I want to get a console but I'm honestly confused

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onetwenty8k

2[H]4U
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
Messages
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Seems to me that there's no consensus and the fanboyism makes it very difficult to differentiate good from bad opinions. My main concern is reliability. From what I've read, it seems the Xbox One has the edge in this category due to the adequate fans and internal space. Warranty is the same for both.

Planned/current games I think goes to PS for me as I want to play The Last of Us (and future games from that studio), gran turismo, MLB The Show. On the other hand, Halo is awesome (I do have an original Xbox currently) and Forza looks satisfactory. Edge probably goes to PS, but apparently there not a lot of titles available currently? E3 is soon, so...

Which is better as a media center? About equal?

The PS4 hard drive can be replaced with a 1TB Hybrid drive, and the Xbox is getting external support so I consider those equal. How is the gameplay on both consoles? Are there frame dips like a PC? It does seem to me now that consoles are really just computers. Perhaps they always were computers and before I was just naive.

Any comments? Suggestions for unbiased reading? Thanks!
 
You buy a console for one and only 1 thing the exclusive games. In your case it means PS4, that's the no bias answer. Any other job can be done as well or better on your PC.

Are there frame dips? Of course they are both mid powered PCs trying to run modern games. The PS4 is more powerful though so maybe you have a few less dips. But then again they probably turned up some graphics to use that power putting you back to having dips. Basically if you care about this you don't buy a console.

Reliability, once again totally out of your control. You want a more reliable console you wont know for a year or 2 which one is better or worse, And the best thing you can do is just make sure you keep it cool. So don't smash it in a small space and it will probably be reliable regardless of which you choose.

If you aren't sure, then just wait. When a game comes out you must have then buy at that time.
 
If you want to play the last of us and halo, then you're stuck getting both on way or another. You could always get one or the other now and then get the other later. For me I have both because there will be games on both platforms I'll eventually want to play. For me I lean a little more towards the xbox because I like halo and I find the controller way more comfortable.

Having both consoles my personal preference is Xbox over PS4. For me the sony exclusives at the moment don't thrill me. Uncharted and the Last of Us were only real exclusives I enjoyed the last generation.

The PS4 is more powerful then the Xbox one, but thats not to say the experience is all that much better. I got Metal Gear Solid on both consoles and found that xbox one version to be just as fun, I didn't find the experience degraded personally.

Also you have to take into consideration friends, if you do any multiplayer with friends then you're better off getting the system they all use.

I would say if you're only going to pick one console and the exclusives didn't make difference, then I would probably say the PS4 would be best option from a hardware perspective. But there is plenty of enjoyment to be had on both consoles.
 
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both consoles are pretty poor as networked media streamers. They have slightly improved after a couple of firmware patches. But both Sony and MS seem happy to restrict full DLNA function, in favor of hopefully enticing you to buy from their digital stores/subscription services. While this arguably should not be a big deal when looking to purchase a game console: it appears we will not be eating DLNA cake this generation. The PS3 is still pretty great for that, however.

The PS4 has a much better videocard in it. It's a difference that the Xbone will never be able to make up, in the same multiplatform games. But , graphics are not everything. What will make or break Xbone long term, is the exclusive content MS pays to have. So far, Sony is looking stronger in that area, too. But E3 will truly reveal the roadmap.

In the mean time, if you want to see pretty solid numbers and visual examples on the graphical and framerate differences between Xbone and PS4 in the same games, checkout Eurogamer's "Digital Foundry" articles:

http://www.eurogamer.net/?topic=digital_foundry
 
Wait till E3.

When it comes to reliability, it is far too early to tell. There are numerous other factors than just cooling when it comes to hardware malfunction/failure. We won't know much about reliability for another year or two.

Hardware wise, the PS4 takes the cake and is demonstrated in countless multiplatforms. With the PS4 you'll get higher resolution, frame rate, and/or additional graphical features. They're both comparable media devices, if you want to hook up to your cable box to the Xbox One then there is that. The PS4 also has an upgradable internal drive that allows you to install a SSD for further performance gains down the road. Tests have claimed that doing so reduces load times, install times and improves texture streaming.

Game library is entirely opinion based and so is the controller. For me the best controller is still the Xbox 360 controller followed by the Dualshock 4 (PS4), Xbox One, and lastly the Dualshock 3 (PS3). I think they made the sticks too loose on the Xbox One, just like they were on the Dualshock 3.

But as I said, wait till E3 and what each company will announce.
 
onetwenty8k said:
Seems to me that there's no consensus and the fanboyism makes it very difficult to differentiate good from bad opinions. My main concern is reliability. From what I've read, it seems the Xbox One has the edge in this category due to the adequate fans and internal space. Warranty is the same for both.

