Hardware
The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 house very similar silicon inside their respective bodies, with a few key differences.
According to an exhaustive analysis by Digital Foundry, the biggest difference between the two system's hardware is the type of RAM each uses. The PlayStation 4 uses 8GB GDDR5 RAM, while all signs point to the Xbox One using 8GB of DDR3 RAM. The GDDR5 RAM used in the PlayStation 4 is the same type of RAM used by most PC video cards and is optimized for graphical throughput.
Killzone: Shadow Fall is one impressive-looking game.
(Credit: Sony)
However, we can't say that just yet. We've yet to play any actual games on either system, so until E3 in a few weeks, all we can do is speculate whether the next Halo game will look as good as the next version of Killzone.
Check out the chart below for more details on the consoles' hardware.
| Xbox One | PlayStation 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | TBA | TBA | |||
| Availability | 2013 | Holiday 2013 | |||
| Blu-ray | Yes | Yes | |||
| Hard drive | Built-in (500GB) | Built-in ("very large") | |||
| Motion control | New Kinect (bundled) | Move controller | |||
| CPU | 8-core x86 AMD | 8-core x86 AMD | |||
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB GDDR5 | |||
| USB 3.0 | Yes | Yes | |||
| Wireless | Yes (802.11n w/Wi-Fi Direct) | Yes (802.11n) | |||
| Gigabit Ethernet | Yes | Yes | |||
| HDMI | Yes (in and out) | Yes | |||
| Suspend/resume game support | Yes | Yes | |||
| Background downloading | Yes | Yes | |||
| Native gameplay sharing (video) | Yes | Yes |
Exclusives
As many hard-core gamers will attest, not much was said about games during the event, but some relevant information trickled out.
Microsoft announced that we'd see at least 15 first-party games on the Xbox One within its first year, 8 of which will be new franchises. It also announced that all DLC for Call of Duty: Ghosts would debut first on the Xbox One.
Forza 5 will be an Xbox One exclusive.
(Credit: Microsoft)
Most other PlayStation 4 games shown will also be coming to the Xbox One. Right now it's a bit early to be able to get an accurate picture of what the exclusive games war map looks like. Again, E3 should give us a better idea of which pieces are where.
Controllers
We probably won't get any hands-on time with the Xbox One's controller or the DualShock 4 for the PlayStation 4 before E3, but there are a few ways in which we can compare them with each other now.
The DualShock 4 differentiates itself with a clickable touch pad on the front -- giving developers an additional option when designing games, although we've yet to see it in actual application.
(Credit: James Martin) The DualShock 4 also gets a Share button, a built-in speaker, and a headphone jack. Share allows players to quickly upload game footage to the Internet for others to see, and while the Xbox includes a similar capture-and-upload feature, it's unclear if it will be as simple to use as Sony's ostensibly is.
A mockup PS4 controller from Sony.
(Credit: James Martin)
The problem with comparing the two controllers right now is that we've yet to actually use them for what they're designed for: playing games.
Motion and voice control
Every Xbox One unit will come bundled with a second-generation Kinect. While the PS4 will be compatible with Sony's Move controller and new stereo camera, it has yet to announce any plans to bundle them with the system.
Kinect 2.0 will offer a wider field of view, better tracking of individuals (limited finger tracking is now included), and the ability to track more overall bodies. And (frighteningly!) also determine your current heart rate.
Kinect 2.0 is watching you.
(Credit: James Martin)
The device will always be on and simply by stating "Xbox on," will power up your entire system and sign you into your account based on facial recognition. Not to be outdone, Sony says its camera will have similar functionality.
Sony's PS4 camera will include some of the same functionality as Kinect 2.0, but probably not all.
(Credit: James Martin)
Right now it's too early to tell which motion/camera solution will be best, but Kinect may at least be the most ubiquitous.
