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PS4 vs Xbox One: Which console is the best? Xbox One vs PS4: We examine Microsoft and Sony’s consoles and see how the price, specs, features, games, accessories and more compare to see which console you should buy. 2017 has been a huge year for console gamers, with hardware taking a huge leap forward, particularly in the Xbox family. Last year we saw the launch of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One S, two new hardware iterations that improved upon the 2013 originals with a range of cool new features. The PS4 Pro is a solid upgrade over the PS4, capable of upscaling specific games to 4K using a sophisticated checker-boarding technique. It can also enhance performance using the newly implemented Boost Mode with increased frame rates across multiple titles. Xbox One S, on the other hand, is a smaller, more refined machine complete with a 4K Blu-ray player and HDR support. These are impressive machines, yet both may pale in comparison to Xbox One X. The arrival of the Xbox One S changes the game somewhat. It’s essentially the machine the Xbox One should have been at launch. It’s smaller, more attractive and comes with some serious benefits, such as 4K video playback, support for HDR TVs. There are plenty of reasons to pick up either console depending on your personal preferences. PS4 tends to offer superior performance over Xbox One when it comes to third-party games. Xbox One owners have access to a library of IP not found anywhere else. Halo, Gears of War, Forza and more will forever be at home on Microsoft’s system. Sony has its own set of exclusive games which won’t be available on the Xbox One. Uncharted, Gran Turismo Sport, God of War, Death Stranding, Persona 5, Street Fighter V and The Last Guardian to name just a few. Based on Windows 10, Xbox One’s unique interface – which aims to bring together a multitude of media connections into a single channel – is also worth taking into account if you want a console which is the centre of your entertainment world. In this article we will explore the price differences, exclusive games, design and the all-important controllers. PS4 vs Xbox One Price: How much do they cost? These days, it’s easy to find both consoles at a bargain price bundled with a couple of games and a sizeable hard drive. The Xbox One has been discontinued, but some retailers will still sell the older hardware to shift stock. But the Xbox One S, thanks to the launch of the One X, is now available for incredibly cheap prices for decent bundles. It’s quite possible to get a One S and a game or two for just £200. Also if you’d like to expand the storage capacity, Xbox One consoles support the use of external hard drives which are available for good prices too. Sign up for the newsletter. Get news, competitions and special offers direct to your inbox. PS4 Slim, which is now the standard model going forward, retails for £249 with a 500GB hard drive as standard. As is the case with Xbox One, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding bundles that throw in a couple of games. Larger memory variants can also be found, or you could upgrade the PS4 hard drive yourself. View now: PS4 Slim at Amazon. PS4 Pro is a little more pricey, currently sitting at £349 with a 1TB hard drive. The console itself is twice as powerful, so a £100 premium isn’t bad at all. Unfortunately, stock at most retailers has been intermittent at best since launch, so you might need to shop around. Xbox One S is naturally more expensive than the original model, with the limited edition 2TB version (now entirely sold out, according to Microsoft) costing £349.99. The 500GB and 1TB models are noticeably cheaper, costing £249.99 and £299.99 respectively. PS4 vs Xbox One: Specs. When comparing all four consoles there are plenty of differences to take into account. To make things easier, we’ve compiled them into a single table: PS4 vs Xbox One: Dimensions. We could go into the ins and out of the differences between the designs of the PS4 and Xbox One, but if you’re the type of person that loves a snazzy looking piece of kit on your shelf, here’s what you need to know: The original Xbox One is a lot larger than the PS4, measuring up at 7.9 x 27.4 x 33.3cm compared to the PS4’s 5.3 x 27.5 x 30.5cm dimensions. PS4 vs Xbox One – Controllers. Before we go into any major detail, check out the two controllers in all their splendour below: Both bear the genetic material of their forebears, but the DualShock 4 feels like more of a change. Microsoft has stuck with what worked so well in the Xbox 360 controller, and as such the Xbox One pad is more of a tweak than a full redesign. There are two main changes. The Xbox One pad has rumble motors built into the triggers to give greater feedback when, for example, shooting guns. But those rumble triggers easily make the Xbox One the better console to play racing games on – sorry, DriveClub and Gran Turismo Sport. Microsoft has also made huge improvements to the D-pad. The mushy Xbox 360 D-pad has been switched for one more clicky and responsive, and already works wonders on the likes of Killer Instinct and Mortal Kombat X. Sadly, the Xbox One controller still requires a pair of AA batteries as standard, rather than being rechargeable like the PS4’s DualShock 4. You’ll probably want to buy the Play and Charge kit separately for each controller for £19 a go. However, if you do stick to AA batteries, you’ll definitely see your Xbox One controller pack a longer play time than the PS4 controller, which requires regular charging via micro-usb. The DualShock 4’s changes are more marked. It’s chunkier than the previous DualShock controllers and a lot heavier too, giving a firmer feel than the last-gen DualShock 3 pad. After all that, have we really found a victor? Not as such. If you loved the Xbox 360 pad, you’ll probably prefer the Xbox One controller. However, the DualShock 4 has a robust feel that previous PlayStation pads simply haven’t had. There’s also the Xbox One Elite Controller to consider, which is available now – albeit in limited quantities. If you’re willing to pay the staggering £120 you can get yourself this customisable controller. It’s just perfect for those looking to get a more professional gaming experience from a pad. Swappable D-pad and analogue sticks, Hair Trigger Locks, interchangeable rear paddles and a rubberised diamond grip and customisable inputs thanks to a companion app for Xbox One and PC; you pretty much couldn’t want any more from a controller. To make your purchasing choice even more difficult, it’s worth mentioning that the revised Xbox One S controller brings improvements to the table, too. It boasts a new textured grip, swappable covers, an extended operational range and Bluetooth built-in, which means you can use it with your PC. PS4 vs Xbox One – Exclusive Games. Each console has amassed a hugely impressive library of games since November 2013, many of which you can’t play anywhere else. The best selection is down to your personal taste, with each company hosting a variety of essential first-party talent. We’ve put together some of our favourites below, all of which are worth checking out. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Nathan Drake’s swansong is an utterly captivating adventure that tells a heartfelt story while thrusting you through a series of explosive set-pieces. The Last of Us Remastered – Yet another masterpiece by Naughty Dog, Joel and Ellie’s post-apocalyptic tale sets a new benchmark in gaming storytelling that isn’t to be missed. The Last Guardian – After ten years of waiting The Last Guardian is finally here. Team Ico’s latest effort is a beautiful tale of companionship propelled by its mystifying world. Bloodborne – This could be From Software’s finest work yet, transcending the masterful Dark Souls with a dark, gothic setting and truly brutal combat. Yakuza 0 – This hugely underrated series features varied combat, hysterical minigames and a genuinely compelling narrative based on the Japanese Mafia. Ratchet and Clank – Acting as a complete remake of the original platformer, this is easily one of the best-looking titles on PS4. It’s also a lot of fun! Best Xbox One exclusives. Gears of War 4 – Marcus Fenix is back with all new characters and enemies in Gears 4. The gruesome mixture of cover-based movement and melodic shooting is arguably better than ever. Halo 5: Guardians – 343 Industries has done an excellent job with The Reclaimer Trilogy thus far, with Guardians acting as solid middle chapter in Master Chief’s journey. Ori and the Blind Forest – This gorgeous platformer will make you cry like a baby and scream in frustration with its touching story and challenging gameplay. Rare Replay – Compiling over 30 games from the legendary developer, Rare Replay is a nostalgic trip well worth taking. I mean, who can say no to Viva Pinata? Forza Horizon 3 – One of the finest racers of this generation, Horizon 3 is absolutely packed with hundreds of cars, events and a blistering open world to explore. Quantum Break – This time travelling shooter boasts some commendable star power alongside its range of time-bending abilities. PS4 vs Xbox One – Conclusion. PS4 is a multi-faceted console with plenty of unique features and a bustling library of worthwhile exclusives. Players looking for expansive JRPGs and niche experiences will find so much to love PS4, as well as gaining the upper hand in performance with the majority of third-party titles. PS4 Pro has come into its own since its release, offering benefits beyond its 4K upscaling with its newly introduced Boost Mode. PlayStation VR is the cherry-on-top for PS4 owners, so long as you’re willing to invest in the fancy new peripheral. Xbox One is also a brilliant option to consider, boasting the likes of Halo, Forza and Gears of War under its blockbuster umbrella. Ever since Phil Spencer took charge of the brand we’ve seen the focus shift towards games, despite the cancellation of high-profile exclusives like Scalebound. You also have Xbox Play Anywhere, a service that gives you 2 digital games for the price of one across Xbox One and Windows 10. The recent release of Xbox One S will more than certainly keep us entertained until the arrival of Project Scorpio later this year. TechRadar. PS4 vs Xbox One: which is better? The definitive showdown between Xbox One and PS4. The Xbox One vs PS4 comparison is more important in 2017 than ever because both consoles are infinitely more powerful than the previous generation and both Sony and Microsoft tout their hardware as the absolute best. Who's right? Well, currently, there are two separate versions of both console: Sony has PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim, while Microsoft has the Xbox One X and Xbox One S. The PS4 Pro and Xbox One X represent the high-end 4K gaming, with the PS4 Slim and Xbox One S are a much better value for gamers with HD TVs. Microsoft has the lead in the 4K gaming sphere with the powerful Xbox One X - a system that's capable of playing games in native 4K resolution. The PS4 Pro, on the other hand, is only capable of upscaling games to 4K but has the advantage of having a stronger stable of first-party exclusive games. The PS4 vs Xbox One comparison all starts with the price and bundles. PS4 vs Xbox One price comparison. The PS4 and Xbox One prices seem to change by the week, with price drops and bundle deals coming and going faster than handheld PlayStation systems. While all these bundles are great for consumers, it can be hard to keep up with the latest pricing info. So, in an effort to cut through the noise, here are the latest prices and bundles for each console. The Xbox One X is clearly the newest console with few discount available, while the PS4 Pro is now a year old, as of this month. It's seeing more discounts and gives you a bit more power than the PS4 Slim while still staying at a reasonable price. If you want to dial back the cost of either console, check out the latest prices for the Xbox One S and PS4 Slim. Additional reading. Want to compare the slim consoles? Check out our guide to the PS4 Slim vs the Xbox One S. Want to compare 4K apples-to-4K apples? Our PS4 Pro vs Xbox One X guide will give you just that. Look, we can sit here and mete out the differences between each iteration of the consoles, but we really don’t want to be here all day – so, instead we’re going to compare the entire ecosystem of each platform. If you want to really look into the fine details, we have you covered below. Don’t worry. And, don’t forget that Black Friday is coming soon, which you can bet will entail lots of deals on both consoles. PS4 vs Xbox One sales. Both Sony and Microsoft have approached this generation completely differently – with Sony focusing entirely on games, and Microsoft focusing more on having the Xbox One as more of an all-around home theater device. Sony took an early lead this generation, and has currently sold an astounding 70 million PS4s over the last 4 years – more than doubling Microsoft’s 30 million sales. A pretty big part of the reason that Sony dominated Microsoft was that focus that we mentioned earlier. They put all of their attention on building a great game library – and it’s paid off. Don’t write Microsoft off though, 30 million units is nothing to shake your head at, and with the recent release of the Xbox One X, they stand a pretty good chance of closing a bit of that gap. Hardware Versions and Design. Both consoles are available in two different versions, one budget and one premium The PS4 has a slim version and a 4K PS4 Pro The Xbox has the Xbox One S and Xbox One X. Both the Xbox One and the PS4 have two separate hardware versions that you can buy right now. This is different than in the past, when each console existed on its own, and lasted an entire generation. The Xbox One S improved on the design of the original Xbox One by cutting down a lot of the heft, and removing the gigantic power brick – instead opting for an internal power supply. It measures at just 11.6 x 8.9 x 2.5 inches and unlike the previous version includes a 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray player and can even upscale 1080p games to 4K, as long as you have a TV that can support it. The Xbox One X might be heftier than the Xbox One S, but it’s still considerably smaller than the original Xbox One, measuring in at 11.81 x 9.44 x 2.36 inches and weighing around 8.4 lbs and also opted for an internal power supply. This is the high-powered version of the Xbox One, that allows for native 4K gaming and, much like the Xbox One S, includes a 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray player, something that not even the PS4 Pro can boast. Our guide to the Xbox One X vs Xbox One S vs Xbox One will clue you in as to the differences in the Xbox family. Then starting out the PS4 side of the equation, the PS4 Slim is straight up the smallest of the major consoles available right now, measuring in at 10.4 x 11.3 x 1.5 inches and serving as the baseline PS4 for most consumers, serving as a complete replacement for the original PS4. It doesn’t allow for even 4K video playback, but it can still play the entire killer PS4 game library. The PS4 was the original 4K console, coming out an entire year before the Xbox One X – even if the ‘X’ eventually outpowered it. It measures in at 12.8 x 11.6 x 2.1 inches. While the PS4 Pro does to at least some extent support native 4K gaming, it doesn’t include a 4K Ultra-HD Blu-Ray Player, an omission that has caught Sony some flak over the last year or so. Our guide to the PS4 Slim vs PS4 Pro outlines the differences between the consoles in more detail. Xbox One vs PS4 connectivity. You can't upgrade Xbox One's internal hard drive, but you can on the PS4. Both consoles support the use of external hard drives. The Xbox One has more ports on its rear. Depending on how your gaming setup is organised, the connectivity of your console could be an extremely important detail. Both the Xbox One S and X have identical ports, each including two HDMI ports, one for receiving an input from a cable or satellite box, and one that inputs to your TV. On top of those, they’ve each got two USB 3 ports, IR outputs, optical audio out, Ethernet ports and, of course, the power cable – which is compatible with both versions of the Xbox. However, due to the quick and tragic downfall of Kinect, if you want to use a Kinect with either version of the Xbox One you’ll have to go out and get an adapter. The PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim have similar inputs, although they are slightly different. Each has a single HDMI out, a single USB port in the back (two in the front), an Ethernet port, and power. The only difference between the Pro and the Slim is that the Pro has an Optical Audio out, while the Slim drops it. One of the most compelling things about the connectivity of the PS4, however, is that both versions allow users to swap out the internal hard drive with one of their choice. All versions of both the Xbox One and PS4 support 802.11 ac Wi-Fi and gigabit Ethernet. So no matter which console you decide on, you won’t have to worry about network compatibility. PS4 and Xbox One are void of remarkable characteristics on the front. There's a Blu-ray/DVD combo drive to the left (which can play Ultra HD Blu-rays on the Xbox One S and Xbox One X) and their respective, muted-color logos to the right. PS4 has a pair of USB ports tucked between its sandwich-like halves next to where the disc drive is located. The best PS4 prices and bundles. Now that we've taken you through the positives and negatives of each console you've probably got a good idea of which is the one for you. Fortunately, we're not going to leave you hanging there – over the next couple of pages you'll find the best deals available for each console to help you take your decision to its final destination. Decided that the PS4 and Sony's attractive exclusives are perfect for you? Below you'll find the best PlayStation 4 deals you can get at the moment. The best Xbox One prices and bundles. Is it the Xbox One that's won you over? We understand, that 4K Blu-ray player is hard to resist. There are some fantastic deals on the latest model of Microsoft's consoles and below you'll find the latest and greatest: Check out our guide to the best soundbars if you want to give your console's audio a boost. Current page: Introduction and design. Related news. Tech deals, prizes and latest news. Get the best tech deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable tech news and more! No spam, we promise. