when we use the system will be know how XBL and PSN work. I think the XBL and PSN parts are not worth commenting on because they do and will change. The backends are always 'works in progress' that are hard to compare.

I'm glad to see that MS is including the Chat Headset with every Xbox One.

Odd to see Microsoft putting so many new things behind a paywall.

More bang for my buck at Sony.

• More powerful hardware. Up to 30% more raw power at a 20% lower asking price. Being architecturally almost identical, this will translate into better running games throughout the lifespan of the new generation.
• Less modular hardware than Microsoft (for example Sony's gamepad comes with accumulator included, no need to buy an additional charge kit). That's another 30+ bucks saved per gamepad.
• PS+ with its instant game collection is a great deal, especially owning a Vita too. More games for my subscription fee.
• Remote play with Vita. Playing my games anywhere in range of my Wi-Fi hotspot, and at suitable hotspots in my region - that's the future. Same is even more true for all types of media stored on my PS4 and PC, like Bombcasts and Quicklooks. Remote Play is pretty much already fully functional since Vita's most recent firmware update, so I'm confident it will work perfectly in conjunction with the PS4.
• Sony's focus on streaming media in general is much more attractive to me than Microsoft's digital TV angle. Broadcasting media is the past. Cut the cord already.
• Kinect has yet to prove any additive value for core games. I'll believe it when I see it. Not being asked to buy the cat in the bag is another big plus for Sony.
• Sony makes a much better figure with clear messaging and zero backpeddaling, whilst Microsoft clearly wanted to do something else, than what it's now going to deliver. Who says Microsoft won't flip flop again in a year or two? I have confidence in the enterprise of Playstation 4, I can't say the same about Xbox One.

In case anybody's confused about it, Gaikai is Sony's cloud service, and I don't see how it's any less promising than what Microsoft is up to. Microsoft's cloud pitch amounts to unsubstantiated promises without any proof of concept whatsoever backing it up. At least I've already played some Mass Effect 2 via Gaikai on my PC, and it wasn't half bad. Microsoft's cloud service pitch is for now, nothing but snakeoil.

If technologies arise that'll allow for the cloud to increase game fidelity, that'll be happening on the software engineering side of things for the most parts, and benefits will apply to both platfroms. Such progress to streaming technology will make first party platform holders obsolete in the longrun anyways - so you can be certain it'll add nothing of substance to this generation. That future is in all likeliness still a decade out. The mythical cloud so prominently featured by Microsoft's spin devision is going to be at best this new generation's death knell in a far-flung future, and is of no relevance anytime soon. It seems at least like the hardware backbone for Xbox Live is going to be very muscular, for the lack of better words. For all its posturing, it will merely translate into a smooth online experience. That's something for sure.

Sony certainly has delivered the more diverse and interesting first party games over the course of this generation. Don't quite get how some disregard all of the above for games like Dead Rising 3 and Titanfall, which in all likeliness will become available on PS4 as well. Unless one is an absolute diehard fan of Halo and Forza, I don't see a compelling reason to stick with Microsoft. Xbox One's offerings make for the clearly weaker sales pitch, I believe.

Not saying I'll never get an Xbox One. It's quite likely that Microsoft will produce a first party experience I don't want to miss. However, it has clearly lost the race for being my new generation gaming mainstay, and I think a majority of core consumers sees it the same way, and that will be reflected accordingly in the software attach rate per box. If we'd call the launch window of the new generation *Phase 1*, then Microsoft has lost it as clearly as Sony has back when it messed up the launch of PS3.

@thesoutherndandy: well, if you feel like you really need a console near launch then the xbox one is probably the better option. Honestly though, why not wait a bit on getting a console? I wait until the e3 after release until I jump on a new console purchase. I guess it doesnt really matter either way, cause its not like one console is going to be conpletely terrible compared to the other (besides the wii u, ofcourse)

US XBox One > PS4

Europe PS4 >>>>> Xbox one

Japan PS4 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Xbox One.

Let's not. There are MANY videos breaking down the differences and the whole "X is better than Y" thing is becoming rather tiring.

- Price is absolutely huge. $100 matters to a lot of people. No question there.

- GDDR5 ram. Yeah, it's very fast, but people go on about that as much as microsoft goes on about the cloud. I'm more inclined to believe developers that are coming out regularly and claiming these consoles are very similar in power. I think the PS4 will have an edge in terms of raw horsepower and developers like naughty dog will take advantage of it. Will it be huge? I doubt it.

- User replaceable hard drive arguments are nonsense. So you want to stick a new hard drive in the PS4. Well, you have to throw out the old one. That's 500gb completely wasted. It uses a sata connection. Xbox one lets you use standard usb 3.0 external hard drives. USB 3.0 external drives are available is almost any size unlike sata 2.5 drives which max out at 1gb. Plus you dont lose that internal capacity. There is no question as to which is an easier solution. It might be a little messier, but it is infinitely easier than backing up and everything that goes with that.

