Photo credit: gearnuke
Microsoft started the next-gen console competition with its legs tied and arms pinned behind its back. However, the Xbox One has gained momentum going into this holiday season and seems to be headed in the right direction. Microsoft has spent much of the last year tweaking the console and fixing many of the issues that plagued the system at its launch. So with one year of digging itself out of its grave, does the Xbox One compare to the mighty PS4?
Rocky Start
Photo credit: destructoid
The Xbox One had a rocky start caused by the mismanagement of the console before its launch last November. The console was advertised as an all in one home entertainment system rather than a gaming system. This turned off gamers, in that they wanted to buy a console focused on giving the best gaming experience, not the best place to watch Netflix. Also, the specs of the Xbox One have proven to be slightly less robust than that of PS4. For example, many games look slightly better on the PS4 and have smoother frame rates. Installing games also takes less time on the PS4 than the Xbox One. Another complaint was the original price of $500 at its launch. That was $100 more than the PS4 and was mostly caused by the mandatory inclusion of the Kinect. Microsoft’s motion capture camera was said to have to always be on, which made many people feel like that was an invasion of privacy. Hardcore gamers could care less about the Kinect, which made the PS4 a more attractive option due to its cheaper price.
Building Steam
In the last few months, the Xbox One has been building momentum in hope of making this console generation a compelling competition. The price of the Xbox One has been dropped from $500 to $400 to a special $349 for the holidays. Microsoft has since stated that sales have tripled since the holiday sale. The console now can be sold without the Kinect and Microsoft has stressed its dedication to gamers. The Xbox One has received over 100 updates since it was launched proving how serious Microsoft is in really improving its product. All of these improvements just add-on to the original promise of the Xbox One being an outstanding home entertainment system. At the one year mark, Microsoft announced that the community of players have achieved a gamerscore over 11 billion and players have spent over two billion hours playing on Xbox One consoles. So even if Xbox One has not quite caught up to the PS4, it is definitely on the right track.
Best Games
Photo credit: allgamesbeta
Sunset Overdrive is a unique Xbox exclusive that can justify the purchase of the console.
2. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
All four Halo games in one place…what more is there to say!!!
3. Titanfall
It’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, but you know the original version.
The Xbox One has gained momentum going into holiday season 2014 because of its impressive gaming lineup including exclusives like Sunset Overdrive and Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
The Future
The future of the Xbox One will continue to be shaped by Microsoft’s dedication to improve the console. If they can improve games with gold and if EA Access becomes a great gaming value, that could slingshot Xbox One into the same conversation as the PS4. Gaming developers will learn to get the most out of the system, hopefully bringing the graphics up to par with the PS4. And with exclusives like Tomb Raider: Rise of the Tomb Raider, Halo 5 and Quantum Break gamers will be more tempted to buy Xbox One.
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