just sayin', if the controller is the selling point for the OP. You probably don't have to get an X1 to use one.

This is not a good reason.

They already are optimizing for the higher spec system. Check the Watch_Dogs, Ghosts or ACIV forums.

Developers can say that they're trying, but it doesn't matter. No one will be able to truly optimize and push these systems until they figure them out, which will be a good few years at least. Remember what games looked like at the beginning of the 360/PS3 generation compared to what they look like now?

Anyway, these conversations continue to be pretty dumb, and I just wish the consoles would come sooner if only to give people something real to discuss.

Yeah JJWeatherman...I predict these threads are going to worse all the way up to launch. I can see dozens of "I don't understand why 'everyone' doesn't like what I like" threads that are just full of junk and are meaningless.

To me, it's not about which one will be the most powerful. I like the Xbox environment, I like the new direction Microsoft is going with all of their products, and I like the potential capabilities that the X1 will have (remember, many features will be patched out in a day-one essential update - features that can be patched back in). I think that going for the most powerful console is kind of silly, honestly, because we all know that whatever system we choose it will looks fucking amazing regardless. The N64 wasn't the most powerful, and it had some fucking great games and I loved owning only an N64 growing up. The Gamecube wasn't the most powerful, it had a lot of excellent and still beautiful games, and like the N64 I enjoyed owning it.

I feel that a lot of this PS4 hype was earned from the E3 reveal that it will not have any form of DRM. Microsoft completely nullified that, and then focus was targeted at the specs, where it continues to be. Sure the actual specs will be higher, but on the other end I like what I am seeing of Kinect and, again, I like what MS is doing with it. Not necessarily for games (actually not for games at all) but the whole experience could potentially be really amazing. The only thing I don't like is that it's more expensive, but again, we are getting a fairly expensive piece of hardware bundled in that would cost around 150-200 dollars separately.

Guess we will see how well this all works out in a month.

@captain_felafel what you say about the controller size could also go both ways. I enjoy larger controllers and the Duke is one of my favorites. After all it comes down to personal taste on that end.

@professoress said:

The Guide Button isn't actually a capacitive sensor, but a physical button that does depress, albeit slightly. I made sure to hit it — while the Forza 5 attendant wasn't looking, which proved challenging — to get a look at the Guide interface, and I can safely say it's very unlikely that you're going to accidentally hit the thing. It's almost completely flush with the controller, and its placement is much further up the controller, meaning you really have to want to hit it, which is a good thing. It wasn't a comfortable button to reach for, but that's not bad for a button which can immediately disrupt a multiplayer game if accidentally pressed.

I got my hands on the PS4 controller, admittedly, a lot more than I did the Xbox One controller, mostly due to how easy it was to get onto PS4 demo stations. I was able to play around five or six different titles on the controller (Galak-Z, Octodad, Hohokum, Driveclub, Warframe, and... maybe one other?), so a wide variety of different games, and after that much hands-on time with the thing, I can safely say it's my new favorite controller.

For some background, I think the 360 controller with transforming D-pad is the best out there right now, and while I love my PS3, its controller is kind of shit. The analog sticks are way too loose and imprecise, the triggers are mushy and feel like garbage, the bumpers are also mushy and don't feel great, the controller is way too light, and the battery life is kind of bad. So, I'm in no ways a fan of Sony's current controller offerings.

The DualShock 4 basically addresses every single one of the aforementioned issues above, and even improves on things I wasn't aware I didn't like about the PS3 controller. First and foremost, the triggers feel like triggers, and they feel terrific. They have similar resistance to the triggers on the 360, with a little less throw, but are also wider so you have more control over the movement. The analog sticks are nice and tight, and the indented design on top means your thumbs don't slip off like they do with the PS3's convex analog sticks. The entire controller feels really good in the hand. It's weighted in such a way that it achieves, like, this perfect "ratio". I'd liken it to the iPhone 5's weight; something about that phone's weight to its size just feels perfect when held. Same deal with the PS4 controller; it feels very solid, not cheap like the PS3 controller. It also conforms to the hand much better than the DualShock 3. I think the best thing a controller can be is invisible; you shouldn't ever have to consciously think about it, and after a couple minutes of Galak-Z, it felt completely natural in my hands.