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details without your permission. Online stores are starting to offer deals to tackle inflated graphics card prices. SIM only deals: the best plans in January 2018. Now TV Smart Stick review. Samsung Galaxy S9 release date, price, news and rumors. The best free video editor 2018. 3 reasons why now is a terrible time to buy a new smartphone. Exciting new iOS 12 features reportedly shelved so Apple can focus on reliability. Online stores are starting to offer deals to tackle inflated graphics card prices. Google buys part of HTC's phone business, including Pixel team. Steven Soderbergh's new movie was shot entirely on iPhones. TechRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury , Bath BA1 1UA . All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. 9 big reasons I went Xbox One over PS4. I owe Sony a lot of credit. It wasn't the original Xbox and the young Xbox Live service that gave me my first taste in console online gaming. It was my beloved PS2 that connected me to the early adopters skating around Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3, and wannabe commandos practicing flanks together in the original SOCOM. With an add-on Ethernet adapter and LAN cable strung halfway around my house, the PS2 allowed me to engage in an activity that gamers on most modern consoles take for granted. Getting online with PS2 games was part test of patience and part geekdom experiment. PlayStation Network wouldn't launch for another four years or so, and one console later -- on the PS2, you were truly on your own when it came to navigating online gaming. But I didn't care too much. The joy of just skating with others in THPS3 or partaking in intense team battles on SOCOM was something I had not done before, outside of split-screen match ups in a single room, fighting for tube TV real estate. Sony rightfully was haphazardly dipping its toes into console online gaming, seeing that SegaNet couldn't keep the ill-fated Dreamcast afloat, as novel as it was. Xbox Live it was not, but pains aside, it sure was a blast. Getting online with Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 (above) on the PS2 wasn't easy by today's standards. But for 2001-era online console gaming, it was a novel experience worth the trouble. PS2 introduced me to online gaming on consoles, but Xbox Live took the concept and has trounced Sony ever since. (Image Source: GiantBomb) So fast forward to 2015, and I can finally say I've leapt into the modern console generation faster than any other point in previous generation console wars. I went Xbox One, and I don't have any qualms about my decision. No regrets, either. While many around me decided that PS4 was their console of choice, I just couldn't justify going back to Sony after such a great 7+ years with my Xbox 360. From the known quantity and gold standard for online gaming, Xbox Live, to exclusives I just care more about (namely Halo), PS4 didn't get me excited in enough areas to pull me back into Sony land. Before the online trolls pounce on me for picking a camp, let me run through the justifications for sticking with Xbox this go around. Sony may have had the lead over Xbox One both at and for a decent time post launch with the PS4, but the tables have effectively turned. Microsoft has ditched the requirement for Kinect to come with every Xbox One, and as such, pricing is more aggressive than ever now. While PS4 bundles with games like Arkham Knight or The Last of Us are retailing for $400 USD, Microsoft offers Assassin's Creed Unity and Master Chief Collection bundles for a nice $50 USD cheaper. And for gamers who want the fatter 1TB edition Xbox One (w/ Halo MCC), that edition takes the same $400 price space that PS4 occupies with a 500GB console and a single game. As if the above deals weren't sweet enough, Microsoft is even offering a SECOND free game with a new Xbox One at no extra cost through June 27. That's two free games, once all is said and done, for $350 USD before tax and a 500GB console. Generous is one way you can put it. Pound for pound, Microsoft has better value on the table across the board against the PS4. While I got my Xbox One via extra special pricing through some coupon and credit action I had accumulated, Microsoft's console is still the better deal for the average shopper. 8. External Storage Capability. While the PS4 allows you to upgrade the internal hard drive with a larger unit, it's a touchy process that involves many of the things which make computer users cringe when it comes to doing the same. Backing up data, manual drive replacement, installing OS software, etc. I personally don't care to mess around with that on my game console, even though I'm a professional geek by day. With the Xbox One, I can pick up any off the shelf external USB 3.0 hard drive and plug it right in. That's it. The Xbox One handles the rest, and I've got a massive increase in storage space for game saves, game installs, and all the other files that quickly consume internal HDDs on consoles. This is great because I can take advantage of the benefits of massive storage space without fretting about bricking my console with a botched hard drive upgrade step. Microsoft was smart in bringing this capability to Xbox One so early in the console's life. 7. Aggressive Console Firmware Update Cycle. While Sony has been trickling out new features for the PS4 via firmware updates, Microsoft has literally unleashed a torrent of updates on the competing Xbox One in the last year and a half. From functionality like Snap to refined TV watching down to interface updates, Xbox One has been gushing with improvements each month -- easily more than any release cycles seen on the Xbox 360 or even original Xbox before that. Some people may attribute that to an argument that Xbox One was not as refined or polished as the PS4 at launch, but it's a subjective statement at best. The fact that Microsoft (like Sony) is committed to bringing monthly improvements to its console is reassuring that it's not only listening to fans, but proving it's standing behind its product for the long haul. If you're unconvinced at the massive update list the Xbox One already enjoys, just take a read at the lengthy changelog Microsoft hosts. One can arguably say it trounces the PS4 changelog in both size and breadth over a nearly identical timeframe. And big changes are still on the horizon, with news and video of the upcoming Xbox One Fall Update 2015 just being released. Microsoft's tossing us a revamped home UI, Cortana integration, and very likely the inception of Universal Apps -- something unique to Xbox due to its unified Windows 10 backbone. I'll touch more on that benefit further down. 6. (I Think) One of the Best Controllers Around. I'm still torn whether I prefer the Xbox 360 controller more, by a hair, but the Xbox One controller follows in the same style and design choices which provided me so much joy on last generation's 360. After years on a PS2 controller, in Dual Shock land, I can comfortably say that for my larger hands, the Xbox controller is a few notches more comfortable. And it's not only comfort that does it for me. I prefer the offset nature of the thumbsticks opposing each other, with a D pad separating the two. The current, and last few, Dual Shock controllers continue to feel way too. utilitarian, for lack of a better term? Sony's controller isn't bad, but it's just too stubby in the wrong ways which creates for long gaming sessions that are just not as easy on the hands as the Xbox One controller. One thing I also never understood with the PS4 controller is the inclusion of the touchpad. It has no true outstanding real world application in a game yet, and much like these Reddit commenters, I'm convinced it's currently nothing more than a gimmick. Sony may prove me wrong, but almost two years in, the still-too-new-to-develop-for excuse won't hold for much longer. The Xbox 360 controller was a huge update to the chicken sized original Xbox controller, which I never particularly adored. With Xbox One, Microsoft kept all the best aspects of the 360 iteration and added in a few new touches. But it's still one of the most comfortable controllers I have put my hands on. It's not too surprising, then, that VR gaming yuppie Oculus Rift chose the Xbox One controller for its first major offering to consumers. 