Non-gaming entertainment
Microsoft's event on Tuesday was clearly focused on communicating that the Xbox One would be much more than simply a box to play video games on, and began its presentation demoing how the system would integrate with your television. Allowing you to switch from game to TV show, to the Web, to a movie, to Skype, easily and smoothly (without switching inputs), with just the sound of your voice. You'll also have the ability to multitask, running games and other apps simultaneously.
The Xbox One will not replace your cable box, but will instead allow you to plug your cable box into it, bypassing your cable company's interface, giving you control of live TV through your Xbox One. You'll even be able to create your own personalized "channel" with the shows and services you want.
Your TV guide: Xboxed!
(Credit: Microsoft)
The PS4 will not want for services like streaming video, but live TV integration is not currently on the table. I'd love to write more about Sony's nongaming entertainment plans, but frankly, the company has been fairly quiet in this regard as of yet.
Community and social
During the PS4 reveal back in February, Sony was clearly putting out different messaging compared with what had come before. While PSN has seen vast improvements (especially if you're a Plus member) in its offerings as of late, you'd be hard-pressed to compare it favorably with the Xbox Live community experience.
For PS4, Sony is targeting deep integration into its service. It wants you connected all the time. Things like live video chat and Facebook will be natively integrated. When your friends purchase a new game, you'll know and you'll be able to play new games before they've even finished downloading.
However, the biggest change is the addition of the Share button on the PS4's controller.
Sony will double down on social for the PS4.
(Credit: Sarah Tew)
That's a feature I'll probably never use (see aforementioned tender ego), but I can easily recognize how incredibly cool and useful this could be for many players out there.
With Remote Play you can stream your PS4 game onto a PlayStation Vita. I'm unsure if this will be available for every game, but it does make the PS Vita much more enticing. To me, at least.
Though Microsoft hasn't gone into as much detail for these types of features on the Xbox One, it's certainly not resting on its social laurels. Xbox One users will be able to access the last few minutes of gameplay, edit it into a video, and share via social networks and Xbox Live.
Just how invasive will the social experience be on the new consoles and can I opt out if I don't want my mom tracking what I'm watching on Netflix?
(Credit: Microsoft)
Other Xbox One social features include built-in Skype, the ability to track Xbox Live trends, and see what your friends are playing or watching most. With Smart Match you can find multiplayer games while spending your time in other apps. SmartGlass will also be more tightly integrated into the Xbox One.
Admittedly, this all sounds very cool in concept, but is a little difficult to discuss without more details. I just hope that both Microsoft and Sony allow users to easily opt out of sharing so much info if they're not into the whole social network thing.
How much?
By this point (if you've gotten this far) I'm sure you're thinking "wow, he really doesn't know much about these systems and this mostly feels like speculation," and you'd be mostly right. There is a venerable lack of concrete info, but hopefully by E3...well, you know how the rest of that sentence goes.
Pricing is just another one of those details we have zero concrete information on. Some rumors point to a $499 price for the Xbox One base system, with a subsidized $299 price if you sign up for Xbox Live. That honestly feels a bit too expensive to me. Console manufacturers have traditionally sold their hardware at a loss, making it up on software, but with the advent of microtransactions, maybe that model is due for a change. Still, I'm predicting a lower initial price for both it and the PS4, but maybe that's just wishful thinking.
Sony's PS4 will likely be a black, squarish box, but how much will it cost? This blurry, cryptic message from Sony reveals very little.
(Credit: Sony)
There's also the issue of how this coming generation will handle used games. Game publishers have been very vocal about the used games market cutting into their bottom lines. Sony has yet to address how it will handle used games on the PS4, but Microsoft was pointedly asked to address this issue.
Though not ready to fully reveal its used games strategy, group program manager for Xbox Incubation, Jeff Henshaw, says, "Xbox One will support the reselling and used game market for Xbox One games. We have not announced details about exactly how it's going to work, or how licenses are going to be exchanged."
Would you pay $499 (rumored Xbox One price) for a console in 2013?
(Credit: James Martin)
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