Updated Sony PS4 and Microsoft Xbox One do battle with eight-core AMD technology
The launches of Xbox One and PS4 are a few short months away, as both consoles are about to go toe-to-toe this holiday season.
Gamers
are putting their pre-order money down as if it's an expensive bet on
which video game system will deliver the best performance over the next
decade.
Both systems are evenly matched in many respects and should be able to usher in the next generation of gaming that the Wii U hasn't been able to deliver.
With E3 2013 in the books, we can finally get a better perspective as in a PS4 vs Xbox One comparison about their finer differences.
Xbox One DRM out the door
Sony was clearly in command following E3 when Microsoft announced its
strict DRM policy that barred used game sales and required Xbox One
consoles to connect to the internet once every 24 hours.
The backlash was immediate. Gamers made it clear that physical copies of games should be theirs to own and resell as before.
Likewise,
they felt as if offline gaming should be possible, especially if ISPs
or Microsoft's servers go down. It has happened before and will likely
happen again.
That's why Microsoft reverted its policy, sticking
to the Xbox 360 method of handling DRM while also getting rid of
benefits like the ability to share your Xbox One games with other
consoles.
PS4 and Xbox One will function like they did in the PS3
and Xbox 360 era, which is the one area in which gamers are happy to
hear hasn't been "upgraded."
Console design
Both Microsoft and Sony went with very box-like designs for their next-generation consoles.
The
Xbox One literally put the box in Xbox, with a large black rectangular
shape that has been compared to an oversized 80s VCR unit.
The
only thing adoring the front is a slot-loading Blu-ray disc drive, while
almost all of the cable hookups are in the back, including the HDMI
input port for Live TV, something the PS4 doesn't have.
When Sony
finally unveiled what the PS4 looked like at E3, it reminded everyone in
the audience of the PS2 design. The stand - not included - really drove
that point home.
PS4 is smaller in size compared to the Xbox One and a little bit sleeker thanks to its angular shape and two-halves design.
The
Xbox One and PS4 console designs aren't game changers, especially
compared to the more dynamic-looking previous generation of consoles.
But as a teacher may have once told you, beauty is on the inside.
The price
While Microsoft amended its always-online policy,
the company has yet to backtrack on its other controversial E3-timed
announcement: the higher Xbox One price.
Xbox One will cost $499
in the U.S., £429 in the U.K. and $599 in Australia, a premium because
it comes with the 1080p Kinect camera out of the box.
The PS4 will
cost $399 in the U.S., £349 in the U.K., €399 in Europe and $549 in
Australia sans the PS4 camera, previously known as the PlayStation 4
Eye.
Separately, the PS4 camera will cost $59 in the U.S., £54 in
the U.K., and $99 in Australia, so PlayStation 4 is still cheaper even
when the console and camera are combined.
With wallets tighter than ever, Sony may have a distinct advantage this holiday season.
Release date
The Xbox One and PS4 release dates remain a
mystery - both companies seem skittish about announcing the exact dates
for their respective launches.
As it stands, Xbox One is scheduled
to release in November, so gamers throughout the U.S. and Europe should
expect to see the system on store shelves within that 30-day window.
Sony hasn't announced a PS4 release date beyond "holiday 2013," but its console is still likely to come out in November.
November been the preferred month for the last six console launches, and Xbox One would bring that number to seven.
Agreeing on an AMD CPU
As much as the two warring systems are different, the heart of the Xbox One and the PS4 remain very similar.
That's because they're both running x86 octa-core CPUs, and these eight-core processors are built by the same chipmaker, AMD.
The use of AMD in the Xbox One and PS4 is certainly a switch for both companies.
Previously,
Microsoft had used an IBM PowerPC processor, while Sony partnered with
Toshiba and IBM on its own complicated Cell processor that developers
didn't warm up to.
While the Xbox One will run a heavily modified eight-core AMD processor, PS4 will utilize a x86-64 "Jaguar" CPU. PS4, while a no-show at the Sony event, has similar specs
AMD's Graphics Core Next
Both
console makers are also relying on AMD to design their next graphics
processors that will produce the next-generation visuals that
differentiate console games from the emerging smartphone market.
The Xbox One marries its GPU to the CPU in a system-on-a-chip design, according to Wired, with DirectX 11.1 support.
The single 40-nanometer SoC really contrasts with the two dedicated 90-nm chips found in the Xbox 360.
However, it only marginally contrasts with the PS4, which also combines its AMD CPU with the chip maker's GPU.
In the case of PS4, the graphics processor is described as semi-custom AMD Radeon that runs at 1.8 TFLOPS. Developers are really going to appreciate PS4's 8GB GDDR5 RAM
Does Sony really scores 8GB GDDR5 RAM?
One of the most impressive things about the PS4 specs has been its use of 8GB GDDR5 RAM.
Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One to have 8GB RAM as well, but it's DDR3 memory variety.
That
may mean more to game developers in the long run as opposed to gamers
themselves right now, but it's still an interesting choice for the Xbox
One.
Further complicating this memory game is the fact that each console requires a portion of the RAM to run the operating system.
