Early this fall, two video game consoles will be coming out that will get casual and hardcore gamers alike buzzing. The PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One are set to debut this November. It has been almost eight years since the world experienced the thrill of new technology involving gaming, and everyone should be excited for the next generation. Sony, who makes PlayStation, and Microsoft, who makes Xbox have been clashing together for many years on their creations. Both are very similar, but which one is better? Michael Dougherty, a gaming fanatic for almost forty years said this about the systems, “They are both a lot alike, but I think PlayStation has better quality, and a better selection of games.” He also mentioned that it is a good time for the new systems to come out, but that there is not much of a difference in technology.

Michael offered this about the change in technology, “When the PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 came out, it dramatically changed the way we look at the gaming industry today. The jump in technology was extraordinary, but this time around, the core is basically the same.” With there not being a big difference in technology, it raises some questions- will people shell out the money for new systems, and will the consoles sell in a bad economy? Michael commented about whether or not the new systems will sell, and how to get buyers in a falling market. He said, “If you want to sell consoles, sell new ones.”

One deciding factor that is making the PS4 better is its price. The PlayStation will be about $399.99, while the Xbox One will cost $499.99. This is proving to be a key factor for buyers. Former GameStop employee Jesse Mills stated this about the preliminary numbers, “Twice as many PS4 pre-orders have been registered than Xbox One.” Another aspect that is pointing towards PlayStation is the fact that you have the choice of playing online or offline.

The Xbox One also has a couple new features that the PlayStation does not have, and that is the ability to multi-task. Not only can one play games on the Xbox One, but one can also watch TV, surf the internet, and watch movies all in one place! The Xbox One has been designed to be a central hub for ones living room. The Xbox One will also come with the Kinect 2, which will feature an integrated 1080p camera, 30FPS color, Time of Flight (TOF) technology and microphone arrays. Neither of these systems will have backward compatibility, which is the ability to play old system games on a new console. Once again, both systems will be very similar, and both will be great gaming consoles. No matter what side you pick, Xbox or PlayStation, you are sure to have a blast on both. The next generation of gaming awaits!