They improved the D-pad — one of the things on the PS3 I never really had a problem with — making it clicker and less mushy, and also flattening the surface of the buttons. The face buttons felt about the same, maybe a tad less squishy than the PS3. The touch panel in the center is very similar to a MacBook Pro's trackpad, which is to say it clicks when you press it. Apparently there are multiple "zones" on that thing, so I suppose you can click in one of its four corners, or maybe just each side, for different commands. Bumpers were a tad bigger, felt good, and were spaced far enough apart from the triggers that you could easily distinguish between the two just from feel. Lastly, and this was something I was concerned about, is the light panel on the top/back. I was afraid that, like most like electronics with lights in them, it'd be this super bright LED beam that lights up everything in front of it. And while it is very much bright and vibrant when you're looking at it, its range was very limited, meaning it didn't really cast its colored light any more than 8-10". So no worries about big'ol blue spots showing up on your highly reflective LCD screen.

The only thing I came away not liking about the controller were the Options and Share buttons. Both their placement and the actual feel of the buttons led to me having to look down to find them. They're very flush against the controller, almost indistinguishable when you're just feeling for them, and they don't have a ton of give. I'm sure that prolonged exposure to that controller will build up some muscle memory making it easier to find them, but from first impressions, I didn't like when I had to press them.

Weirdly enough, the PS4 controller is wider than the Xbox One controller, but it didn't feel bulky like the Xbox One's controller did to me. Something about the way my hand was positioned while holding it felt more natural than the Xbox.

@captain_felafel: That's good to hear. Thanks.

I will be sure to do that. But it will probably be more like a full year or even longer before the true leader emerges. The first year honestly does not look that great for either. But I will have fun for sure even if I end up wanting/getting the other console for some great, exclusive game etc.

Most of these are the same reasons I'm getting one too.

Plus Halo, Plus dedicated servers, and I have an affinity for the Microsoft first parties more so than the Playstation ones.

The 360 has served me well for the past 7 or so years, despite the replacing because of the crappy hardware and the fact that the Dashboard at this point is laggy crap, it did a lot of great things for online and had a lot of great games.

The 360 was the first time ever I had the most popular console, I guess the Snes too, But I had an N64, then an Xbox, then Xbox 360, Wii, and eventually a PS3. This time it looks like a Xbox One and a Wii U, which is actually pretty funny seeing as how those re the least popular choices for most.

The worst part of buying a launch PS2? Seeing every launch game look worse than the Dreamcast. Which cost considerably less at launch. The best part of buying a launch PS2? Playing FF9 with faster load times.

The best part of not getting the PS3 right at launch? Not having to convince myself that Lair, Heavenly Sword, and Killzone weren't utter hot trash, but were instead next generation gaming gems taken to the next level! I still managed to get a backward's compatible PS3 when Metal Gear came out and it still works.

The worst part of getting a launch 360? Being old enough to not want to convince myself that Perfect Dark Zero, Dead Rising, and King Kong weren't utter hot trash. Oh yeah, and needing to replace my 360 numerous times. Hey, at least I could play at a friend's... oh wait... their's RROD'd too.

A lot of the PS4 hype came from not just the DRM issue, but the price. $100 MSRP is kind of a big deal. After taxes, it's another ~$10. I mean, if you want to play Dead Rising and Forza -that- much that you don't mind the $110 price difference, then cool. More power to ya. But if I'm looking for a console to play Halo, I think it'd probably make sense to buy it when Halo is coming out. Who knows, maybe the price will drop to meet the PS4's. Maybe there will be a new revision in hardware.

As for games being developed for the lower spec machine; yeah, you're right about that. No develop of cross platform title is going to generate new 3d models. What they don't need to do is keep frame rate and resolution the same. Same with texture quality. If Bethesda can give PC gamers a high resolution texture pack for Skyrim, who's to say the higher spec console won't get the same treatment?

"The controller is the thing that makes a game system. Its your interface to all games, all the time. Its like the speakers for an audio system. No audio system is great without great speakers because they are the interface to the sound. I feel the same way about the controller."

Ironically I strongly agree with all this. I was reflecting about this just the other day after seeing an old ad for Megaman Anniversay Collection. It's on 3 platforms: PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox. That isn't really even a choice. Why would you pick a system other than PS2? It actually confounds me that games for the Gamecube even exist, much less games like Megaman Network Transmission and Mr. Driller Drill Land which clearly would have benefitted from a Playstation controller yet are exclusive to Gamecube.

However I will take it one step further than you and argue that because Xbox One doesn't have PC gamepad support (or even Xbox 360 controller support) then Xbox One is a bad system and nobody should buy the Xbox One. If you were really serious about controller as part of gaming experience, shouldn't you agree?

Why support a console that locks you down to one controller for no reason?

Hey dude, to each their own right! I'm getting an Xbox One first because I've been a fan since the original Xbox and I personally think that the Xbox controller is absolutely fantastic. In terms of online services, PSN decimates XBL in terms of deals. No discussion. In terms of quality and security? XBL takes the cake in my opinion.

