PS4 was unleashed by Sony Computer Entertainment – division of Sony Corporation (SNE) at the E3 earlier today. If tech giant Microsoft Corp (MSFT) thought that their revolutionary Xbox One was going to beat every other console on the planet and re-instate them as the world’s favorite video game console makers then they were in for a big surprise.
Everybody at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was left gasping when the incredibly cool PlayStation 4 was unveiled to the world. And no, it wasn’t just the sheer power of its specs which left everyone stunned. It wasn’t even the amazing range of games that the PS4 will offer in the upcoming future. Instead it was the first thing a consumer notices about a great product, or any product for that matter – the price.
The difference between the price of the two most hyped game consoles of all times is a staggering $100. The Xbox One will be out in November and will cost $499 in the US and £429 in the UK. On the other hand the PS4 whenever it does release will be available at only $399 in the US and £349 in the UK. And that is where the PS4 stole the show from Microsoft’s ‘complete home entertainment package‘.
The PS4 is no Xbox One when it comes to revolutionizing the television industry and it doesn’t even promise you the amazing Kinect like technology or voice control mechanism to blow your minds. But what it does do is what it was built to do, and it does that better than any other game console before it, including the Xbox One – being the best GAME CONSOLE ever. Period.
And here’s why –
- Even though both boast of custom AMD chips and eight-core CPUs with 8GB of RAM. But the PS4 runs on a GDDR5 instead of Microsoft’s DDR3.
- The PS4 will not impose any restrictions for playing second hand purchases, lending games, neither will they need an always-on internet connection. All these have become a bone of contention for the Xbox One fans.
- The PS4’s open support to the indie game developers has come as a huge relief for everyone concerned. It has certainly sent a signal that Sony is more open to accepting great games not just from established publishing houses but also from small scale indie developers who have some amazing titles to offer to the loyal PS4 fanboys. Among them, island puzzler’s The witness is certainly one to watch out for.
- While there are 140 confirmed titles in development for the PS4, 30 of them will be exclusive to it. Though the Xbox One will surely hold an edge here, the titles coming for the PS4 are among some of the very best graphically rendered games ever. Most notable among them are going to be The Order 1886, Killzone Shadowfall, inFamous Second Son, and the latest title in the legendary Final Fantasy franchise.
While Sony might have taken the bull by the horn having put the ‘pricing on the cake’ with the PS4 announcement, Microsoft are certainly not one to be intimidated. They are making a case for their higher price, by emphasizing on the fact that the amazing Kinect sensors come bundled with the Xbox One, while people looking to get similar (though less effective) sensors for the PS4 will have to buy them additionally.
As a forever Final Fantasy and PlayStation fan, I do believe the PS4 is going to outsell the Xbox One initially. But what Microsoft are trying to do here is an attempt at creating a new niche market. Theirs is a product where you can watch a movie while Skyping with your granny and unleashing your wrath in a game of your choice, all at the same time.
Sony had probably realized they needed to get a head start in this race, because if the Xbox One succeeds like its makers believe it will, then there might not be a market for game consoles of any other kind in the not so distant future.