Planned/current games I think goes to PS for me as I want to play The Last of Us (and future games from that studio), gran turismo, MLB The Show. On the other hand, Halo is awesome (I do have an original Xbox currently) and Forza looks satisfactory. Edge probably goes to PS, but apparently there not a lot of titles available currently? E3 is soon, so...

Which is better as a media center? About equal?

The PS4 hard drive can be replaced with a 1TB Hybrid drive, and the Xbox is getting external support so I consider those equal. How is the gameplay on both consoles? Are there frame dips like a PC? It does seem to me now that consoles are really just computers. Perhaps they always were computers and before I was just naive.

Any comments? Suggestions for unbiased reading? Thanks!
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Are you used to gaming on a high end PC? If so, look up frame rates and resolution comparisons on the consoles... PS4 wins that hands down.

If you aren't used to gaming on high end PC gear, either console would suffice.
 
Op
Just do your research see what you like and make your choice. Nobody here can tell you what you will like.

Games are personal preference.

System power if your worried about that buy a pc if you don't have one

Storage for digital well Xbox one wins that by a mile supporting 32.5 TB of external storage and you can use raid 0 enclosures! Vs whatever 2.5 hard drive fits in the ps4 I think right now 1.5 or 2 TB is max.

Media extra if you even care well Xbox has more.

But just see what you want to play can't hurt to wait thru E3
 
I feel overall Sony has done a great job with PS4 and listening to what folks wanted and did the best design they could for this generation, there is quirks such as not being able to use USB devices from launch, apparently neither of them do well with SSD installed (in most things) I don't like the layout of the 360 controller myself, beyond this though it is comfy, however, the ps3 controller is still more or less perfect, not to heavy, I find it comfy for many hours of use, the battery lasts an amazing amount of time etc.

PS4 wins in more metric then XB1 does IMHO. MSFT just has a hard time being who they are instead of trying to be something they are not, you cant be cool by pretending real hard, they haven't learned that over the years it seems, the fanbase makes you popular, and if you turn on them, they are really hard to win back.

personally I would wait on them both, maybe they will up their feature set and make either of them that more appetizing, that and ps4 will be price dropping shortly seeing as they are apparently making profit on them now and are in the works of doing a revision to reduce power use idle/load while upping the performance even more along with some extra features they didn't give it on launch.
 
I would wait for a first revision and price drop. Buy based on games not system.
 
Seems like the consensus here is to wait, I was definitely leaning towards this yesterday. While a price drop at E3 is unlikely due to the current strong sales, console roadmaps are likely to be revealed there. My current leaning is towards the PS4 due to the games.

I appreciate the responses gentlemen, thank you.
 
Find a cheap ps3. I still have my original one and love it to death. Ok multimedia center .
 
The only reliability issues I know of are the PS4 had someone admit to sabotaging units during manufacturing, and the One had a Blu-ray clicking drive issue. Far as I'm aware, both issues have been resolved.
 
450 said:
I'd get a Roku/AppleTV and WiiU.
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This is my currently setup, +Xbox 360 for some legacy stuff (and PC gaming). Hasn't let me down yet, the WiiU is a fucking awesome console IMO, compliments my gaming well because the software is so different.

Looking forward, I will get a PS4 or XB1 probably next year. My purchase will not be decided by hardware specs that equate to 762p vs 900p. My purchase will be 100% about the games on the platforms and nothing else. Right now, entirely too early to call.
 
Look at the available titles. Then take a look at the upcoming titles.. E3.

Choose based on the games you want to play... everything else is hot air.
 
How about wait until there are games you actually want to play? Like wait until you can actually purchase the games. I still see no reason to buy either "new" consoles due to no compelling exclusive games.
 
This close to E3 you should wait. Always go with where your friends play and what exclusive games fit your style.

Most everyone has covered everything, if you want the definitive versions of third party titles get a PS4. If you want a media box (ATM) get an Xbox One. Sony will eventually bring DLNA support but god knows when, not that Microsoft has support either but they do have pass through HDMI and cable viewing.

I definitely would not worry about quality control issues at this point. Hard Drive support is a tie with trade offs each way. You can have an external hanging off the front of your One or a small 2.5 in the PS4 (maxed ATM at 2TB with certain hard drives). I say a tie because I don't like things hanging off my console. I despised the PS Move camera for this very reason. Through out its life you'll see larger capacity SSD drives (and spindle drives for that matter) come out to upgrade to. I almost wish they went with 3.5 drives in the PlayStation 4 though. Saves on weight and better supports SSDs I suppose but still.