PS4 reserves up to 3.5GB of memory for the OS, leaving developers with 4.5GB, according to documentation. They can sometimes access an extra 1GB of "flexible" memory when it's available, but it's not guaranteed.
Xbox
One's "guaranteed memory" amounts to a slightly higher 5GB for
developers, as the OS takes up 3GB, which probably doesn't make up for
the DDR3 memory usage for most developers.
Which has the better controller?
The
Xbox One controller vs the PS4 DualShock 4 controller is a debate that
won't be won anytime soon, mostly because gamers' already have a
locked-in preference.
The reason for this is that neither Sony nor
Microsoft have radically changed their respective controllers over the
years - they're more like evolutions from 2000 and 2001.
The
DualShock 4 is a little bigger in the next-generation thanks to its
unique front-and-center touchpad. Sony stuck with the dual analog sticks
down in front, but at least have a central divot recess for easier
gripping.
Microsoft also didn't mess with success, only slightly
modifying its controller in the jump to the Xbox One. It's 40 design
innovations are subtle, including the tweaked D-Pad on the bottom-left
of the game pad and extra rumble features.
In testing the two
controllers at E3 2013, Sony's DualShock 4 felt leaps-and-bounds better
than the PS3 DualShock 3 controller, however, it was only catching up to
comfort already provided by the Xbox 360 and now Xbox One gamepads.
Xbox One Kinect vs PS4 Eye
While
Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will appeal to "core" gamers with mature
launch titles, as evidenced by the strictly motion-less E3 lineup from
Microsoft and Sony.
However, behind-the-scenes, the two companies
are charging forward with motion-sensing games thanks to the Xbox One
Kinect and PS4 Camera.
Microsoft designed the 1080p Kinect to
track up to six skeletons for immerse video game effects that the
company says is "human control for a human experience."
Expanding
on that motto, the packed-in Kinect 2.0 will be able to process 2GB of
data per second, analyzing more joints, the slight rotation of a wrist
or shoulder and your heartbeat.
The PlayStation Eye, which will
not come with the PS4 system, features two 1280×800px cameras inside a
similarly shaped camera bar.
In addition to human interaction, the
DualShock 4 controller will come into play with the PS4 camera thanks
to its multi-colored light bar. It will also be compatible with those
PS4 Move motion controllers that have gone unused.
Xbox One Launch Games
More
than the subtle differences in specs, the games that result from those
specs is what will determine which console gamers choose this fall.
Xbox
One launch games include exclusives like Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead Rising
3, Forza Motorsport 5, Killer Instinct, LocoCycle and Kinect Sports
Rivals.
Also on day one is Call of Duty: Ghosts. It's not
exclusive to Xbox One, but the downloadable content (DLC) is going to be
a timed-exclusive (likely a month) for Xbox One gamers.
Further
out, notable Xbox One launch windows games are Titanfall (likely another
timed-exclusive for a year) , Project Spark, and Minecraft: Xbox One
Edition.
PS4 Launch Games
Sony is also stacking its PS4 launch game
lineup with Killzone Shadow Fall, DriveClub, Knack and Diablo 3, all
exclusives releasing on day one.
Joining those games whenever the
PS4 launch date happens to be will be Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed 4:
Black Flag from Ubisoft.
Yes, both of these highly anticipated
games are also releasing on Xbox One , but PS4 (and PS3) gamers are
going to see an extra hour of gameplay for each.
Sony was also showing off PS4 games like inFamous: Second Son, The Witness and The Order 1886 at E3.
Really,
though, everyone is waiting to see what Naughty Dog has in store -
possibly Uncharted 4 - and its stable of other first-party developers
like SCE London Studio and Media Molecule. Indie games like Fez became smash hits in the last generation
Indie games
Here's
another split decision: Sony got out in front by supporting independent
game developers, attracting names like Supergiant Games, Red Barrels
Studio, and Young Horses at the time of its E3 press conference.
At
first, Microsoft maintained that Xbox One games would require be
fronted by a publisher. That changed recently when he company did
another 180, announcing that not only would it allow self-publishing, every console acts as a dev kit.
A free dev kit sounds appealing, especially when PS4 developer kits cost thousands of dollars.
Sony
has the indie developer crowd right now, but such pricey technology for
tomorrow's basement-run teams could decrease the company's indie
following over time.
Other differences
The look of the
console, the feel of the controller and the way the games make you feel
make up the main differences from which consumers will decide.
However,
there are smaller factors potential PS4 and Xbox One buyers should
consider when going to the store this holiday season.
It's a good
idea to converse with friends to know which system they're going to buy.
Since there's no such thing as cross-platform multiplayer, you may be
split up when playing Call of Duty on PS4 when all of your friends own
it for Xbox One.
Both Microsoft and Sony are charging for multiplayer this generation, whereas PS3 gamers got to log into matches scott-free.
However,
only Microsoft is going to lock apps behind its Xbox Live paywall. Sony
has confirmed that streaming video content like Netflix, Hulu Plus and
MLB.TV on PS4 won't require a PlayStation Plus subscription.
Next-generation
console buyers who don't plan on paying the yearly fee and do plan on
using the system for entertainment purposes may want to weigh that into
their final decision.
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