5. HDMI-In Port and Live TV DVR Likely Coming Soon. One year ago, I rallied against Xbox One for missing on one major opportunity, which is a lack of live TV DVR capability. It's still the big missing elephant in the room, for reasons we may never know, but I'd be quite shocked if Microsoft wasn't preparing to roll this into a system update in the next half year or so. The writing is all but on the wall by now. On top of the bevy of TV/OneGuide updates that have hit the Xbox One in the last year and a half, Microsoft finally brought live TV viewing to Xbox One for US buyers. While it doesn't feature any kind of TiVO style functionality, which is what I am dearly waiting for, it's not far fetched to believe this is the next logical step in crafting the Xbox One as the one-stop-shop media center to replace all lesser devices in your home theater. And why wouldn't Microsoft bring us live TV DVR capability? It only makes sense -- especially since Microsoft has billed the Xbox One as a gaming+media hub since its very inception. Filling that final piece of the puzzle will give Microsoft the bragging rights it wants: to be the unified experience in your living room; the only electronic you will need for any and every entertainment medium from the comfort of a couch. The new 1TB Xbox One only leads further credence to this notion, as the original 500GB console was getting too cramped for most people's liking. While 500GB was a tight fit, 1TB is quite nice, and the option for external storage to fill any media hog's needs is icing on the cake if TV DVR is truly on the way. All we need now is a proper CableCard tuner for Xbox One; you can read my thoughts on that aspect in a previous piece. And even if we don't end up seeing native CableCard support on Xbox One soon, the inclusion of the native HDMI-In port on the rear of the console will still allow for streaming from a cable DVR for the interim. I actually stream my TiVO into my Xbox One without issue right now in this manner and it works for the most part. I haven't tied OneGuide into my setup yet, as I don't have Kinect and decided to buy IR blaster cabling to get the job done, but it will only make the experience that much cleaner for me. A unified media and gaming experience under one device? I like that a lot, and Sony doesn't seem interested in covering the same media bases on the PS4. The Xbox One was a no brainer in this regard. 4. More Exclusive Games I Care About. I'd almost argue that the PS3 had a better exclusives lineup against the Xbox 360 than what the PS4 puts up against Xbox One. Aside from Uncharted and Killzone, there's not much that excites me on the PS4 side. Even Sony themselves half-admitted this fact when Sony CE CEO Andrew House referenced the company's tough time with landing solid exclusives, and having a "sparse" first party lineup. Xbox One has numerous exclusives, some of which I already purchased. Titanfall is an awesome titan action game I am just getting into. Sunset Overdrive is wildly addicting once you get into it (especially if you're a Jet Set Radio fan from the Xbox/Dreamcast days). And it goes without saying, as a Halo fanatic, that Halo 5 and Halo MCC are excellent additions to the series' legacy. Add in the fact that Xbox One is getting Metal Gear Solid treatment with MGS5, and has access to numerous cross-platform titles like the Call of Duty series and most sports titles, there's little reason I would consider a PS4 from a games perspective. Of course, this is completely subjective and relative to your taste in games, but for me, Sony has little concrete to sell me over that of an Xbox One. MGS was one of the few remaining things making me regret not getting a PS3 (due to MGS4) but I wouldn't be surprised if even that game got wrapped in a dual-pack flavor with MGS5 at some point on Xbox One. Assassin's Creed, another series with relative new fondness for me (Black Flag got me hooked), is also solidly cross platform with few signs showing much changing there. And one of my favorite PS2-era games, SOCOM, has no evidence so far it will be making any kind of return to action on the PS4. I was holding out for a revival, but it seems Sony has no appetite for bringing me back to my original online console gaming roots. PlayStation's grip on the exclusives I truly can't live without is long gone. Since the 360, Xbox has held that crown for me. With Microsoft unifying the code base of all Windows devices to Windows 10 this summer/fall, Xbox One is one of the lesser-discussed beneficiaries. Apps on consoles has always been a love-hate affair for most, since development effort for them is usually steep, and approval policies for making it into a console's available app selection considerably tougher than on mobile or desktop devices. That's about to change for the better. Reports are saying that the Universal App change for Xbox One will reap real-world rewards early on with "thousands" of new apps coming to Xbox One upon launch. While Microsoft will still treat Xbox One app approval with a stricter wand than its other platforms, the notion that developers can opt to create a single unified app and have the potential to serve Xbox One customers if they please is a pretty big deal. Write once, deliver everywhere. At least that's the mantra Microsoft is offering up for developers to jump into the Universal App scene on Windows 10. A Windows 10 laptop app can run on tablets the same way it can, theoretically, run on Xbox One as well. This could make or break the Xbox One app scene in the long haul. (Image Source: VRWorld) Serving Xbox One users won't be a discussion of "it's too much work" for developers; it will merely be another checkmark on their supported devices list in the Windows 10 ecosystem (given Microsoft's final approval, mind you). While this won't translate into things like Office 2016 being usable on Xbox anytime soon -- realistically, we can expect a plethora of additional new age media apps to hit, like additional video/music streaming apps, news apps, gaming apps, and plenty of in-between stuff. This also means that modern cross-platform experiences will be made possible, like game saves, for example, being consistent between Xbox One and a Windows 10 tablet. Or the excellent YouTube app, MetroTube, allowing you to start a video on your Windows 10 laptop, pause it, and finish watching from that exact spot on your Xbox One. The possibilities are limitless. Either way, Universal Apps and the Windows 10 transition for Xbox One can only be positive for the console as a whole. A unified app store is something only Microsoft is bringing to fruition in such scope, and for Windows users, it's a win-win situation. Even though I got my first taste of online console gaming on the PS2, once I tasted Xbox Live on the original Xbox, there was no comparison. Consistent friends lists, messaging, and seamless access into online capabilities for any network-capable game on the console. That was a hard to beat proposition which I quickly grew to appreciate back in the original Xbox days. PlayStation Network has had a good track record and is a distant second to Xbox Live. But Sony's debacle with how long its 2011 PSN outage lasted (23 days total) was embarrassing, and makes me question the technical quality of Sony's network backbone for the service. Even TIME Magazine penned a million dollar question: is it time for gamers to abandon PSN due to its meandering uptime issues? Microsoft is no angel with Xbox Live, don't get me wrong. But given that Xbox Live got its start back in 2002 and PSN only entered the fray in 2006, Microsoft's overall track record has been quite better over a longer timeframe, with no major month-long outages to its name. Never say never, but Xbox Live is a solid, stable gaming service that is well worth the $60/year (note: I get my XBL subscription cards online for only $45 or so each year; hunt around and you can find the same). The tight integration with the Friends system, Party sessions, game chat, and the other bells and whistles that Xbox Live advertises makes it an easy sell for the gamer who loves playing with friends. While I consider myself a casual online gamer now, preferring random Halo sessions to drawn out nights with XBL friends, the platform works the way I would want it to. Even if PSN were completely on-par with Xbox Live, it would have to offer something compelling to draw me over. That, at least for now, is something Sony doesn't offer -- a compelling reason to jump ship. 1. Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility. Microsoft dropped a huge bombshell at E3 this year in that Xbox One will finally be able to play Xbox 360 games. While the list starts small at about 100 titles by this Christmas, just like Xbox 360 did for original Xbox games, the list will start to swell as time goes on. And that's a great thing for gamers who are heavily invested in 360 titles (like I am). For the skeptics, yes, there are a few gotchas, and I'll be the first to shed light on them. First, publishers need to OK every single title that will be available via backwards compatibility. And secondly, Microsoft will need to "work its magic" to enable the functionality for any title approved by the publishers. But given those two aspects, we can still expect a large portion of 360 titles to make their way onto the Xbox One. I can see some hesitation among some publishers, like Activision with yearly-moneymakers such as Call of Duty, in bringing older releases over. Paul Thurrott insinuated as much on the Windows Weekly vidcast last week, and I do agree with him on this sentiment to a degree. But even so, I'd rather get a sizable portion of the 360 library ported over onto the Xbox One, then not see any. One of the biggest worries I had when looking at the Xbox One was: what the heck do I do with my sizable Xbox 360 game collection? Set the console aside and leave those games to collect dust alongside it? Sell them off and forget 'em entirely? There are some which I still wish to replay, or go back and finish achievements on, and this seems to finally be coming into a reality for Xbox One. Hopefully, publishers will play nice and turn this functionality on en-masse for their titles. I can't see anything but goodwill coming back from gamers; both in easing the decision on transitioning to an Xbox One without a fear of ditching older game collections, and further, option to continue buying into the franchises they adored from last generation. Early reports are already coming in that the feature, surprise-surprise, works just as advertised with few issues seen so far. I want to see how big blockbusters from 360 do, however, and not just games I don't care too much about. Sony has something which seems to compete nearly directly with Microsoft's backwards compatibility feature, which is its paid PlayStation Now service. But the service comes at a price tag which isn't necessarily expensive, but also not free like Microsoft's solution. PSN Now runs $20/month for month to month subscribers, or you can buy 3-month terms for $45/term. I will give it to Sony that the playlist is considerably larger than what Xbox One backwards compatibility currently offers, but that disparity will close as time goes on. Any way you slice it, no one saw the feature coming at E3 this year, so the announcement truly hit it out of the park for hesitant 360 holdouts like myself. I'll be keeping that 360 game collection after all, thank you. The Xbox One Value Proposition: Gaming + Media Nirvana. Unlike some that see a console as a pure-play device for mere gaming, in the year 2015, a console in the home theater plays a much bigger role. Unless you prefer using a Roku for Netflix, an Apple TV for music, a tablet with HDMI for YouTube, a gaming console for games, and other single-function devices, I'm fully of the mentality that unifying under a single device that can (almost) do it all is a rather neat value proposition. Luckily, Xbox One replaces all of the above single-use devices, except for the cable DVR/TiVO. And as I mentioned above, I would not be shocked if that missing link was added into the Xbox One's arsenal in the near future. $350 for a console that can do what numerous devices previously were needed for in the past? I'm all ears. Microsoft's got some work to do still. Xbox One is a great console that is much more valuable than a PS4 to me personally, but it's not perfect. That Xbox 360 backwards compatibility list needs to grow tenfold. Live TV DVR capability and CableCard support is still sorely lacking. And it's still not clear how much of a win Universal Apps will be for early adopters of the console. But with that said, Xbox One still gets a lot right. A game selection that has the right mix of exclusives, genres, and cross-platform titles for a casual gamer like me. Solid media-center integration that is only on the up and up. And hands down the best gaming network to tie it all together into a seamless experience. It's not too late for Sony to lick Microsoft's chops. Until that happens, I'm darn happy I got an Xbox One. Derrick Wlodarz is an IT Specialist who owns Park Ridge, IL (USA) based technology consulting & service company FireLogic, with over eight+ years of IT experience in the private and public sectors. He holds numerous technical credentials from Microsoft, Google, and CompTIA and specializes in consulting customers on growing hot technologies such as Office 365, Google Apps, cloud-hosted VoIP, among others. Derrick is an active member of CompTIA's Subject Matter Expert Technical Advisory Council that shapes the future of CompTIA exams across the world. You can reach him at derrick at wlodarz dot net. Recent Headlines. CORSAIR launches water-resistant K68 RGB Cherry MX mechanical gaming keyboard. Which Black Mirror technologies would you be willing to actually use? How to install Ubuntu Linux on a Chromebook: An official Canonical tutorial. Has your Gmail icon turned blue? Here's why, and how to change it back (if you want to) Why blockchain is the real star of the cryptocurrency boom. Apricorn Aegis Bio 3.0: A simple, but super-secure biometric drive [Review] White House refutes claims it wants to build its own 5G network. Most Commented Stories. Microsoft announces additional improvements to Windows 10 privacy. YouTube to stream President Donald Trump's 2018 State of the Union. Security warning: Lenovo Fingerprint Manager Pro has a hardcoded password backdoor. Intel will release chips free from Meltdown and Spectre bugs this year. iPhone X is a best-selling smartphone. © 1998-2018 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro vs. Xbox One vs. Xbox One S: What's the difference? Here's how the latest Sony and Microsoft game consoles stack up -- in terms of specs, anyhow! Which is bigger, the Xbox One S or the PlayStation 4 Slim? Which has more powerful processors? Should I upgrade or wait? Now that Sony and Microsoft each have three current-generation game consoles headed to market, it's getting a bit confusing. That's why we decided to create a giant spec sheet each of these new systems -- the PS4, PS4 Slim, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Project Scorpio -- all in one place. Update, October 20: We've confirmed the PS4 Pro has a 31% faster CPU, much faster GPU, and includes an extra 1GB of memory which it uses to free up an additional 512MB of the GDDR5 video memory for enhanced graphics, compared to the original PS4. See updated spec sheet. PS4 vs. PS4 vs. PS4 vs. Xbox vs. Xbox vs. Xbox: Fight! Intensive games on PS4 and Xbox One actually display at resolutions as low as 720p HDR support will come to PS4 and PS4 Slim with a September 2016 firmware update PlayStation Now is not yet available in Australia, and costs as much as $20 / £13 monthly Special Edition PS4 and Xbox One bundles come in other colors In a press release, Sony states that PS4 Pro "delivers 1080p resolution for all PS4 games," but the reality is much more complicated (and amazing). Also, the PS4 Pro has an extra 1GB of RAM! 1.31 TFLOP and 1.4 TFLOP are estimates based on 853MHz and 914MHz clockspeeds We've had trouble fact-checking this spec, though it was widely reported. Microsoft's Phil Spencer has stated Scorpio will cost more than Xbox One S. To our knowledge, Microsoft hasn't officially confirmed that Xbox 360 games will work with Scorpio. At the end of the day, each of Sony's consoles will play the same games as one another, and each of Microsoft's consoles will play the same games as one another, even if Sony games and Microsoft games won't necessarily be the same. Your friends on PlayStation Network will travel with you across Sony's consoles, and your Xbox Live friends will travel with you across Microsoft's systems (including Windows PC). Your console accessories should all come along for the ride too. The only real questions are how much you can afford to pay, how much graphical fidelity you need, and if you believe virtual reality is truly the next generation of gaming. Share your voice. Be respectful, keep it clean and stay on topic. We'll remove comments that violate our policy. PS4 Pro vs Xbox One S. This page contains a comparison between the Playstation 4 Pro and the Xbox One S. There are several important differences between the two, as noted in the comparison chart below. Several statistics, such as the CPU, GPU and available RAM have not been disclosed by the manufacturer of both platforms. This information will be update when it is made available. 4K Video / Games. How to Transfer Data and Saves to PlayStation 4 Pro Previous. PS4 Pro Game Upgrades and Differences. © 1996-2018 Ziff Davis, LLC. We have updated our PRIVACY POLICY and encourage you to read it by clicking here. IGN uses cookies and other tracking technologies to customize online advertisements, and for other purposes. IGN supports the Digital Advertising Alliance principles. Learn More. PS4 vs. Xbox One vs. Wii U Comparison Chart. The PS4 vs. Xbox One vs. Wii U Comparison Chart provides an easy visual aid to compare hardware, user interface, media compatibility and other features of the three "next-gen" systems. By popular demand, a Wii U column has been added to the chart for reference. More PS4 vs. Xbox One Comparisons. Hardware Feature Comparison. Confirmed to IGN by a Microsoft representative. Online Feature Comparison Chart. *Based on current Xbox Live Gold requirements. Console Bundle Comparison Chart. This chart compares the physical contents of the launch day bundles of the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Wii U. Other console comparison features are outlined above. A console is not just the sum of its tech specs and features. Games matter too! PS4 vs. Xbox One Native Resolutions and Framerates Previous. Xbox One S vs Xbox One Comparison Chart. © 1996-2018 Ziff Davis, LLC. We have updated our PRIVACY POLICY and encourage you to read it by clicking here. IGN uses cookies and other tracking technologies to customize online advertisements, and for other purposes. IGN supports the Digital Advertising Alliance principles. Learn More. PS4 vs. Xbox One: Which Console Is Right for You? Key Exclusives Uncharted, Bloodborne, Horizon: Zero Dawn Backwards Compatible No 4K Support No Storage Options 500GB, 1TB VR Support Yes (PlayStation VR) Star Wars Battlefront II is a fantastic Star Wars shooter with gorgeous graphics, iconic locales, and fun solo and multiplayer content. Amazon has it for an all-time price low of $33.98. The PS4 Pro will make your favorite games look even better. This system comes with Battlefront II, yet costs the same as standalone console. Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4 are constantly evolving — both consoles have gotten slimmer designs, new features and, naturally, lots of big games since they first launched. The Xbox One has tons of entertainment apps and can play a bunch of Xbox 360 and Xbox games, while the PS4 has continued to double-down on blockbuster exclusives and user-friendliness. There are even spruced-up versions of both systems that offer 4K gaming. More importantly, the Xbox One and PS4 both have tons of great games, and are both available for less than $300. But which console should you choose? We've put the Xbox One and PS4 up against each other in an eight-round brawl to determine which system is strongest. Latest News and Updates (January 2018) The Xbox One now supports Kodi, making Microsoft's console even more of a multimedia powerhouse. Here's what you need to know about the service. Wondering what you'll be playing on your PS4 or Xbox One this year? Check out our most anticipated games of 2018. If you're gaming on a budget, check out our roundups of the best free PS4 games and best free Xbox One games. Game Library. Both PS4 and Xbox One play many of this generation's best titles, from third-party blockbusters such as Fallout 4, Doom and Resident Evil 7, to beloved indies like Shovel Knight, Inside and Rocket League. Still, PS4 is winning the exclusives war by a mile. Between big hits such as Uncharted 4, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Persona 5, the PS4's exclusive offerings include a healthy mix of AAA blockbusters, niche Japanese titles and notable indies. Sony's Horizon: Zero Dawn. That's not to say the Xbox One is devoid of great first party games — titles such as Gears of War 4, Halo 5, Forza Horizon 3 and Sunset Overdrive are all major standouts. Xbox One is the only console you can play the wildly popular shooter PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on, and is the exclusive console home to major indie games such as Tacoma and Cuphead. Most sports games come to both systems, though Sony's MLB: The Show series is exclusive to PlayStation. PS4 has a healthier fighting game lineup (Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator, King of Fighters XIV), though Microsoft's platform is the exclusive home to Killer Instinct. In 2018, PS4 fans can look forward to God of War, Spider-Man and Detroit: Become Human, while Xbox's exclusive lineup will be headlined by Sea of Thieves, Crackdown 3 and State of Decay 2. Winner: PS4. Both systems play tons of great games, but Sony's system has more hit games that you can only play on a console. Backwards Compatibility and Services. You don't necessarily need an Xbox One to play some of Microsoft's biggest first-party games. As part of Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative, you can buy digital versions of games such as ReCore and Forza Motorsport 7 once and play them on Xbox One and on Windows 10. While this is a great value, those who have a decent gaming PC arguably have no reason to buy an Xbox One. Microsoft's Gears of War 4. If you have a massive library of Xbox 360 games, however, the Xbox One might be a better buy for you. More than 400 Xbox 360 games are currently playable on Microsoft's new console, including Mass Effect, Fallout 3 and the entire Gears of War series, and the system even plays a handful of games from the original 2001 Xbox. You can play older games on PS4, but not without paying up. A small selection of digital PS2 classics are available on Sony's new console for about $15 a pop, each scaled up to 1080p with earnable trophies and support for features such as Share Play and Remote Play. The PS4 plays PS3 games via PlayStation Now, which allows you to stream hundreds of last-gen titles (and a few PS4 games) from the cloud for $10 a month or $100 a year. In contrast, Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass grants access to over 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 games that you can download for $10 a month, including such major hits as Metal Gear Solid V and Gears of War 4. Xbox One is also the exclusive home of EA Access, which lets you play an ever-growing library of EA games for $30 a year or $5 a month. Winner: Xbox One. Xbox One plays hundreds of Xbox 360 games, offers cross-play with PC and lets you binge on three generations' worth of games for a good price. The latest iterations of both consoles (the PS4 Slim and Xbox One S) are both impressively sleek, offering attractive designs that look great under a TV and can fit into a backpack without a problem. The newest PS4 has a slight edge in terms of sheer smallness, though it lacks an optical input for high-end gaming headsets. Sony's 4K-ready PS4 Pro has a chunkier, hamburger-like design, while the Xbox One X, which is even more powerful than the Pro, is somehow slimmer than the Xbox One S. Photo: Sam Rutherford / Tom's Guide. Both consoles start with 500GB of storage that you can easily expand by connecting an external hard drive. PS4 owners also have the option of opening up their consoles to swap in a new 2.5-inch or SATA drive. Each controller has its perks — the Xbox One pad has textured grips and can be customized via the Xbox Design Lab, while Sony's DualShock 4 is highly ergonomic and has a touchpad and reactive lightbar. The PS4 controller is the only one that supports micro USB charging right out of the box — Xbox One owners will need to rely on AA batteries or buy a $25 charging kit. Thanks to the $399 PlayStation VR headset, PS4 is the only of the two consoles to currently support virtual reality (it's pretty good at it, too). There's currently no equivalent for Xbox One, though Microsoft's mixed reality headsets are expected to eventually work with the Xbox One family. Winner: PS4. Sony's console is more attractive, packs a more feature-rich controller and currently is the only of the two to support virtual reality. Performance and Graphics. If you're concerned about nuts and bolts, both consoles have an 8-core x86-64 AMD Jaguar processor with 8GB of RAM, an AMD Radeon GPU and a 500GB hard drive . While games generally look and play great on both systems, PS4 has the edge in terms of resolution. For example, according to IGN's database, games such as Batman: Arkham Knight and Shadow of Mordor all run at full 1080p on PS4, while Xbox One gamers have to settle for 900p on those titles. If getting the best possible crispness for most games is a priority, PS4 comes out on top. However, when it comes to the premium versions of both consoles, Xbox has an edge. The $499 Xbox One X plays many titles in native 4K, and has the most powerful overall specs of any console out there. The $399 PS4 Pro technically plays games in 4K, but the experience is oftentimes upscaled rather than true 4K. For a detailed look at how these consoles stack up, check out our Xbox One X vs. PS4 Pro face-off. Folks with HDR-ready TVs should also consider High Dynamic Range support, which allows for richer colors and better brightness. The Xbox One X, Xbox One S, PS4 Pro and standard PS4 all support HDR, though the list of HDR-enabled games varies by console. Winner: PS4. Games look stunning on both systems, but the stock PS4 offers better resolution for many titles. User-Friendliness. The Xbox One's ever-evolving interface is fairly intuitive, with large app icons, a highly customizable home screen, and a guide menu that lets you see friends, track achievements and take screenshots with a quick button tap. Microsoft continues to roll out useful new features, such as the ability to gift games to friends, get instant tech support with Xbox Assist and even avoid those pesky notifications with Do Not Disturb mode. Still, the PS4 menu simply feels better to navigate, and Sony's console is still king in terms of capturing gameplay moments and sharing them with friends. A quick tap of the DualShock 4's Share button lets you record a clip, broadcast your gameplay or take a screenshot. And the PS4-exclusive Share Play feature lets you give control of your game to an online friend for up to 60 minutes, so long as that person has Plus. Both consoles can broadcast gameplay directly to Twitch, though only PS4 can stream to YouTube. PS4 players can share their screenshots and videos to Facebook and Twitter, whereas Xbox owners are limited to the latter network. Xbox One gamers have the option of streaming to Microsoft's Mixer service. Both systems also permit off-TV play, for those times the family is hogging the living room. Sony's Remote Play feature lets you stream PS4 games to a PlayStation Vita handheld, select Xperia devices, or your