Gamers will have a tough choice this holiday season, with the highly-anticipated next generation of game consoles, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, set for release in November.
It’s no coincidence that Sony and Microsoft decided to release their competing systems at nearly the same time, and although the consoles are different, they do have similarities. Both are based on PCs, have black-bar camera systems and Blu-ray disc players, and offer cloud gaming, allowing on-demand streaming of games. The two systems use slightly different processors, but both offer gamers the ability to sign into their account based on facial recognition.
Although these consoles are geared toward gaming, they will also offer many additional entertainment features. The Xbox One will allow users to switch from their game to a TV show, to the Web, to a movie, or to Skype, without switching inputs and using just the sound of their voices. Players will also be able to multitask, running games and other apps simultaneously.
The PS4 will have video streaming through Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, Redbox Instant, MLB.TV, and Sony’s own Video Unlimited Service, which offers 150,000 movies and TV shows to rent or own. Other services such as Music Unlimited, Crackle, and Flixster will also be available on the PS4.
But the price tag may be the deciding factor that makes the PlayStation 4 more popular; Sony’s system is expected to retail for $399, while the Xbox One will cost $499.