- Faster bluetooth? You really need to do a little research. You kind of had it until this point. PS4 uses bluetooth 2.1 edr which is about 8 years old. It was not upgraded at all. They didn't even bother going to 3.0 or 4.0. Xbox one uses Wifi direct which has a lot more bandwidth and this is why you get streaming audio to the controller and much better chat quality. There is no question here, that tech in the PS4 is ancient and does not stand up to what the xbox one is using.

-PS4 controller which has features like the front LED which cant be turned off and won't work without the camera? They added a tinny speaker like the wiimote and a touchpad that no developer has a good use for yet. Unlike microsoft who added rumble triggers that any developer can immediately take advantage of. The demos were very positive. Forza 5 is already putting them to great use. The xbox one controller also allows wireless surround sound streaming.

- Various headsets? Ok, you got me there. That little earbud looks like a piece of junk but bluetooth headsets are easily available. It's just too bad that the same old tech was used and audio quality wont increase much if at all. Bluetooth headsets will continue to sound like bluetooth headsets. They are terrible. Microsoft is already talking about how much better the chat quality on xbox one will be. An even greater difference between the ps3 and xbox 360 right now. I'll stick with the newer better tech with a tangible difference in quality.

- Developer relationships are your opinion. We will see how that plays out. The 360 had no shortage of third party support or downloadable game support.

- Don Mattrick was a goofball and I never liked him. Marc whitten is much more likable. Will have to see how these guys carry themselves from now on.

Microsoft has ALWAYS been the more forward thinking company. They launched the original xbox a year later and had ambitions of greater things. They created online console gaming as we know it. When the PS3 launched a year later than the 360, it was lacking in every major way except maybe the blu ray drive. The created an extremely difficult to program for system. Microsoft paved the way for consoles to be more like PCs and now sony is doing the same thing. They were ridiculed for trying to make a console more like a PC and now sony is bragging about that like it's some great innovation. PSN when it launched was a joke and aside from PS plus which later become fantastic, it still remains a joke. Lack of features, extremely slow and poor OS level integration. Even trophies were an afterthought for Sony despite launching a year later.

I don't see much changing. Microsoft will continue to push because they have the resources to. When november rolls around, Sony will sell you a more powerful playstation and not much else. Gaikai is a pipe dream at this point. It it wasn't, it wouldn't be slated for next year. We are already getting games using Azure for computation and not just hosting. Forza is creating AI and Titanfall will have Ai that runs on the cloud. This is just the beginning of the next generation. The company with billions of dollars worth of infrastructure ready to go is more likely to do something with it than a company with "plans". Sony has a history of over promising and under delivering when it comes to everything aside from games. That has always been their strongest trait. There will be amazing games from Sony first party, but they have never pushed the way we play. Just what we play.

Here's a difference... PAYWALL!

Basic party chat? Paywall.

Video chat? Paywall.

Online play for standard games? Paywall.

Online play for free to play titles? Paywall.

Game streaming? Paywall.

Video uploads? Paywall.

Watching You Tube videos? Paywall.

NFL on Xbox? Paywall.

Xbox One's basic TV Guide feature? Paywall.

All other entertainment apps? Paywall.

Meanwhile, Sony has confirmed that party chat, online play for free to play titles, game streaming, video uploads, and all entertainment apps will be free for everyone. Video uploads will also support 15 minutes of gameplay on the PS4, as opposed to 5 on the Xbox One.

You will have fan-boys spewing fan-boy nonsense and what-if's on both sides. This coming generation will have two consoles that will put out identical cross-platform games 90% of the time. You have to look at exclusives, developer relationships, and user preference to make a decision. Period. Anyone that tells you otherwise is just trying to validate their fanboyistic choice, which just comes down to preference. If you love the Kinect...great, get an X-box, but don't expect it to revolutionize gaming. Remember, it is version 2 of a product that has been out three years. Putting it in the box along with the Xbox will have no bearing on developer inclusion in games (except for some X-box exclusives). The PS4's touch-pad is gimmicky too, and won't see much use. Both consoles will excel (SLIGHTLY) over the competition in things you would think they would excel in (just like they did in current consoles). The interface and online performance of the XBox is better than the Playstation, however, Playstations tend to have less hardware issues. Both Companies have innovated in ways and dropped the ball in others. For example, Xbox live is a great service, however, remember the original launch Xbox 360 didn't have wireless capabilities. What does this prove...that both consoles will still be at the whim over tech trends that they DON'T control. In summary, just pick the system you feel more comfortable with and whose exclusives you tend to like more and call it a day.

This, and most claims have stated that the PS4 is more powerful. Also, the Xbox requires you to have a Kinect, uh, connected.

