The new console war has begun, with battle lines being drawn between the Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One. While one preaches freedom, a better price and totally awesome used game trading, the other swells with exclusives including AAA titles like Dead Rising 3, Halo and Titanfall (we kid – the former does too). But when it all comes down to it, which console on its own stands taller? And what can you expect when you pick up either the Xbox One or PS4, now and further down the line?
We take a look at exactly what’s in the box for both consoles, along with pointing out the first wave of exclusives and other unique features. So join us, and randomly scream along: “What’s in the box?!”
Xbox One:
Price: US$ 499, Canada$ 499, € 499, and £ 429
Specs: Single-chip custom processor, x86-64 AMD Jaguar, 8 cores, 1.23 TFLOPS, AMD next-generation Radeon based graphics engine, 8 GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB HDD, HDMI in/out port, 802.11n Wireless with Wi-Fi direct, USB 3.0.
First Pack of Exclusive Games: Halo, Forza 5, Dead Rising 3, Project Spark, Titan Fall, Minecraft, Killer Instinct, Below, D4, Crimson Dragon, Quantum Break, Sunset Overdrive, Kinect Sports Rival, Ryse: Son of Rome, Zoo Tycoon, LocoCycle.
Periodic Authentication and DRM: Yes, needs to be connected to the Internet once every 24 hours.
Used Games: Players can give used games to friends who have been on their list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once.
In The Box: Xbox One, Kinect, Wireless Conroller X 1, HDMI cable, exclusive achievement
Kinect: Bundled with console
Cloud service: Azure.
PlayStation 4:
Price: US$ 399, Canada$ 399, € 399, and £ 349
Specs: Single-chip custom processor, x86-64 AMD Jaguar, 8 cores, 1.84 TFLOPS, AMD next-generation Radeon based graphics engine, 8 GB GDDR5 RAM, 500GB HDD, HDMI out port, Digital Out Optical port, BD × 6 CAV, DVD × 8 CAV, Super-Speed USB 3.0 port × 2, Aux port × 1, Ethernet （10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T）×1, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1.
First Pack of Exclusive Games: DriveClub, Killzone Shadow Fall, inFamous Second Son, The Witness (timed exclusive), Knack, Mercenary Kings, Secret Ponchos, Outlast, Primal Carnal Genesis, Blacklight Retribution, PlanetSide 2, DC Universe Online, The Order: 1886, Octodad: Dadliest Catch Crashes, Stumbles, and Flops, GALAK-Z.
Periodic Authentication: None.
Used Games: Will play used games just fine.
DRM: Not on first party games. Third party Publishers will decide whether they want to put DRM in their titles.
In The Box: PS4, DualShock 4 Wireless controller X 1, HDMI cable X 1, USB cable X 1, Mono Headset X 1, AC Power Cord X 1
PS Eye: Will be sold separately.
Cloud service: Gaikai.
Which one will you be picking up later this year? Will it be the Xbox One in November or the PS4 during the Holiday season? Let us know in the comments below.