Bottom line is wait till E3 it's too close not to.
 
Unless there are must have exclusives you want to play on X1 get a PS4. There are some great exclusives and all the cross platform games are better on PS4.
 
next-Jin said:
This close to E3 you should wait. Always go with where your friends play and what exclusive games fit your style.

Most everyone has covered everything, if you want the definitive versions of third party titles get a PS4. If you want a media box (ATM) get an Xbox One. Sony will eventually bring DLNA support but god knows when, not that Microsoft has support either but they do have pass through HDMI and cable viewing.

I definitely would not worry about quality control issues at this point. Hard Drive support is a tie with trade offs each way. You can have an external hanging off the front of your One or a small 2.5 in the PS4 (maxed ATM at 2TB with certain hard drives). I say a tie because I don't like things hanging off my console. I despised the PS Move camera for this very reason. Through out its life you'll see larger capacity SSD drives (and spindle drives for that matter) come out to upgrade to. I almost wish they went with 3.5 drives in the PlayStation 4 though. Saves on weight and better supports SSDs I suppose but still.

Bottom line is wait till E3 it's too close not to.
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Your not the only one who has said this but the external storage isn't hanging off anything since Xbox one has USB 3.0 ports IN THE BACK!

749234BD-845A-4D3D-BE18-690BE7E60616.jpg


C185BE82-106A-4FDD-837F-A777F431DE50.jpg


At 4TB each I'll deal with it not being all dainty and limited to 2.5
 
next-Jin said:
This close to E3 you should wait. Always go with where your friends play and what exclusive games fit your style.

Most everyone has covered everything, if you want the definitive versions of third party titles get a PS4. If you want a media box (ATM) get an Xbox One. Sony will eventually bring DLNA support but god knows when, not that Microsoft has support either but they do have pass through HDMI and cable viewing.

I definitely would not worry about quality control issues at this point. Hard Drive support is a tie with trade offs each way. You can have an external hanging off the front of your One or a small 2.5 in the PS4 (maxed ATM at 2TB with certain hard drives). I say a tie because I don't like things hanging off my console. I despised the PS Move camera for this very reason. Through out its life you'll see larger capacity SSD drives (and spindle drives for that matter) come out to upgrade to. I almost wish they went with 3.5 drives in the PlayStation 4 though. Saves on weight and better supports SSDs I suppose but still.

Bottom line is wait till E3 it's too close not to.
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Well, except that NOTHING is hanging off the front. You plug into the back and can hide the drive if you want. Also, you forgot to mention the 32.5TB maximum capacity support with up to 2 drives hooked up. (Such as a USB3 raid box.)

You must hate having to plug the power in as well as the HDMI, right? :D
 
Lol I worded that poorly yes they are on the back, I have Ikea furniture so mine is already hanging off the front a bit as it is. I need to invest in an HDMI cable that is angled or something.

I'd just prefer not to have an external box hiding somewhere. It's a pain in the ass just managing my HTPC up under my center shelf. I have to lift it up, pull it over and then do servicing. That's where the external would have to go in my case.

Damn kids destroys everything.
 
ManofGod said:
Well, except that NOTHING is hanging off the front. You plug into the back and can hide the drive if you want. Also, you forgot to mention the 32.5TB maximum capacity support with up to 2 drives hooked up. (Such as a USB3 raid box.)

You must hate having to plug the power in as well as the HDMI, right? :D
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In regards to 32TB capacity, they should have allowed a cable DVR function. That's the only reason I don't have cable hooked up to mine. If they did that and supported DLNA I could have moved my HTPC into he basement to be a file server.
 
next-Jin said:
Lol I worded that poorly yes they are on the back, I have Ikea furniture so mine is already hanging off the front a bit as it is. I need to invest in an HDMI cable that is angled or something.

I'd just prefer not to have an external box hiding somewhere. It's a pain in the ass just managing my HTPC up under my center shelf. I have to lift it up, pull it over and then do servicing. That's where the external would have to go in my case.

Damn kids destroys everything.
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If the Xbox one hangs off you'd be screwed with a ps4 its deeper than Xbox one
 
For me it is pretty simple -- Naughty Dog is a Sony exclusive developer, and they made the games that I enjoyed the most last generation on console. I'll be getting a PS4 when The Last of Us is re-released.
 
Looking 1-3 years down the road, how many titles/franchises do you expect to stay exclusive? Neither MS nor Sony have any particular franchise to lean on that is theirs and theirs only.