PC and Mac. Xbox One players, on the other hand, can stream their games to their Windows 10 laptops or tablets. Winner: PS4. The PS4 interface is slightly more user-friendly, and has better options for sharing gameplay with friends. Entertainment. For sheer options, Xbox One is the superior entertainment machine. The system has the unique ability to transmit your cable box's TV signal, allowing you to quickly switch between playing a game and watching a show. The Xbox One S, Xbox One X and PS4 Pro can all stream 4K content, but only Microsoft's consoles can play 4K Blu-rays. The Xbox One is also the only console that features Kodi, a highly popular media server app that lets you access any movies, TV shows, images or songs you have stored on any of your devices around the house. Other than that, both PS4 and Xbox One cover most entertainment essentials, from major apps like Netflix and Hulu to more niche stuff like WWE Network and Crunchyroll. PS4 and Xbox One both offer Spotify, which lets you rock out to tunes in the background of whatever you're playing. Xbox One features a few other notable music services such as SoundCloud and Pandora. Both consoles make it easy to cut cable. PS4 offers Sony's own PlayStation Vue online TV service (starting at $40 a month), which features lots of major cable channels, such as MTV and Nickelodeon; a slick interface; and a nearly limitless DVR. Xbox One owners have access to Sling TV , a similar online TV service that offers top networks such as ESPN and AMC for $20 a month, with add-on packages that bring in the likes of Epix and HBO. Even if you don't have cable or Sling, Xbox One has the ability to receive basic over-the-air live TV, as long as you have a separate antenna and adapter handy. Winner: Xbox One. PS4 has PlayStation Vue, but the Xbox One offers a 4K Blu-ray option and more ways to enjoy TV, with or without a cable subscription. Online Experience. Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold ($60 yearly, $10 monthly) and Sony's PlayStation Plus ($60 yearly, $10 monthly) online services are both required for you to play any game's online multiplayer mode, and both come with their fair share of extra goodies. PlayStation Plus members get two free games per PlayStation console per month, while Microsoft's Games with Gold provides the same service for Xbox gamers. Both programs have given away everything from new indie games to older blockbusters from franchises like Assassin's Creed and Metal Gear Solid. The value of each of these free-game programs largely depends on the hardware you own; PlayStation Plus covers PS4, PS3 and PS Vita, while Games with Gold applies to Xbox One and Xbox 360. Xbox One has a slight edge here, as all Xbox 360 Games with Gold games are backward-compatible. The free games offered by either service will remain in your library for as long as you're subscribed to Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus. Both services offer frequent discounts on digital games, and both provide cloud storage in different capacities. PlayStation Plus provides 10GB of cloud storage, whereas all your Xbox One saves are backed up to the cloud regardless of whether you have Xbox Live Gold. Even more important than free games and cloud storage is online stability, an area in which Xbox Live's reputation is better. The PlayStation Network has suffered some pretty infamous outages, including a few recent ones that occurred after Sony hiked the annual price up to $60. Winner: Xbox Live. Xbox Live is more stable, has better cloud storage, and gives Xbox One players more to play every month. The Xbox One S starts at $279, making it the cheapest option out there right before the $299 PS4 Slim. However, it's worth noting that both consoles go on sale all the time, and you can often find them both for as low as $200. The One S doubles as a 4K Blu-ray player, so you're arguably getting the most tech for your money with that machine. If you want 4K gaming, Sony's PS4 Pro costs $399, while the Xbox One X runs a hefty $499. That's a pretty big price gap, though Microsoft's console offers a richer 4K gaming experience. Winner: Xbox One. The $249 Xbox One S is the cheapest console out there and doubles as a 4K Blu-ray player. Bottom Line. The PS4 is our overall top pick , but only by a hair. While the Xbox One's rich entertainment features, better network stability and backward compatibility are all impressive, the PS4' superior lineup of exclusives and better overall user-friendliness give it a slight edge. Xbox will continue to be the home of Halo, Gears of War and Forza, just as PlayStation will host Uncharted, God of War and Infamous, so your choice might come down to your favorite exclusives. Your decision also might be as simple as which platform your friends are already playing on, because, let's face it — nobody wants to play Destiny 2 alone. Both Xbox One and PS4 have a healthy lineup of stellar games, making anyone who buys either of these consoles the real winner. But overall, the PS4 is our current favorite. See Also : The Best Games of February 2018. Mike Andronico is an associate editor at Tom's Guide. When he's not writing about mobile tech and gaming, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger. Xbox One S vs PS4 Pro: Which console is better? PS4 Pro vs Xbox One S: Which console should you get? PS4 Pro vs Xbox One S: We take a look at Sony and Microsoft’s current flagship consoles and see how the specs, features, games and more compare to see which machine is right for you. As well as comparing the two consoles, we’ll also answer plenty of common questions thrown around: PS4 Pro vs Xbox One S: Console Performance. The difference in performance between PS4 Pro and Xbox One S is pretty major, with the former having significantly higher specs while the latter represents a relatively modest upgrade over its predecessor. Xbox One S is essentially the same machine as the 2013 launch model in terms of internal specs. There are minor differences when it comes to performance, although you’re unlikely to notice any discernible changes. PS4 Pro has received minor CPU improvements that have allowed for better performance in some kinds. Project Cars, for example, sees a 38 percent increase in performance with the PS4 Pro Boost Mode enabled. Unfortunately, visual quality remains unchanged. We’ve compiled all of the specs below: However, the Xbox One S is still the best Xbox One on the market. That is, until the Xbox One X launches in just a few weeks. The PS4 Pro is a different beast when compared to the Xbox One S. Its internal components are a big improvement over the original model, as you can see in the above spec list. The newly implemented Boost Mode also allows players to gain extra benefits such as higher framerates across significantly more games, even those lacking a PS4 Pro-specific patch. PS4 Pro vs Xbox One S – Dimensions. The PS4 Pro is quite a bit wider than the Xbox One S, measuring in at 295 x 327 x 55mm where the One S is 229 x 292 x 63.5mm. It’s also longer, but ever so slightly thinner. PS4 Pro vs Xbox One S – Resolution and HDR gaming. Both the PS4 Pro and Xbox One S support HDR (High Dynamic Range). For more on this colourful new feature you can check out our HDR article. The standard PS4 and PS4 Slim also now supports HDR thanks to a post-launch patch. The core difference here isn’t HDR, but instead resolution: the PS4 Pro has the ability to output games at a resolution higher than Full HD. Since release we have seen certain titles render at a native 4K resolution while others settle for an upscaled alternative. Several developers are aiming for something “close to 4K resolution” with all future projects. Sign up for the newsletter. Get news, competitions and special offers direct to your inbox. Whatever the elevated resolution is then be upscaled to 4K. If you’re playing in Full HD, you’ll end up with smoother anti-aliasing, meaning the divisions between objects on screen will be much smoother than on the regular PS4. Many of the PS4 Pro supported titles use a 4K “checkerboard” rendering technique that subsequently improves textures and specular effects, making for a cleaner, crisper overall image without putting out a native 4K resolution. Developers are also free to take advantage of the additional power of the Pro however they see fit. In the instance of the recent, excellent Nioh, players were given the choice whether to play the game with a higher resolution or framerate with multiple settings, much like PC players enjoy. The Xbox One S only upscales games to 4K with no enhancements aside from HDR, as mentioned above. PS4 Pro vs Xbox One S – Boost Mode vs Ultra HD Blu-Ray. Features-wise, the two are very similar, but there’s one key differentiator that gives the Xbox One S a massive boost, and that’s its Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Incredibly, despite owning the UHD Blu-ray standard, Sony has chosen not to include the technology in its flagship console. 