For the first time in nearly a decade, both Sony and Microsoft have released new gaming consoles. With the holiday shopping season now over, is it worth spending $400-$500 on these machines? Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4 have some important differences that could sway gamers either way.
Sony’s PlayStation 4 is priced at $400 and is significantly smaller than the Xbox One. The PS4 also lacks a bulky external “power brick” that the Xbox One requires. In terms of computing power, the PS4 has been tested and confirmed to have nearly 50% more processing power than the Xbox One. This power differential is already noticeable in currently released games. Call of Duty Ghosts runs at 1080p on the PS4, but only 720p on the Xbox One.
During my hands on time with the PS4, I found the new Dual Shock 4 controller to be a significant improvement over the Dual Shock 3. The controller is noticeably wider and heavier than its predecessor, resulting in a much more comfortable gaming experience. The joysticks are now concave, which helps keep thumbs in place during gameplay. The Dual Shock 4 also features a small touchpad in its center, comparable to a smartphone touch screen without a display. The controller is wireless, and runs off an internal rechargeable battery that can be recharged by plugging into the PS4 console.
Microsoft’s Xbox One is priced at $500. The premium over the PS4 comes from Microsoft’s inclusion of the Kinect 2 sensor, which is easily the most interesting part of Xbox One. The Kinect can be used to manipulate the Xbox user interface by waving one’s arms, or by using spoken commands such as “Xbox, Watch TV”.
In my hands-on (off?) time with the Xbox One and Kinect, I found the voice controls and movements to be accurate. The Kinect can also be used for gaming, but, so far, developers have yet to truly embrace the technology for anything other than dancing or fitness games.
Even those directly involved in the sale of videogames are skeptical. Joe Wolack, an employee of the Clinton Game Stop, does not believe the Kinect sensor justifies the extra hundred dollars the Xbox One commands.
“It’s absolutely not worth it. I would never use it, and I doubt anyone else will either. I’m an Xbox guy, but I just don’t think the value is there,” said Wolack.
Both consoles have achieved record breaking sales numbers. The PS4 has sold over 2.1 million units since going on sale in November, making it the biggest console launch of all time. The Xbox One is right behind at approximately 2 million units sold.
While both consoles offer significantly more powerful internals than their predecessors, the perceivable increase in visual quality is minimal. All of the games that I demoed, including Forza 5, Knack and Killzone Shadow Fall looked great, but so do games on the Xbox 360 and PS3. The diminishing returns gamers will see in graphic fidelity simply do not justify the current asking price of these consoles.
These new consoles can be viewed as investments for future success. While the games currently on sale for the PS4 and Xbox One may not be compelling, Sony and Microsoft are betting on developers creating blockbuster franchises in due time. Big name gaming series bring in extraordinary revenue, and often are the main reason consumers will buy a console in the first place. The chicken and egg relationship between console sales and game libraries is clear; people won’t buy consoles if there are no games worth playing, but developers won’t create games for small audiences.