If you're in the market for a new gaming system and have just joined this console generation, you might be a little lost. At this point, there are three major PlayStation 4 models and four with the Xbox One. Knowing which console version to get is almost as difficult as picking which brand you want to go with. That's where we come in. Here, we break down the differences between the PS4 and Xbox One and help you decide which model of each console is best for you.
At this point, the argument between whether PlayStation or Xbox is better is two decades old. Here, at the end of this console generation, we can look back and assess what the strengths and weaknesses of the PS4 and Xbox One are, but to some extent it comes down to personal preference.
If we go by the number of consoles sold alone, the PS4 wins by more than a 2:1 margin. Sony has consistently offered the PS4 cheaper, and the console has had the most and best exclusives this generation. The choice between these two consoles isn't as simple as all that, though.
This is an entirely subjective question, but the consensus of critics tends to favor the PS4. Sony's console has favorite games such as:
Xbox, on the other hand, has a lack of an exclusive lineup in this generation. Halo has only received one title for the Xbox One, and outside of Gears of War and Forza, there aren't many unique titles for Microsoft's console to get excited about.
Software aside, the PS4 and Xbox One are two very similar machines. The entry-level PS4 outperforms the Xbox One for the most part, but if you look at the company's two pro line consoles, the opposite is true. The Xbox One X is the most powerful console available today and offers true 4K video with several titles. Meanwhile, the PlayStation 4 Pro only offers 2K upscaling to 4K via checkerboard.
Compared to the PS4, the PS4 Pro is a more modest upgrade. On the other hand, the Xbox One is much more powerful than the base Xbox One and includes capabilities like FreeSync support, which Sony doesn't match. Furthermore, Sony inexplicably passed on a 4K Blu-ray player on the PS4 Pro, but the Xbox One X (and Xbox One S) includes one, giving the console some hidden value.
Going into the technical specs, both the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X have AMD Jaguar octa-core processors. However, the Xbox One X is clocked at 2.3GHz, while the PS4 Pro is clocked at 2.1GHz. The Xbox One X has a faster GPU with more processing units than the PS4 Pro, as well as more RAM at 12GB compared to 8GB.
If your main concern when choosing between Sony and Microsoft is which console is the most powerful, then the Xbox One X is the machine for you. Plus, if you're not really interested in any of Sony's exclusive titles, the Xbox One X is a better value than the PS4 Pro.
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