4K streaming is supported on YouTube and Netflix for both consoles, with more services on the way. When it first launched the PS4 Pro was only capable of improving visuals and performance on titles officially patched by developers. However, this all changed with the arrival of Boost Mode, a new feature introduced in the PS4’s 4.50 firmware update. When activated from the settings menu, this feature will improve performance of all PS4 titles, regardless if they’ve been patched or not. Of course, the results are mixed. We’ll discover more about this new feature as it emerges from beta testing in the near future, along with which games best benefit from the rewards of Boost Mode. View now: PS4 Pro at Amazon. PS4 Pro vs Xbox One S – What games can I play on it? Both the PS4 Pro and Xbox One S support all existing games, whether they be physical or digital. Those wishing to upgrade don’t need to worry about re-purchasing their entire library. In terms of games with visual benefits, specific games have been upgraded for both systems to support HDR content, with PS4 Pro being the only one to benefit from higher resolutions at the time of writing. We’ve compiled some specific games for each system below, including some of the things you can expect. Resident Evil 7 – Capcom’s latest survival horror masterpiece benefits hugely from HDR. The virtual reality experience is also enhanced by PS4 Pro with enhanced visuals on PlayStation VR. The Last Guardian – Having launched with support for 4K and 1080p performance modes, Team Ico’s latest effort is a sight to behold. HDR is also supported on the standard PS4. The Last of Us Remastered – Naughty Dog’s modern classic is a great showpiece for HDR. It also supports 4K at 60fps, which is nothing to sniff at. Hitman – HDR support is absent, although both performance and textures are boosted on PS4 Pro. Rise of the Tomb Raider – One of the shining examples of PS4 Pro upgrades. Crystal Dynamics has implemented visual improvements in both 4K and 1080p for Pro owners. Battlefield 1 – The framerate across epic multiplayer battles receives a huge boost thanks to PS4 Pro, helped further by additional terrain detail on each map. Gears of War 4 – Acting as the pioneering example of HDR on Xbox One S, Gears of War 4 was the first of a few select titles to support the feature. Forza Horizon 3 – Heralded as one of 2016’s best racers, Horizon 3 looks even better with a healthy dose of HDR on Xbox One S. Final Fantasy 15 – It turns out HDR is just what Noctis and friends needed, adding an extra helping of colour to the JRPG’s gorgeous open world. ReCore – It may have felt somewhat unfinished and underwhelming, but ReCore was a gorgeous sight to behold at times. The sandy environments are made even better with HDR enabled. We’ll be updating this list as new titles are added, so be sure to check back. PS4 Pro vs Xbox One S – Conclusion. The Xbox One S and PS4 Pro are two very different consoles. It’s clear Microsoft has focused on delivering 4K video content, while Sony has tried its best to produce a more powerful console designed with gaming in mind. The upcoming Boost Mode feature is bound to sway a lot of consumers looking for a genuine difference between the Pro and original PS4. Which of these consoles is best for you can differ depending on your love for fancy visuals, top notch games or 4K video content. If you haven’t found yourself wishing for higher framerates and crisper visuals on your current console than upgrading might not be the right choice, especially if you’re yet to invest in a 4K display. You could also wait for the Xbox One X, which is just a few weeks away from launch, but costs more than both consoles. Which console will you be buying? Let us know in the comments below. Star Wars Battlefront – PS4 vs. Xbox One Graphics Comparison; PS4@900p vs. Xbox@720p Makes Quite a Difference. Star Wars Battlefront is indeed one of the most optimized multi-platform titles of this generation, as well as one of the most visually impressive ones. DICE have manged to deliver a gorgeous representation of the Star Wars universe, courtesy of the hugely competent Frostbite engine and the implementation of photogrammetry and impressive lighting technologies. Providing great performance on a variety of different PC setups, while offering a 60fps experience on consoles. YouTube’s Candyland provided a video comparison between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Star Wars Battlefront, which can be viewed below. Star Wars Battlefront implements photogrammetry and improved lighting to deliver on gorgeous game. Digital Foundry’s analysis, reveals some impressive performance results, with the i7 4790 coupled with the R9 290X, averaging at a more than adequate 80fps at 1080p. The console versions, do an equally good job, given the limitations of their weaker hardware, striving for a 60fps experience, which for the most part, seems to be somewhat attainable. The PlayStation 4 version of the game renders at a native 1600×900 or 900p, which provides a relatively sharp image, which is then upscaled to 1080p. According to Digital Foundry’s performance analysis of the PS4 version of Star Wars Battlefront, the console runs at the equivalent of high quality on PC: The PS4 version runs at the equivalent to the high quality preset on PC – including settings for textures, ambient occlusion, post-processing, meshes, and ‘terrain groundcover’. Star Wars Battlefront will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 19, 2015. We will bring you any new information on Star Wars Battlefront as soon as it becomes available. TechRadar. PS4 vs Xbox One: which is better? The definitive showdown between Xbox One and PS4. Xbox One vs PS4 price difference. PS4 was initially much cheaper than Xbox One But price drops have since leveled the playing field. Four years ago, the PS4 price was the more tempting deal: $399 (£349.99 / AU$549) for the console and DualShock 4 controller. Xbox One was expensive, at $499 (£429 / AU$499) for the system, Xbox One controller and Kinect. But now, after several price drops from both consoles (not to mention now that the Xbox One has dropped its compulsory Kinect peripheral), the two consoles are much more evenly matched. In fact, recent sales have seen the consoles swapping places to be the cheaper of the two. In the US, the 500GB version of the Xbox One S is just about the cheaper of the two at $239 compared to $299, and the 1TB version of the Xbox One S comes in around $279. Meanwhile in the UK, the 500GB version of the Xbox One S is a shade cheaper, while the 1TB versions of the consoles are identically priced. Finally, in Australia the Xbox One S is the cheaper of the two whether you want a 500GB or a 1TB model. With that said, frequent deals mean that the console's prices are always in flux. Keep an eye trained on our Xbox One bundles and PS4 bundle deals pages. In terms of the more powerful PS4 Pro and the Xbox One X, the Xbox One X is more expensive, launching at $499 rather than the PS4 Pro’s $399. What's in the box? Both systems come with a controller, trial offers and an HDMI cable However, only the PS4 comes with a headset. There was more value in the original Xbox One Kinect bundle, accounting for some of the initial price difference, so it's important to dive deeper into what's included and, perhaps more important, what’s not included. At launch, Xbox One came with the console, a controller and the Kinect camera. These systems also had ‘Day One 2013’ emblazoned on the cardboard box and at the center of the controller. That's a nice perk for Xbox loyalists, though not worth the premium they paid. Subsequent Xbox One bundles have included Forza Horizon 3 or FIFA 17 for the same price, while newer, cheaper systems have made Kinect optional to the point of eliminating it completely. All Xbox One boxes contains an HDMI cable and 14-day free trial for Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold online service. There's no USB charging cable, as the Xbox One controller uses batteries out of the box. Inside both the PS4 and PS4 Pro boxes are the consoles and a single DualShock 4 controller. Wires include an HDMI cable (Sony learned its lesson after backlash for not including one with the PS3) and a micro-USB cable for the controller. Don't throw out the box right away. Tucked inside is a 30-day subscription to PlayStation Plus and a wired mono earbud. You'll get much better sound out of a fullsize gaming headset, but it's nice to have a basic one included. Current page: Price. Related news. Tech deals, prizes and latest news. Get the best tech deals, reviews, product advice, competitions, unmissable tech news and more! No spam, we promise. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details without your permission. Online stores are starting to offer deals to tackle inflated graphics card prices. SIM only deals: the best plans in January 2018. Now TV Smart Stick review. Samsung Galaxy S9 release date, price, news and rumors. The best free video editor 2018. 3 reasons why now is a terrible time to buy a new smartphone. Exciting new iOS 12 features reportedly shelved so Apple can focus on reliability. Online stores are starting to offer deals to tackle inflated graphics card prices. Google buys part of HTC's phone business, including Pixel team. Steven Soderbergh's new movie was shot entirely on iPhones. 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