Everyone out there is offering up their own reasons why they’ll be picking up either the PS4 or Xbox One in the near future, but what do we really  know about the differences between these 2 consoles right now?  Oh sure, there are gamers who can’t wait to get their hands on the one exclusive Dead Rising 3 or others who’ve had their minds made up since hearing the price points ($399 for the PS4 and $499 for the latest MS console), and still others are part of a loyal fan based devoted to a singular brand.  Then there’s people like me who can’t forgive Microsoft for 2 “red rings of death” in the past 5 to 6 years, and finally a whole hell of a lot of folks waiting for the stories that time (and friends) will tell.

The point is there doesn’t seem to be much casual discussion when it comes to the nitty gritty of what each system will offer up in terms of pure, objective, absolute POWER.  Of course these days gamers are much more informed (I hope) than in times past where systems were compared on the basis of the imperfect and at times misleading “bit” measurement, but without Atari around to remind us to “DO THE MATH,” sometimes it can be difficult to draw concrete comparisons between 2 amazingly powerful machines.  There’s plenty of other factors to consider besides hard drive sizes and available RAM, such as the strength, and cost, of each company’s online services, what peripherals are or will be offered, and for an increasingly large segment of the gaming community, how well it can interact with existing services and devices.

For official lists of games hitting the launch window, check out 8th Generation News.

Without further delay, lets dig into what’s under the hood of these gaming behemoths.

To humor us here at nerdbacon.com, take a second to answer a quick question, assuming you haven’t already exhaustively studied the differences.  Even if you don’t plan on buying one at launch but do suspect you’ll get one or the other at some point, answer based on which one you’d like to have.  Be honest!  We’re curious to see if and how much the technical details will sway gamers’ preferences.

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PS4 – $399

Release Date

Sony’s PlayStation 4 will hit North American shelves on November 15th, holding off on its Japanese launch for another 3 months (February 22, 2014).

[expand title=”Nerd Note: +2″ swaptitle=”Collapse Note: +2″ trigpos=”below” tag=”h8″]Sony gets a week-long head start plus its lower price point.[/expand]

Exclusive Titles

• Deep Down (after launch window)
• Drive Club
• Infamous: Second Son
• Killzone: Shadow Fall
• Knack
• The Order: 1886 (after launch window)

Power

• 500GB Hard Drive
• 8GB of GDDR5 RAM
  • 4.5GB Memory (unconfirmed)
  • 1GB Flexible Memory (unconfirmed)

[expand title=”Nerd Note: +1″ swaptitle=”Collapse Note: +1″ trigpos=”below” tag=”h8″]PS4’s faster GDDR5 RAM provides a booster over One’s DDR3.[/expand]

The Controller

Sony will introduce its DualShock 4 with a number of noticeable refinements.  Most conspicuous is a center touch pad, and a light near the base designed to interact with the PlayStation Camera (not included with the PS4).  The thumbsticks have also been given an upgrade; they’re now farther apart with indentations on the top and tightened for more precision control.  The surfaces of the trigger buttons are now curved to better simulate the feel of firearm’s actual trigger.

Online Gaming

Sony is finally taking the plunge and will start requiring a paid subscription for online gaming.  To be called PlayStation Plus, its aim is to go head to head with Microsoft offering expanded chat services and a 2,000 friend limit.  Free-to-play games will still be accessible without a PlayStation Plus subscription, and only one subscription per console is required to enjoy the benefits of online gaming.

The PS4 will also be integrated with Twitch, and the console will automatically record the last 15 full minutes of gameplay.  These recordings can then be shared through Twitch and viewed on the Twitch app.  Ustream will also be supported for game streaming, and neither of these will require PlayStation Plus to access or use.

Sony has also purchased a large cloud-based service which it will use to allow players to try games via the PlayStation Store as well play games from the libraries of the PS1, 2, and 3.  Cloud computing will be behind the PS4’s Remote Play, giving players the option to stream PS4 games directly to the PS Vita and allowing another gamer to continue a game started on one’s console via the internet.

PlayStation Plus accounts from the PS3 can be transferred directly to the new console along with any video, audio, or any other media apart from gaming; any downloaded games will not carry over.  Trophies remain unconfirmed for now.

[expand title=”Nerd Note: 0″ swaptitle=”Collapse Note: 0″ trigpos=”below” tag=”h8″]It was bound to happen, but Sony’s decision to charge fees for online gaming will alienate some users. (-1)  Still, it seems those looking for a free experience will have more to occupy themselves on the PS4 than on the One.  With the long awaited gap between console and PS Vita bridged, Sony is poised to delight. (+1)[/expand]

Peripherals

Packed with the new console is an all-new headset.  Some previous PS3 headsets will be rendered compatible with the PS4 following a future system update.  Concurrent with the release Sony will replace the PlayStation Eye with the PlayStation Camera, sold separately for $59.

