Console Wars—The XBOX One vs. the PS4
Ah, the console wars. I never really got wrapped up in them, but even so the concept seems dumber to me as I get older every year. With the PlayStation 4 hitting store shelves on November 15 and the Xbox One rocketing behind on November 22, the controversy has become too fiery and massive to ignore. Like a massive zit on the face of gaming, console wars are regrettably still a puss-filled and throbbing blight that may never be popped.
And I’m not talking about the people who don’t want an Xbox because of Microsoft’s old draconian policies that they announced when the One was announced. I’m personally not in a hurry to get either of the new consoles myself, but One’s history has put me off of it enough to lean towards the PS4 in this debate. (And the fact that it’s $100 cheaper helps a bit too.) I’m not really interested in watching sports on my game console, and even though they reversed on the always-online requirement and no longer force you to keep your personal HAL 9000 plugged in at all times, I’m just kind of blown away by how stupid it was for them to even think that some of their new policies would have been a good idea.
But that’s reasonable, right? I have a preference, and most people do; that’s normal. When I complain about the bickering, I am of course talking about the loyalists. There are segments of the gamer population who will defend a console as if it were a political party, and purchasing their console is a vote for their candidate. They may very well have their gravestones engraved with phrases like “Xbox 4EVAR” or “PS4 or DIE,” or name their pets “Kinect” or “Eye-Toy.” I’m talking about the ones who will have a stroke during a fight over which console is best, and wake up in the hospital still thinking about which one is best.
Which one is more powerful? It’s hard to tell if you listen to these arguments, as the answer will differ based on who you ask. Want to know which controller is more comfortable? Again, you won’t get the same answer from both parties. To be completely honest, both consoles are more powerful than either the PS3 or Xbox 360, and between the One and the PS4, the difference is debatable. Therefore, you probably won’t notice much difference in the graphical quality of your games if you don’t particularly care which one is more powerful.
It’s all really odd if you ask me. Why gamers feel such fierce loyalty toward the box they plan to set under their TV and play games on is anyone’s guess. I can understand preferring one over the other; as I said I’d pick up the PS4 if I had the coin to buy just one of the two. The difference is that it’s coming down to personal preference, and I do not believe the alternative to be trash nor would I say that I’m really in love with the PS4. People who care to that extent puzzle me. Some people just have to have to take a side on everything, no matter how trivial.
