PS4 vs. Xbox One

With the price of the PS4 already on the rise from R6299 up to R6799 a new question has arisen in the PS4 vs. Xbox One debate - will the price of the Xbox One be the same or lower in price that the PS4 and will that impact buyers decision to wait for the Xbox One?

For years the Xbox has generally been lower in price than the Playstation, however, the Xbox One was released in the US at $100 more than the PS4, with the reasoning that it came with the Kinect device included as standard. Something previous Xbox gaming hubs had not and arguably makes the Xbox One more than just a gaming console, but rather an entertainment hub. It would also be advisable to consider that, with the rise in price of the PS4 the Xbox One, at least for it’s release, the Xbox One will quite possibly come in at the same price as the PS4, maybe even slightly lower in price. And if we look at how much more you get, as well as variety with the current bundle specials for the Xbox 360 Kinect and compare them to the current bundle specials for PS3, you can bet that the bundles offered will be just as good, if not better than those currently on offer by PS4 resellers.

But is that still any reason to wait? Reviews from the States are indicating that the PS4 is by far the superior gaming experience across all gaming genres, and it’s set to release more exclusive independent games than Xbox One. Of course, Xbox One still has the chance to hit back, especially in terms of it’s pricing for both physical and online games. Also to be considered is the incredible inbuilt features the Xbox One has; it allows gamers to save 30-second clips of gameplay and up to five minutes of gameplay or Kinect messages with the new Kinect. It also features a full HD camera that offers 1080P Skype calls, a full HD video messaging system, as well as party chat.

Considering the rise in price for the PS4 and the fact that Xbox resellers have set a precedent of offering better gaming bundles, it may well be worth the wait before upgrading to either model.

*Currently it is believed that the Xbox One will be launched in October this year. At the moment there is very limited stock of the PS4 in South Africa, however more stock is expected to arrive by April. Most retailers have already implemented price increases.