(Image source: Extreme Tech)
BY MIKAH SARGENT
Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's Playstation 4 have both entered the "name your price and
tell us when we can buy it" stage of development, and now the gaming consoles are going head-to-head.
We'll present the facts, you decide the winner. First, Xbox One.
It's an all-in-one device — quote — "designed from the ground up to be the centerpiece of
every living room." It has an 8-core processor, 8GB of RAM,
a 500GB hard drive and a Blu-ray player. More importantly, though, it has HDMI Pass-Thru
— a feature that allows you to watch TV right through your Xbox console, no input
switch needed. (Via Microsoft) And Mashable notes: at E3 Microsoft announced
a whole load of games to draw you in. There are 13 titles you'll only be able to play
on Xbox One. From the top: Forza Motorsport 5, Minecraft,
Project Spark, Battlefield 4, Below, Dead Rising 3, Crimson Dragon, Ryse, Killer Instinct,
Sunset Overdrive, Quantum Break, D4, Witcher 3, and Halo 5.
With hundreds of YouTube channels devoted strictly to video-game screencasts, it's no
surprise Microsoft would introduce a feature for capturing and sharing your games.
Xbox promised to give you a way to — quote — "show off your best moves," but that's
not all — Microsoft has partnered with Twitch to give you a destination for your recorded
video games. Microsoft's Chief Product Officer said the built-in product will ...
" ... deliver breakthrough experiences where any gamer can become a broadcaster..Enabled
with Kinect, Xbox Live and Twitch, your voice and video allow for instant streaming, voiceover
capabilities and interaction with viewers." (Via The Next Web)
And now the PS4. Sony's CEO said of its direction: "The
living room is no longer the center of the PlayStation universe, the gamer is ..." Sounds
a lot different than the thinking behind the new Xbox, but some say it looks an awful
lot like Microsoft's device. Chris Taylor tweeted
"That moment where your entire Twitter stream tells you the PS4 looks like the Xbox
One." (Via Twitter / @FutureBoy) The PS4 has an 8-core processor, 8GB of
RAM, an upgradable 500GB hard drive, and a Blu-ray player. The same specs as the Xbox
One. And while it doesn't have HDMI Pass-Thru, the PlayStation 4 has a feature called Remote
Play. (Via Sony) IGN explains: "Remote Play compresses
the PS4's experience and sends it to the Vita over local WiFi. The entire game can then
be enjoyed on the handheld. Essentially, the Vita functions as a dummy terminal with the
PS4 doing all of the heavy-lifting." And though the Playstation doesn't have
a partnership with Twitch like Xbox does, it has a plethora of other features for sharing
your games. When you click the Share button on the
controller, you can easily share video from your game, invite your friends to watch you
play and even allow them to take over for you. (Via YouTube / Arekkzg)
No worries, Polygon says plenty of developers have signed on to make games for the PS4 — 30
in total. Last but not least, two important things
to consider: pricing and used games. Ars Technica and All Things D summarize the considerations.
The Xbox One requires users to sign on to the internet every 24 hours to check ownership
licenses. This means developers can restrict used game sales by requiring consumers to
link their ownership to a specific game. Playstation 4, however, won't have this restriction. Users
can trade in their games, sell them to others, or give them away.
All Things D has release dates and pricing for the consoles:
"The PlayStation 4 will cost $399 and will go on sale 'this holiday season,' Sony announced
at its E3 press event tonight in Los Angeles. That's $100 less than the Xbox One, which
Microsoft said today would retail for $499, starting in November."
The PS4 and Xbox One are in mortal combat. We leave you with this: a comparison chart
to help you decide the winner. • Both have nearly the same tech specs.
(8GB RAM, 500GB HD, and an 8-core processor) • Xbox One has HDMI pass-thru for an all-in-one
media device • PS4 toutes Remote Play for playing full
scale games on the PlayStation Vita • Both have screencast features
• Xbox One has a partnership with Twitch for sharing your screencasts online
• PS4 has a quick and easy Share button, allowing friends to tune-in to your games
• Xbox requires 24-hour online check ins, and restricts used game sales
• PS4 leaves the used game sales in your hands
So who wins the console war? That's all up to you and your hard-earned cash.