With the official announcement of the next Xbox from Microsoft – known as Xbox One – it’s quite safe to assume that the battle for the console supremacy for the next generation has already started. The upcoming PlayStation 4 was confirmed by Sony back in February, and Microsoft’s potential delay (for a bit) in announcing the Xbox One could be seen as a possible symptom of “let’s wait and see what they got, first.”
However, now with both the consoles officially announced and confirmed, for the first time, we have a chance to directly compare both the consoles and find out who will have that extra edge over the other when the fall arrives and both Xbox One and PS4 are available for retail.
As far as initial specs of both consoles from Sony and Microsoft are concerned, it seems the two are extremely similar, and so it could be expected that a vast majority of games that will arrive for these platforms will look quite similar.
Sony and Microsoft will also be focusing on the social side of things, apart from just playing games. On the part of Xbox One, you can connect the console to your existing cable or digi-box and browse TV stations.
The One will let you use its motion controls or voice commands technology to help you surf channels, helped alongside by the new Kinect. As reported, Microsoft has also partnered with NFL and ESPN so that users can control game replays per choice, view game stats whenever they feel like and even compare the fantasy league team to the performance that’s happening live.
Other features of the new Xbox are quite similar to what PS4 is also offering. This includes the ability to record and share games, like PS4 controller's Share button, and a new "trending" screen that searches and recommends movies and TV based on what others (other One users) are watching.
Sony, during the announcement of PlayStation 4, brought forward a number of first-party titles like Killzone and Infamous, alongside third-party developers like Capcom, Ubisoft and Bungie. Microsoft, on the other hand, also showed off a number of anticipated titles like FIFA, Call of Duty and Forza. The question here, however, is all these titles were expected, but what about something new?
Although Microsoft went on to promise as many as 15 exclusive title that are currently in development for the One, and more about them would be revealed at E3 in June, at least a couple of them were expected at the event. And until these titles become public, the new Xbox is just a modified version of a set-top box (hey Microsoft, we need more details).
There is no point talking about the consoles’ release or pricing, as everybody is still in darkness regarding that. However, according to the rumors, the PS4 will be coming to Asia and America before the end of 2013. The Xbox One is also said to be coming before the end of 2013 (unlike the last console generation where the 360 was released more than a year before the PS3).
The prices of the consoles are also a major factor, and it’s expected that both Sony and Microsoft will take precautions in pricing the PS4 and Xbox One, respectively, making sure they are not priced too highly or too low.
More details are expected to follow as soon as E3 2013 in June.