And then honestly, the games are the real determining factor. I would get a PS4 simply for inFamous but honestly, that's all that appeals to me. I don't much care for Uncharted (even though I know it's a good game) and God of War is awesome but I feel like as with Gears of War, they are unnecessarily milking it.

On Xbox, I cannot wait for Killer Instinct, Forza 5, Dead Rising 3, TitanFall, Project Spark and yes, even Ryse appeals greatly to my simplistic and brutal affinity for action games :)

Each console is absolutely great and I hope to get a PS4 next spring after I'm done exams! I am currently loving PS Plus on my Vita and I cannot wait to try it out on PS4 but for now, I'm picking up the Xbox One first!

I own an Xbox 360 and I've pre ordered a Xbox One Day One Edition for the games I'm not really interested in Kinect but I will buy some Kinect games for my kids.

Here is the real reason I am getting ps4 first and might pick up xbox later. My OG Xbox died 2 months into this gen, send it to repair. Died again 1 year later, microsoft refuses to repair it again. My OG ps3 is loud like a squealing pig these days but it will be going on 7 years soon. Never again will I buy a Microsoft hardware on release or at least before one year probation period. The RROD issue will probably never happen again but I can not trust that, same with me not putting personal information on the psn.

@w1n5t0n tried the PS4's DS3 and the new X1 controller. On par across the board, the weird hard bump on the inside corner of the X1 controller is weird and might cause problem for people who play "claw" style. DS3 is a little bit light and as of yet I don't know if the touch screen will end up being use at all in the long run. The sticks themselves are great on both as well as the d-pad.

Somewhere on this thread I promised an update after a few months of after I ended up getting a PS4 for comparison. Well, I did end up picking up a PS4 because I am still renting games and getting digital games and I know I will want to play the PS4 exclusives as they arrive.

So, what do I think now that I now have both systems? Has anything changed? Well yes. Here are some updated thoughts after playing both system for a while now...

What about the Controllers?

The PS4 controller is much better than I would have imagined. They really fixed 100% of the issues with the prior generation. I like the new PS4 controller in nearly every way. In fact, I would no longer claim the the Xbox One controller is "better". I would say they are equal in terms of quality. I even think the way some games are using the touch pad (as an extra 4-way or 8-way button) is useful if done well. I do like the trigger rumble feature of the Xbox one but I also like the speaker, lights, and touch pad on PS4. All in all, I think I would give the nod to the PS4's controller just because they improved every aspect of the controller while the Xbox One was improved in some areas (sticks and dpad are better) but actually took a step backwards in terms of the shape (its not as comfortable) and shoulder buttons when they should never have even changed those things. Microsoft forgot to follow the basic rule "if it aint broke, don't fix it". The only area where the PS4 controller needs work is battery life. Its simply too short. But both controllers are pretty great and are very refined and are of high quality.

What about Performance?

As far as performance, I still don't find this a compelling reason to chose one over the other. Even if some games look a bit better one one system or the other, whats important is the "games" that you get to play and not the small differences in performance. One area of performance where the PS4 does shine though is in its simple, fast interface. I grow ever tired of the Xbox "metro" interface and its clumsy implementation on non-touch devices.

What about the Games?

Here is what it all comes down to. After playing most of the release titles for PS4, I think the Xbox One had a slightly better list of games for the initial release. But by a very small amount. Both system are getting some pretty good looking exclusives later this year but the rollout of new games is pretty slow at the moment. Once again, I think you can't go wrong here with either system. In fact, the simple, best way to pick which console to get (or get first) is to look at the list of exlusive games and apps and pick the one with the list you like best. Everything else is just nit-picking.

What about Apps and Media?

Too soon to tell. The Xbox One was the first to get the "You Tube" app but that is about the only exclusive app that is worth much and I am sure the PS4 will be getting it soon. So, no real winner here just a lot of hype and potential. I suppose one of them has better video sharing but I find that to be a bit of a niche/fad and not what I am looking for in a game console.

Conclusion?

I was certainly wrong about my thinking that the Xbox One controller would be the *new* best in class. Its at-best equal to the PS4 but in no way better. But I still like some of the exclusive games coming to both systems and I am fortunate enough and craze enough to support both systems. While this may not be the best financial decision, its an easy decision for someone who wants to play all the best, unique games coming to both consoles.

LIKE THE THINGS I LIKE WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF ENTHUSIASM!!!!

I recently bought both consoles, and I ended up liking XONE more.

