Decide Between PS4 and Xbox One

The "PlayStation versus Xbox" argument is one of the hottest ongoing debates in the tech world; unfortunately, much of each device's appeal lies in user preference. While there are fewer differences between the PS4 and the Xbox One than there were between earlier generations, you'll still need to consider a few personal aspects before committing to one or the other.

Steps

Considering General Criteria

  1. Review your budget. Both the PS4 and the Xbox One hover between the $250 and $300 marks; however, there are a few additional costs to factor in:[1]
    • Storage updates. This console generation's disks contain anywhere from 15 to 80 gigabytes of information; coupled with a mandatory installation process, your 500 gigabyte hard drive is going to look pretty small after a few installs. Upgrading to the one terabyte hard drive is nearly essential, and your bill will go up quite a bit when you do so.
    • External storage. Considering the above, you might just elect for an external drive instead. These tend to run on the expensive side, so budget for another $100 or so on top of your initial price.
    • Movement recognition. The Xbox One's Kinect is much more expensive than the PlayStation 4's camera that serves the same purpose, and both are considered generally superfluous anyways. If you don't care about motion tracking, this is a non-issue, but it's something to consider otherwise.
    • Promotional deals. Both consoles occasionally have discounts for a console and game bundle, and your local stores may slash console prices depending on how well they're selling. You can also expect a drop in console prices when the new editions of the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 come out.
  2. Think about your current console. Do you have a PS3 or an Xbox 360? If so, you might want to stay in your console's lane; otherwise, you'll need to adapt to an entirely new operating system, flagship game franchise lineup, and email account creation.
  3. Learn about console exclusives. Both the PS4 and the Xbox One have multiple flagship franchises carried over from previous generations (for example, the PlayStation has Killzone and Uncharted, while the Xbox has Halo and Gears of War). These games remain as console-specific exclusives; therefore, if you're a die-hard Halo fan, you'll probably want to stick to the Xbox One (and vice versa).
  4. Determine whether you prefer multiplayer or singleplayer games. The Xbox One's ethos is more geared towards multiplayer titles than the PlayStation 4, boasting AAA exclusive titles such as Halo and Titanfall; however, the PlayStation 4 has a wide variety of rich singleplayer experiences that the Xbox One can't quite match. Your preferred style of game may dictate which console you purchase.
  5. Take your friends' consoles into account. This is one area in which a console's titles are less important than situational context: for example, if you enjoy playing multiplayer games and all of your friends play online using PlayStation 4s, you'll probably want to disregard the Xbox One's slight multiplayer edge.

Considering Pros and Cons of Both Consoles

  1. Consider the Xbox One's perks. Some notable pros include the following:
    • Extremely responsive to first-person shooter titles (e.g., Halo, Call of Duty, and Titanfall).
    • Syncs with Windows 10, thereby turning your Xbox One into an entertainment system and extension of your PC.
    • External hard drive hookup allows you to play games right off of an external hard drive.
    • Supports backwards compatibility for select Xbox 360 games.
  2. Consider the Xbox One's drawbacks. The Xbox One falls short of the PS4 in a few places:
    • While processing speed is more powerful than the PS4, the Xbox One's graphical processing is weaker.
    • You can upgrade internal storage.
    • Overall unit is larger and more bulky than the PS4.
    • Exclusives aren't all necessarily multiplayer based, there is a distinct lack of exclusive single player titles in the Xbox market.
  3. Consider the PlayStation 4's perks. Since most AAA games are now releasing on both platforms, you can focus on the following:[2]
    • Better graphical processing.
    • Launch titles and flagship games have more emotional depth and an emphasis on storytelling.
    • Upgradeable internal storage (up to two terabytes).
    • Generally better indie game support than the Xbox One.
    • Virtual Reality support.
  4. Consider the PlayStation 4's drawbacks. Some notable ones are as follows:
    • No backwards compatibility.
    • No way to play games off of an external drive (though you can back up your games to an external drive).
    • The PS4 controller is still considered less ergonomic than the Xbox One's.
  5. Take one last objective look at both consoles before buying one. Despite the perks and drawbacks of both, you'll see most of the same titles on both platforms, and the graphics, performance, and overall quality of those titles will be close enough that--if you don't have a technical preference by now--one console's heightened performance in one area is unlikely to change your mind.

Tips

  • If you don't like one console's style of controller, you can always purchase a modified one made in the style of the other.
  • The Xbox One S and the PlayStation 4 Pro promise to extend the capabilities of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Warnings

  • There isn't really a correct answer here; at the end of the day, the console you want is going to be contingent on your own personal gaming desires and motives.

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Sources and Citations

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