The previous generation was completely different than the current. While they have their own codesets, the PS4 and Xbone are essentially the same hardware (Xbone weaker). If you were a company, the paycheck from Sony/MS would have to be pretty damn huge to justify alienating ~50% of your potential sales. Porting a from one system to another doesn't require a complete rewrite/hackjob like last gen, its something that is "easily" done. Probably (i don't know TBH) only a 5% overall budget increase versus exclusive.

I'd wait till E3, but I'd nod towards PS4.
 
lilbabycat said:
Looking 1-3 years down the road, how many titles/franchises do you expect to stay exclusive? Neither MS nor Sony have any particular franchise to lean on that is theirs and theirs only.
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Sony does. They have their own internal games studios and a few first party studios. Microsoft on the other hand, has no actual games development studios anymore and they don't really have first parties, either. They are more like second party, as most MS exclusives are money deals which have proven to not be lasting. Sony's first parties have been Sony's first parties, for two and three generations.
 
lilbabycat said:
Looking 1-3 years down the road, how many titles/franchises do you expect to stay exclusive? Neither MS nor Sony have any particular franchise to lean on that is theirs and theirs only.

The previous generation was completely different than the current. While they have their own codesets, the PS4 and Xbone are essentially the same hardware (Xbone weaker). If you were a company, the paycheck from Sony/MS would have to be pretty damn huge to justify alienating ~50% of your potential sales. Porting a from one system to another doesn't require a complete rewrite/hackjob like last gen, its something that is "easily" done. Probably (i don't know TBH) only a 5% overall budget increase versus exclusive.

I'd wait till E3, but I'd nod towards PS4.
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Sony has their World Wide Studios

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCE_Worldwide_Studios

Microsoft has their own studios

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Studios

Granted some of those are mobile & Kinect studios but still.
 
The xbone is a big ugly box that is slower than the ps4 for more or the same price.

And yes the ps4 is better at playing video and sound thanks to sonys codec and bluray player teams the xbone and xbox 360 have horrible video playing bluray or DVDs web video is even worse.


the ps4 is also better built.


it would be stupid as hell to buy an xbone you get a weaker console for the same price or more money.; it would be like going out and buying weaker ass PC for the same price as the more powerful gpu equipped one.

also most of the xbone exclusives are horrible and only timed unless they are published by micosoft they will show up on pc or ps4


and this is coming from a dude who bought most of his console games on the 1st xbox or xbox 360. because xbox used to be the most powerful console around suring the ps2 or gamecube days or had better ports of games on the xbox 360 that is no longer the case it is now the ps4.


I am still baffled to this day how microsoft screwd up the xbone and its hardware so bad it will be the last console I will buy and I am only going to buy one when they sell it for much less than the ps4 at least $50 to $100
 
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Cube said:
The xbone is a big ugly box that is slower than the ps4 for more or the same price.

And yes the ps4 is better at playing video and sound thanks to sonys codec and bluray player teams the xbone and xbox 360 have horrible video playing bluray or DVDs web video is even worse.


the ps4 is also better built.


it would be stupid as hell to buy an xbone you get a weaker console for the same price or more money.; it would be like going out and buying weaker ass PC for the same price as the more powerful gpu equipped one.

also most of the xbone exclusives are horrible and only timed unless they are published by micosoft they will show up on pc or ps4


and this is coming from a dude who bought most of his console games on the 1st xbox or xbox 360. because xbox used to be the most powerful console around suring the ps2 or gamecube days or had better ports of games on the xbox 360 that is no longer the case it is now the ps4.


I am still baffled to this day how microsoft screwd up the xbone and its hardware so bad it will be the last console I will buy and I am only going to buy one when they sell it for much less than the ps4 at least $50 to $100
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I can agree the PS4 gpu is more powerful then what is in the xbox one. But to say the PS4 is better built is highly subjective. In many cases one could argue that the xbox one is better built. In terms of sound the xbox one is alot quieter then the PS4. I think the Xbox one controller is better then the PS4 controller, but I wouldn't say one is built better then the other. To say the xbox ones exclusives are horrible is your opinion. There are many people out there that would rather play halo over god of war and vice versa.

I have both and I know the PS4 is more powerful, but I play my xbox one way more then my PS4. Hell I've played my Wii U more then my PS4, there no question the PS4 is more powerful then that.
 
qbanb8582 said:
I can agree the PS4 gpu is more powerful then what is in the xbox one. But to say the PS4 is better built is highly subjective. In many cases one could argue that the xbox one is better built. In terms of sound the xbox one is alot quieter then the PS4. I think the Xbox one controller is better then the PS4 controller, but I wouldn't say one is built better then the other. To say the xbox ones exclusives are horrible is your opinion. There are many people out there that would rather play halo over god of war and vice versa.