My L2 on the PS4 controller has recently started squeaking something awful. I hate that squeak pretty badly, and I'm gonna hate having to play Destiny and other multi-platform games on it with my friends. Me being the butthurt person with a squeaky ass controller no one understands... Fucking controller, blaagh.

lol I dunno duder... but alright. Sounds like you'll be happy with an XB1.

This is basically just a reverse of what happened last gen, who knows how long it'll last though.

(seemingly a long time :| )

The final update: Too close to call.

So, after a few more months with both consoles I have to say, the competition is too close to really call. There simply is not major factor where one console "wins out" over the other.

Xbox One:

• I like the *new* trigger rumble. Its cool.
• I like the fact that apps seem to be comming quicker here (youtube etc.)
• I like that the web browser supports some video streaming.
• I like the controller (other than bumpers being too stiff)
• I like some of the upcomming exclusives (Sunset Overdrive, Quantum Break)
  

PS4:

• I like the snappy interface
• I like the speaker in the controller
• The sound is crisp (xbox crackles)
• I like the blu-ray player
• I like the bump in resolution FPS performance

Despite how similar these two platform seem to be, I am finding myself buying game on XB1 more then PS4 simply because I think I just need to focus on one platform and there are more upcoming exclusives and apps for XB1 than PS4 and I need to pick a lane. I find the performance difference insignificant for the most part and after playing a number of game, it seems the more important factor is the "game" not the resolution or framerate. In the end, I could easily pick the PS4 since it seems to have the tech edge. But just like last generation, the tech "specs" don't always point to the best gaming experience.

Since I am luck enough to have both consoles, I will continue to look for the best gaming experience and if one of the consoles clearly has the better version, I am sure I will buy it on that console. But if I don't hear of any major diffrences, I wil get it on the XB1 because a few of my friends only have an XB1 and that is reason enough in case I get to play any multi-player games.

But there is no reason not to pick either console as your favorite. They both deserve all the love that they get and its really a great thing to have two companies competing at such a close level. This will promote a competitive environment where both companies strive to edge out the other. And that is good news for the consumer.

That's a cool update man, 8 month follow up? Bravo to you. Sunset Overdrive looks super interesting and I'm right there with you about the competition, it's definitely fostering some improvements and cool directions. Exciting times, I'm glad that seven months in we haven't just settled into a new cycle. Even Nintendo is throwing punches.

Also owning both, that update about sums up what I was thinking too. In the end, splitting hairs over "how many p's" is just marketing talk. Both look damn good, and as expected aren't going to beat out my gaming PC in terms of sheer power. (for a third of the PC's cost, not really a problem)

I like both controllers. I like how long the Xbox One controller lasts, but I like that I don't need to buy batteries or a charging kit for the PS4 controller. Of course the built in batteries in those controllers could die within a year, time will tell.

If either console "wins" at any one part of the console business - it's marketing. Sony has done a much better job selling their system than Microsoft. And I think its as much the Xbox division reorganizing its leadership as Sony doing well. But I think this E3 was the end of taking easy shots at the Xbox, as Microsoft seems to have things sorted out at home. Recalling the 'glory days' of the PS2 for Sony, and the initial failure of the PS3, where Sony was brought low by its own hubris - the first year of Xbox One has largely been a mirror of that. Consumers sent a message to Microsoft, that people don't want to be told what they like.

Fortunately, we are the ones who win when these two titans have an even field. The end result will be better games and better prices - this has already begun with Microsoft tearing down the XBLG paywall for Xbox apps.

Still absolutely nothing compelling for me from xb1. Even with all the updates and removing Kinect, I can't find any good reason to own that console. None of the exclusives look good to me and I prefer getting my 3rd party titles on a more powerful console. Performance really is a big deal too. They went with inferior hardware and a lack of focus on games. They've been playing catch up since launch and are now finally changing their messaging. Now it's a game console and not a "water-cooler" :P

That new controller is terrible too. I bought one for PC and went back to the 360 controller the next day. What the hell did they do to the bumpers? The sticks are tiny and loose. The triggers have very little resistance too. Maybe Ill bite for an Xbox Two if they make some drastic design changes.

360 was such a great console when they stopped breaking (I'm on my 4th, a slim). All I know is the same people that made 360 so great are long gone and had nothing to do with the conception of xb1. And it shows.

I want to get all of the consoles, the Wii U, PS4 and the Xbox One. This will be the first time I ever purchase all three, well, whenever I get to that point. I want an Xbox One because this last gen I got a 360 (still want to get a PS3 one of these days). The controller does look nice for the Xbox One, but I couldn't get into the analog sticks, then again I only held the controller for a minute or so.