Microsoft's Xbox One had its share of problems since long before its launch, what with rumors of always online DRM, policy towards indie developers, etc., but despite some accolades here and there, the latest numbers show a serious difference between Xbox One and PlayStation 4 total sales.
One of analyst Michael Pachter's beliefs is, compared to the Xbox One, the lower price of the PlayStation 4 has seriously helped Sony keep the edge. GamingBolt spoke to Pachter about what it would take in order for Microsoft to get one up on Sony.
"I think that ultimately, for the Xbox One to be successful, the Kinect has to be decoupled from it, and I think that might be hard, because there's a lot of stuff going on with the hardware where it's all integrated, and it might not work," said Pachter.
"But I think that you will probably get in 2015 a redesigned Xbox One that has no Kinect, and I think what will accelerate that process is if Sony cuts the PS4's price: if there is a $349 PS4 on the market, Microsoft has a real problem. They're gonna have to do something, and they'll have to do it really quickly. I think that in 2015, you might see a $349 PS4, and an uncoupled Xbox One, and if you see both of those for $349, the consumer wins, and they will both sell very well. Microsoft is not looking to lose this cycle."
Ditching Kinect is a a card that Microsoft has been unwilling to play. Actually, based on everything we've heard from the company, it looks like a card that's not even in the deck. Microsoft has previously said they have no intention of abandoning the ever listening, always watching peripheral, no matter the amount of criticisms and / or predictions.
Under the hood, Microsoft's Xbox One claims an 8-core x86 processor and Microsoft hopes it will take the place of the family room cable box by letting you watch Blu-ray movies and TV through the console, in a "seamless transition" that lets players switch from playing games to watching shows and/or movies. It will come fully loaded with 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.
The console's exclusives include Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct, Ryse: Son of Rome, and more recently, Titanfall. You can check out a list of the install sizes for all of the launch games here.
In the opposite corner, the PlayStation 4 boasts Supercharged PC architecture, X86 CPU, Enhanced PC GPU, and 8GB Unified Memory according to the official specs.
It supports the same PlayStation Plus service as the Vita and PlayStation 3. However, a Plus subscription is required for online multiplayer games, but not for additional media services like Netflix. Sony has also updated the Dual Shock controllers with a touch screen and improved shoulder triggers, and bundles the console with a headset.