I have both and I know the PS4 is more powerful, but I play my xbox one way more then my PS4. Hell I've played my Wii U more then my PS4, there no question the PS4 is more powerful then that.
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This. Ps4 is more powerful hands down but it just doesn't get played as much as either the Wii U or the X1. Of the 3 I prefer the X1 over the others.
 
qbanb8582 said:
I can agree the PS4 gpu is more powerful then what is in the xbox one. But to say the PS4 is better built is highly subjective. In many cases one could argue that the xbox one is better built. In terms of sound the xbox one is alot quieter then the PS4. I think the Xbox one controller is better then the PS4 controller, but I wouldn't say one is built better then the other. To say the xbox ones exclusives are horrible is your opinion. There are many people out there that would rather play halo over god of war and vice versa.

I have both and I know the PS4 is more powerful, but I play my xbox one way more then my PS4. Hell I've played my Wii U more then my PS4, there no question the PS4 is more powerful then that.
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To be honest my controller break down is

360>PS4(damn near tie)>Wii pro>Xbone>PS3

For whatever reason I dislike the Xbone controller. It almost feels like a slightly larger dreamcast controller or Saturn Njghts controller the way the hand grips are angled. The thumb sticks are high and the shoulder buttons are annoying as hell.

The 360 controller overall is the most comfortable controller I have ever owned and I have went through 4 of them over the course of years with 360 and PC gaming.

The PS3 controller was good back in the PSone days when it was introduced but goddamn did they need a proper update.
 
next-Jin said:
To be honest my controller break down is

360>PS4(damn near tie)>Wii pro>Xbone>PS3

For whatever reason I dislike the Xbone controller. It almost feels like a slightly larger dreamcast controller or Saturn Njghts controller the way the hand grips are angled. The thumb sticks are high and the shoulder buttons are annoying as hell.

The 360 controller overall is the most comfortable controller I have ever owned and I have went through 4 of them over the course of years with 360 and PC gaming.

The PS3 controller was good back in the PSone days when it was introduced but goddamn did they need a proper update.
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I loved the Xbox 360 controller, and it was an adjustment to get used to the xbox one controller. The triggers and shoulder buttons on the xbox one I didn't like at first. But slowly I'm started come around. I think the analog sticks on the xbox one are better.

I don't mind the DS4 controller, but I completely loathed the DS3 controller.
 
The slight changes they made to the Xbox controller for the ONE make my hands cramp after 20-30 minutes. The 360 controller allowed a loose grip, while the ONE damn near requires a death grip to properly use the triggers. I absolutely hate the ONE controller. I want a patch to allow 360 controllers to be used on the ONE.

And the HDMI-in on the XBONE is NOT passthrough. If it was, then you could still watch your cable box without needing to turn the console on.
 
qbanb8582 said:
I loved the Xbox 360 controller, and it was an adjustment to get used to the xbox one controller. The triggers and shoulder buttons on the xbox one I didn't like at first. But slowly I'm started come around. I think the analog sticks on the xbox one are better.

I don't mind the DS4 controller, but I completely loathed the DS3 controller.
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Yea the analog sticks are better, they are just tall for me on the controller. I'm not sure if it's the change to the grip or if they actually aw I haven't measured. The dead zone is way better though.
 
I finally broke down & bought a Playstation 4 few days ago. I have been a diehard PC gamer since 2000. I have build custom PC's from the ground up every 3 years. I was very disappointed with how Watch Dogs performed this past week when I got it for PC. Even running GTX 780 I was having to many frame rate dips. I now have it for PS4 and even though it does not look as good as PC it plays far smoother. I'm very happy with my decision. I am selling my 780 today to pay for the cost of the PS4 so for the time being I'm done as a PC gamer.
 
cantoncobaltsssc said:
I finally broke down & bought a Playstation 4 few days ago. I have been a diehard PC gamer since 2000. I have build custom PC's from the ground up every 3 years. I was very disappointed with how Watch Dogs performed this past week when I got it for PC. Even running GTX 780 I was having to many frame rate dips. I now have it for PS4 and even though it does not look as good as PC it plays far smoother. I'm very happy with my decision. I am selling my 780 today to pay for the cost of the PS4 so for the time being I'm done as a PC gamer.
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That is why I primarily plays games on my Xbox One now instead of my PC. I have an R9 290 and even though I am not going to sell it, I have been seriously tempted to do so and build a A10-7850K mITX system instead.

I am at a point in my life for the first time that I can comfortably afford to have both. However, I will not be doing any real upgrading on my computer for a long time now. Also, I even picked up an Xbox 360 2 months ago again and enjoy playing on that as well. :)
 
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