It's really the developer and public relations that I find more appealing about the PS4. If the prices were switched I'd probably still lean heavily toward the PS4 just because I really appreciate it when I feel like a company is being open to and catering to the consumer and delivering the best product possible. Instead, they're delivering that with a cheaper price.

MS had a bunch of crappy policies. They reversed them, yes, but spitefully and only because people weren't pre-ordering it or talking kindly about it.

Thankfully competition has allowed for both companies to raise the bar for better deals.

As of now the difference is a hundred dollars, slightly better specs on the PS4 side and the Kinect on the Xboxs negative. On the plus for Xbox is arguably better exclusives (though I'm on the PS4 side of things that Titanfall looks good). Xbox has stepped things up finally putting the Xbox controller on the same recharging system as the PS3 and adding a headset to the console because Sony did it. However Sony has a looser and less expensive online deal, you can access video and recording systems on the PS3 while you basically have to pay money for your X-box to do anything other then pay games, although you still have to pay for Multiplayer on the PS4 it is $10 cheaper.

So why buy an Xbox instead of a Playstation? maybe your loyal to the exclusives on Xbox, or maybe you believe the tv-hub capabilities of the X-box are the future, of course if you just want a Tv-hub you could buy the new google device that does everything the new Xbox does except gaming.

Why buy a PS4? it's a hundred dollars cheaper, has slightly better specs and they didn't try to screw you over a few months ago.

But if your rich and don't care about the extra money or the Kinect spying on you, definitely go Xbox because of exclusives.

@spaceinsomniac: In order to get the most out of your PS4 you will want to get PS Plus anyway so the paywall isn't really a big issue. Unless you don't want to play games online, then by all means you are paywall free.

Based only on a CGI trailer, I would rather play The Order over Sunset Overdrive. Therefor, the PS4 has a better lineup of exclusives. This is the logic that Xbox apologists and marketers have been vomiting up since E3. The projected exclusives lined up for both consoles are fine. And they will be forgotten sooner than later. It's a subjective question for each consumer if Killer Instinct and Forza are more appealing than Infamous and Killzone, etc etc. But that being said, my ringhand starts getting itchy when "non bias everyday average users on message boards" start saying Microsofts exclusive lineup is just better as if it's an accepted reality.

Also the notion that "Hey man, Microsoft is PUSHING things forward and I RESPECT that!"

What, exactly, have you seen that is so revolutionary? I've watched and read just about every single bit of coverage on this upcoming generation and there has been precious little specific information on how my experience will be drastically different. I'm gonna buy a game, start it up, and play it with a controller. It's gonna look, sound and feel great and new on either platform. The only major departures were from Microsoft's absurd and now redacted policies. Beyond that, it looks like we're getting more horsepower, better social integration and stronger networking. But as far as anything else, I guess I'm just blind to the "power of the cloud" because so far I've just heard talk.

It doesn't take a degree from MIT to point out why a PS4 is better positioned right now:

Good policy is good politics. Good business is good marketing.

Apologists can break their backs trashing whatever Gaikai might end up being VS Azure, but nobody at Best Buy on Black Friday is going to bother. PS4 has had consistent, effective and consumer friendly messaging from start to finish. The XBox One has been one of the most bungled public relations campaigns I've ever witnessed. I think the machines will both be great, but I have developed a deep distaste for all things Microsoft.

Well, add one more change to the Xbox One. Now a free headset IS in fact included.

Major Nelson Unboxing The Xbox One

Does Xbox One play Halo? That's the way i decided my purchase. All the other differences is a non issue for me.

So the differences is games.

PS4

Gallery

The Xbox One has an awful name that makes me stutter every time I bring up the OG Xbox because THAT'S THE XBOX 1 WHAT WERE YOU THINKING KINECT BLAH

For me, this is less about what I will do, and more about what friends will do. A few times I've had friends who stopped their Gold subscriptions for a while, and it's always a huge pain in the ass not even being able to party chat with them. Being able to even play free to play games with them will be fantastic.

It will also still be a big difference in the value of both services if Microsoft doesn't step up to match the value of PS Plus. I believe Sony has already announced there will be one free PS4 game per month, starting from day one. MS, on the other hand, hasn't mentioned if the Games with Gold program will even continue for the Xbox 360 past December, much less announced free Xbox One games.

It's a touchpad that clicks. At the very least, developers can use it for extra buttons. That simple functionality is far from gimmicky, and will see a LOT of use.

Either is Below. Cappy has said it is a timed exclusive only.

@enemaems: Yeah that came out after my initial comment. I'm not too surprised I would bet the majority of the third party exclusives will make their way one way or the other.

@naru_joe93: Not buying on launch day would definitely be the smartest plan but I'll probably cave and pick one up anyway. Who knows though between now and then things could change and I might go back to PS4, I was leaning that way for a while.