[expand title=”Nerd Note: -1″ swaptitle=”Collapse Note: -1″ trigpos=”below” tag=”h8″]Some may feel differently, but I see this as a negation of the price point advantage.  Xbox One users will have all the benefits of Kinect 2.0 from the get-go, while PS4 users will have to spend an extra $60.[/expand]

Integration

Streaming services including Netflix and Hulu Plus are available and do not require a Sony PlayStation Plus subscription.  Sony has also announced its plans to release exclusive, original programming catered to gamers.

[expand title=”Nerd Note: +1″ swaptitle=”Collapse Note: +1″ trigpos=”below” tag=”h8″]One may ultimately prove to be the more all-inclusive machine, but for now, Sony gets the nod for not requiring a paid subscription.[/expand][/ezcol_1half]

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Xbox One – $499

Release Date

The Xbox One makes its North American debut on November 22nd.

Exclusive Titles

• Dead Rising 3
• Forza Motorsport 5
• Halo 5 (after launch window)
• Project Spark (after launch window)
• Titanfall (after launch window)

[expand title=”Nerd Note: +1″ swaptitle=”Collapse Note: +1″ trigpos=”below” tag=”h8″]Many gamers feel that the Xbox One offers up slightly superior exclusives.[/expand]

Power

• 500GB Hard Drive
• 8GB of DDR3 RAM
  • 3GB reserved for instant switching between games and apps
• 32MB of eSRAM

The Controller

Microsoft’s new controller will still use 2 AA batteries for power and make slight improvements on the previous 360 controller.  New motors have been added that provide vibration in the triggers themselves.  The thumbsticks have been tightened and the D-pad “redesigned.”

[expand title=”Nerd Note: -1″ swaptitle=”Collapse Note: -1″ trigpos=”below” tag=”h8″]Although gamers have long lauded the 360’s controller design, the lack of any touch-based features or screens may leave the One lagging behind in the 8th gen.[/expand]

Online Gaming

The Xbox Live Gold Family Pack is being discontinued, however one Xbox Live account is sufficient for anyone using the system.  Microsoft at first claimed the Xbox One would require an internet connection to use though this has sense been retracted.  A friend limit of 1,000 has been set and the matchmaking feature has been greatly improved and will better utilize its data regarding player behavior.

Streaming is available through Twitch which will allow players to both stream their games or watch those of other users.  The Xbox One will record the last 5 full minutes of gameplay, though an Xbox Live Gold account will be necessary to access either of these services.

The Xbox One will use cloud services from Azure, which will allow developers to run additional computing processes to improve in-game physics and computer AI among other things.

Achievement, Gamerscore, and non-gaming media from the 360 will be fully transferable.  Physical and digital 360 will not be backwards compatible.

[expand title=”Nerd Note: -1″ swaptitle=”Collapse Note: -1″ trigpos=”below” tag=”h8″]With Sony attempting to seriously rival Microsoft when it comes to online gaming, it looks like Microsoft will be offering less features…and charging more money for it.[/expand]

Peripherals

Microsoft’s Xbox One will be bundled with a headset and Kinect 2.0.  While the system will function without the device turned on, it is being included nonetheless.  Previous headsets for the 360 are not compatible, though the company has stated its plans to produce an adapter.

Integration

Netflix, Hulu Plus, and other streaming services will be available but require an Xbox Live Gold account.  However, the console will include an HDMI input port that users can plug their cable television boxes directly into.

Extras

Microsoft has reversed their decision regarding the inability to play used games or share games across different consoles, although users will be unable to share digital games with friends.

The ID@Xbox service will give independent developers the chance to create games for the console and offer them for sale in the online store.

[expand title=”Nerd Note: +1″ swaptitle=”Collapse Note: +1″ trigpos=”below” tag=”h8″]Sony has established plenty of relationships with independent developers over the years, but now it looks like Microsoft will begin their aggressive pursuit as well.  The quality of these yet-to-be products remain to be seen, but for now it seems like a great way to attract budding talent.[/expand]

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I’m going to have to hand the edge over to the PS4 with a final of tally of 3 to 0, but that’s just my opinion.  What do you think now?

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We’ll be keeping our eyes open to see what happens in the next few weeks as gamers work their way through these consoles.  There’s still a lot we don’t know; what about bugs?  hardware failure?  connectivity and networking issues?  Stay tuned as we look forward to covering the weeks following launch!

Written by The Cubist