The Great Gamers' Debate
If you’re serious about gaming, there are two major consoles to consider buying. One one side, we have the PlayStation 4 from Sony, and on the other side, we have the Xbox One from Microsoft.
Which console is the best option? Which console has the best games and which one provides the best experience for players?
In this guide, we’ll compare the differences between the Xbox One and the PS4. We’ll look at the performance difference, the selection of exclusive titles on each platform, the availability of exclusive loyalty offers, and the price range, among other things. Once you’ve finished reading this article, you should have a solid idea about which console is best for you.
Performance Differences
When it comes to comparing the performance difference between the base models for the Xbox One and the PS4 Pro, it’s clear that there is very little difference. While there may be slight differences here and there between different games, for the most part, the experience will be similar across the board.
You can expect to see similar frame rates and texture quality on cross-platform games when comparing the Xbox One and PS4. It’s a different story when you compare the Xbox One X and the PS4 Pro, but we’ll touch on that later.
Offers for Loyal Customers
When you buy a console, you’re not just buying a single product these days. Instead, you’re buying into a service that you may end up using for years.
For this reason, it’s important to consider the different loyal customer offers available on both platforms. Both the PS4 and the Xbox One offer recurring offers for their customers. In summary, we think the Xbox One offering is a little better. We’ll explain why below.
Free Xbox Games with Gold vs Free PS Plus Games
If you pay the monthly subscription to get multiplayer and online access on your console, you’ll be given free games each month as a thank you gift from both Sony and Microsoft.
Each month, a selection of older titles are given out to subscribing customers on both the Xbox One and the PS4. We think the Xbox One offers a better experience here, simply because the selection of Xbox One games is far greater.
The PS Plus subscription offers a range of games on the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita, so many PS4 owners won’t be able to take advantage of some of the free games given out.
Another point goes to Xbox for how they handle free game access. If you stop subscribing on the PS4, you’ll lose your free games. However, if you claim a free game on the Xbox One, you’ll get to keep it forever, even if you stop paying for a subscription.
PS Now vs Xbox Game Pass
If you want to pay a little extra each month, both consoles offer up a subscription service that gives access to digital games. The service that is offered is a little different across both platforms.
With the PS4, the PS Now subscription allows you to remotely stream games to your PS4 or your PC. This subscription typically lets you play older titles, and costs $19.99 a month.
On the Xbox Game Pass, you can download games to your Xbox One directly for just $9.99. The selection of games is far larger than the selection of PS Now games, and you can even get free access to all of the latest exclusive Xbox One titles.
Below, we’ve compared pros and cons for each subscription service.
PS Now
Pros:
- Stream games to PC as well as PS4
- Remote play - no download needed
Cons:
- More expensive than the Xbox Game Pass ($19.99/month)
- Game selection is limited to older titles
- You have to stream games, which means the performance isn’t as great
Xbox Game Pass
Pros:
- Far larger selection of games (Including brand new exclusives like Halo 5 and Sea Of Thieves)
- Cheaper at Just $9.99/month
Cons:
- You must download games to play
- You cannot access Xbox Game Pass on your PC
- Backward Compatibility
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Backward compatibility is better on the Xbox One. Not only can you put in your old Xbox 360 and original Xbox discs into your Xbox One, but you can also download digital copies of older games. Not all games are supported through the backward compatibility program, but hundreds of the most popular titles are.
PS4 doesn’t have a backward compatibility feature. The only way to play older games on your PS4 is to use the PS Now subscription feature.
It’s clear that Xbox One wins this category easily.
Exclusive Titles
So far, the Xbox One has had a winning stance against the PS4, but the winning medal for the exclusive title category has to go to the PS4.
The fact that the PS4 has more exclusive titles than the Xbox One makes it the number one reason why the PS4 outsells the Xbox.
Here’s a look at some the best exclusive PS4 titles:
- Horizon: Zero Dawn
- Uncharted Franchise
- Gran Turismo
- Until Dawn
- Shadow Of The Colossus
- Bloodborne
- The Last Of Us
- Infamous Second Son
- Driveclub
Here’s a look at the notable titles in the Xbox One exclusive title list:
- Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
- Sea Of Thieves
- Forza Motorsport
- Halo
- Gears Of War
- Price
For many, the price point will be the deciding factor over which console to buy. How does the price differentiate between both consoles? First, let’s look at the main entry level model for both consoles: the PS4 Slim and the Xbox One S.
If you want to buy the Xbox One S, you’ll need to pay between $230 and $299 for either a 500GB or 1TB model. All Xbox One S consoles at this price range come with an included controller and one free game.
The PS4 Slim, on the other hand, starts at $299. There is no 500GB version actively in circulation at this point. If you want the higher end model, you’ll need to fork out $499. Finding stock can be quite difficult at the moment due to such a high demand for the console.
The PS4 Pro can be picked up for just $399 and there is stock readily available, but the difference in performance between both consoles is quite drastic.
The Xbox One X provides better frame rate and a higher resolution (true 4K). Plus you can easily customize your Xbox One!
Which console interests you the most after reading through our comparison? Let us know!