Five Reasons To Buy Xbox One S Over PS4 Slim

This generation has seen something of a soft reboot three years in, thanks to the launch of the Xbox One S and the PS4 Slim. Microsoft and Sony have both launched cheaper, smaller, more streamlined editions of their respective consoles, each, presumably, to address the issues that existed in the original models. The end result is the Xbox One S and the PS4 Slim, both of which are fairly different beasts than the original Xbox One and the PS4 that launched three years ago.

The Xbox One S especially is a really competent product- as console revisions go, it may even be the best in history. It has transformed the ugly duckling Xbox One into a gorgeous, beautiful swan. It is such an improvement over the original console that even people who already have an Xbox should look into getting one for themselves.

But what about those of you who don’t yet have an Xbox One? Or even a PS4 for that matter? Should the Xbox One still be at the top of your list in that case? It should. In fact, here are five reasons to go with an Xbox One S over a PS4 Slim. Also check back tomorrow for the other way around…Five Reasons To Buy PS4 Slim Over Xbox One S. 

YOU’RE A PC GAMER

"If you’re a PC gamer, then buying an Xbox might be a mighty appealing proposition for you."

Microsoft has done something hugely ambitious- it has created a continuous ecosystem of Xbox and Windows. With Xbox Play Anywhere, all of Microsoft’s games release on Windows 10 and Xbox One, they have Cross Play and sometimes even Cross Save, and all your Achievements, Gamertag, and even Library are shared across both systems. You can stream Xbox games to PC as well, extending the capabilities of both systems. You create one continuous digital identity that works for you across platforms. So if you’re a PC gamer, then buying an Xbox might be a mighty appealing proposition for you- you get to retain the same digital identity and game library, and you get more flexibility with how and where you want to play your games.

MICROSOFT’S FIRST PARTY GAMES

It is indisputable that Sony and Nintendo both have a more extensive first party catalog than Microsoft- but in the last ten years, Microsoft, too, have built up a stable of some pretty strong brands. Forza, Gears, and Halo command strong fan followings, and for many, just playing a new Halo or Forza game is worth the cost of admission of a new Xbox console. And with Microsoft’s first party moving from strength to strength – Forza and Halo are both arguably the best they have ever been, while Microsoft continue to work on expanding their portfolio with games like Quantum Break, ReCore, and Scalebound – now is as good a time as any to jump in.

FREE BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY WITH THE XBOX 360

Do you already own an Xbox 360? Do you have a library of games already built up for it? Then getting an Xbox One over a PS4 might be a no brainer. You see, Microsoft offers Xbox 360 backwards compatibility on the Xbox One, meaning you can play Xbox 360 hits like Fallout 3, Just Cause 2, and Red Dead Redemption on your new console. The games run better on Xbox One than on Xbox 360 in most cases, and they also get the advantage of Xbox One specific features that weren’t available on Xbox 360. And the best part? All of it is free. Unlike on competing systems, you don’t have to pay for the privilege of playing games you already own.

XBOX LIVE REMAINS THE GOLDEN STANDARD OF CONSOLE GAMING SERVICES

"Sony may have made some strides with PSN lately, but Xbox Live remains the golden standard of online gaming on consoles even now."

Sony may have made some strides with PSN lately, but Xbox Live remains the golden standard of online gaming on consoles even now. It’s secure, it’s stable, it rarely suffers outages or even downtime from scheduled maintenances, it’s proofed against hackers, and it’s very feature rich. What’s more, Microsoft continues to evolve the service, offering functionality such as the upcoming Clubs feature, as well as features like Cross Platform Play, and EA Access, both of which the competition lacks at the moment. What’s more, with Xbox Live subscribers getting access to some pretty great games monthly for free, and with PS+ now matching Xbox Live’s $60 annual cost, any final advantages PS+ may have had over Live no longer hold, either. Xbox Live is now indisputably better.

MEDIA FUNCTIONALITY

You buy a console for video games, but it can’t hurt if it does some other things too. On that front, the Xbox One comes out on top with flying colors. Media functionality on the Xbox One is far superior to PS4, with more media apps being available on Xbox Live, and with UWP integration between Xbox and Windows. What’s more, with Xbox One S, Xbox One can now play 4K UHD Blu Ray discs- something that the PS4 and PS4 Slim cannot do. If having a high end media player in your house is something that appeals to you, the Xbox One definitely comes out on top as the better purchase.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.