An independent study conducted by IHS Markit has confirmed something that most of us knew to be true anyway, confirming our anecdotal observations with empirical data- Xbox Live is a damn sight better than the PlayStation Network.
The study rated PSN and Xbox Live across eight parameters- login to network speed, login to game server speed, finding players and matchmaking, time to upload, login to game server reliability, matchmaking reliability, parties, and voice chat- and in all but two categories (both the matchmaking ones) Xbox Live came out ahead of PSN. Overall, Xbox Live ranked higher than PSN for the “overall experience” category, especially since in the actual multiplayer experience (being able to play a match without interruptions), Xbox Live came out far ahead.
“[With Xbox Live], you’re getting the fastest, most dependable multiplayer experience possible,” Xbox’s head of operations Dave McCarthy said in an Xbox Wire post.
“We recognize it is an ongoing journey that requires considerable investment, feedback, and improvement,” he said. “Managing and maintaining a network is complex and there is an army of individuals who work tirelessly on Xbox Live, because at the heart of it, they are gamers just like you. Our goal is to try and see bumps in the road before they start, or get through them as smoothly as possible. Just know that we have a team who works 24×7 to optimize your gaming experience.
“We’re always looking for ways to make sure your experience is the very best, and this is just a small milestone in the journey to delivering the best possible gaming experience this year and beyond,” McCarthy said. “In fact, right now, we’re working hard to bring new features like Clubs, Looking for Group and Arena on Xbox Live as well as cross-play between Xbox One and Windows 10 PC to make it easier than ever to connect with people who have shared interests over Xbox Live. We look forward to sharing more as these features roll out worldwide.”
I will definitely have to concede that Xbox Live is a far better service than PSN is- this is one area Sony desperately needs to catch up in. Particularly since they are now charging as much a year as Microsoft does.
