Game on: Xbox 720 and PS4 go head to head

[Lara Mills]

Game on: Xbox 720 and PS4 go head to head with Microsoft set to launch console today



Expectations are high after Sony’s dispiriting launch of the new PS4

Tomorrow night Microsoft will unveil the latest generation of its Xbox console in Redmond, Washington.

Expectations are high after Sony’s dispiriting launch of the new PS4 back in February (a tweaked controller design was on display but little else), and although there seems to be a consensus regarding the hardware specifications, Xbox spokesman Major Nelson is still promising that the Tuesday release will “mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV and entertainment”.

Most analysts agree that the new console will sport an eight-core CPU from AMD running at 1.6ghz. This will be supported by 8GB of DDR3 RAM, supplemented by 32MB of ‘ESRAM’ – specialised RAM connected directly to the graphics unit. A Blu-ray drive also seems a given, as well as USB 3.0 connections and a 500GB hard drive as standard. Oddly enough, the interesting point about these specs is how unremarkable they are.

The set-up is very similar to what’s known about the PS4 and it seems that the differences between the two consoles will be more focus on media services and extras, rather than raw processing power.

Potential names for the new console have been varied, with each backed by credible-but-inconclusive proofs. ‘Xbox Fusion’ has been suggested after a slew of domain registrations; the codename ‘Project Durango’ was supported by an early leak last year, and ‘Xbox Now!’ (exclamation mark mandatory) has been the most recent suggestion.

The Now! moniker comes via an employee from Rare (a Microsoft owned games-studio) who posted the rumour on the online forum 4chan, with the name supposedly referring to the new console’s range of internet-enabled, always-on services.

The ‘Xbox Now!’ suggestion also supports the argument that the battle for supremacy amongst the new generation of consoles will be fought through media services.

A long-held rumour that the new Xbox would be ‘always-on’ has been quashed by the leak of an internal email, but no-one doubts that internet-based services will stand front-and-center tomorrow and Redmond.

Major Nelson’s promise of “TV and entertainment” suggests that Microsoft will be aiming to position the new console as a media-hub, most likely consolidating their current partnership with Netflix.

Sources at The Verge have also reported that the Xbox will receive a direct line-in for TV signals, allowing the console to overlay Xbox Live functionality during normal TV viewing.

Such a move would put Microsoft in a good position in the battle for our sitting rooms, as Google and Apple’s TV ‘solutions’ continue to stall. And all this speculation is without even considering possible games (though this will probably just be the march of the franchises – one definite reveal tomorrow will be the latest instalment of Call of Duty, ‘Ghosts’), which just shows how the console’s position in the entertainment industry has evolved, mirroring the development of the smartphone as a hardware solution absorbs different software functionality.

Source: Click here

[Lara Mills]

Which console do you believe will succeed? Which has been your favourite so far? Is there another console that you are hoping for?

[samlad]

It is Xbox Reveal Day. Watch about it tonight at 6pm:

http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/hub/

[Lara Mills]

I can't figure out which I am looking forward to...

As a child, I grew up with the PlayStation. I still have the original and the PS2, and I loved them. But then, when I was older, I ended up with an Xbox and I've grown to love the big controller. Now I have a PS3 and an Xbox... and I can't decide which I like more.

I haven't heard a great deal about the Xbox, so I think I'm more looking forward to the PS4, given the gameplay footage that has been released as a teaser. When the Xbox has been officially revealed, then I'll try and decide which I want

[samlad]

I can't figure out which I am looking forward to...

As a child, I grew up with the PlayStation. I still have the original and the PS2, and I loved them. But then, when I was older, I ended up with an Xbox and I've grown to love the big controller. Now I have a PS3 and an Xbox... and I can't decide which I like more.

I haven't heard a great deal about the Xbox, so I think I'm more looking forward to the PS4, given the gameplay footage that has been released as a teaser. When the Xbox has been officially revealed, then I'll try and decide which I want

I'm the same, Lara. In its day, Sony was king but then Microsoft stopped focusing on its own titles and developers and many games became cross format (for example, Crash Bandicoot, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rayman, Tomb Raider, etc.). Then the Unreal Engine was launched (by Epic: developers of Gears of War) and this upped the game of developers, and pretty soon decent titles were hitting the shelves.

Sony always seemed to focus on platform games and they become quite generic, and even on the PS2, the graphics were clumsy and block-y, but the Xbox had smooth, rendered graphics. I was pro-Sony and against Microsoft back in the day, and at this time, Microsoft seemed to only focus on shooters, but then they released a load of alternative titles so I thought I would try something different. When the Xbox360 launched, I leant more towards that than the PS3, which was launched sometime later, and (I was working for a popular video game retailer at the time) when I test it, I wasn't overly impressed, so I never reverted back to Sony. I just never fancied buying one.

[Usernamed]

I'll be getting the Xbox. I've got both at the minute and the PS3 just collects dust. Microsoft do deals and pay out so that Xbox users get more exclusives and get content before Sony.

They're both going to have problems of some kind though. Just have to wait and see who's is more embarrassing. MS having to extend their warranty because of RROD was a major embarrassment to them, but having your entire network shut down for months was more embarrassing to Sony.

I hope they don't change the 360 controller too much, I like the current one I'm used to it now and don't want it to change.

[adog]

For me its the xbox, I grew up on Nintendo the snes was my first then I had a N64 over the playstation and absolutely loved it, getting into my mid teens then when the gamecube vs ps2 vs xbox came around and I have to say the xbox was the superior machine with graphics and games, of course I loved the gamecube too but mainly coz of the exclusive titles (res evil, metriod prime, zelda, mario) nintendo have always been a power huse of game design ! but with the wii and the wii u the yhave really taken there eye off the ball! its such a shame to have to play such great titles on a novelty machine!!
My bets the xbox will succeed amoung the 8 - 15 bracket xbox has far more brand recognition, they have the better games and a way nicer controller, its microsfts game to lose

[mer]

I won't be buying a ps4 anyway the ps3 is still amazing and I won't be changing it the graphics can't be much better than they are

Plus blu ray discs never really took off you go to any DVD store and there is more normal DVDs for sale or rent than blu ray. They won't be getting my money anyway lol

Ps3 will be staying for another few years as long as they still make games for them ha

[AbsoluteNoob]

PS4 all day, 'ere day.

Looking forward to the event later today, but all the negative rumours surrounding the NextBox have me apprehensive. I'm expecting a more casual Xbox this time around, with more focus on Kinect and other shite like that.

Hopefully I'm wrong as I was pro-xbox this gen. We'll see.

[JohnRambo]

In my opinion the thing that really made the PlayStation system take off was not necessarily the games but it was the DVD player (in the first PS) and the Blue-Ray player in the third.

You have to remember before PS came about no one had a DVD player. Then all of a sudden with this new games console every teenager then had one as well as a games console.