What's up Prizefight fans?
I'm Brian Tong and the next generation for video games is here to stay.
It's a throwdown showdown for game console supremacy between Sony's Playstation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One.
Now, we're bringing out the A-team for this one.
Our judges for this fight are CNET senior editor, Scott "The Bottomline" Stein, senior editor, Dan "The Man" Ackerman, senior
associate editor, Jeff "The Backstreet Boy" Bakalar, and you know who, Riley Ding Tong.
We'll take all four judges' scores and average them out to the nearest ten.
The final Prizefight score will be an average of all rounds using the same decimal system.
This is just the first battle of many so let's get it on round one is design.
Both consoles get a completely new re-design for the next gen with piano black and matte black finishes, but that's where the similarities end.
Sony's PS4 brings a sleek
and edgy design that can lay flat or stand vertically with a sleek LED on inside.
It's almost half the size of the Xbox One and there is no power supply.
Now Microsoft's Xbox One takes a step back with the design that's too big and too square.
It's just bulky and let's not forget you also have its massive power supply.
The good thing is probably one of the quietest consoles ever, but adding an even bigger Kinect sensor and this system is anything but sleek.
Sony brings one of the best console
controllers we've ever felt with a tight design that just feels right and we can't wait to see how the clickable touchpad will be taken advantage of in feature.
Microsoft's Xbox One controller is still bulkier.
Its analog sticks do feel tighter.
It's a solid controller and the most noticeable improvement is the vibration feedback in the triggers that really doesn't hands gameplay.
Sony strikes first with a 4.5 and Microsoft gets a 3. Round two is navigation and interface.
The PS4 recalls
the single bar interface from the PS3.
It's simple and clean to use, but it feels even more stripped down than ever before.
Now, the Xbox One's interface takes a cue with the Windows 8 look and feel.
It's pretty straightforward on the surface, but we'll have to go on extra layer deep to pin favored apps and there are redundant lengths to the different storefronts with too much promotional material right now.
It also brings voice control with the Kinect to navigate through the interface and even real multitasking with its snap feature.
-Xbox snap.
-But talking to your Xbox can be hit or miss.
There's times where is definitely better looking than the PS4s, but you'll have to dig a lot deeper to find some of the settings we're used to.
The PS4 takes another round with a 3.8 and the Xbox One gets a 3. So after averaging two rounds, Sony has a pretty chunky lead.
Round three is hardware.
This round is all about the hardware features that set these two consoles apart and if you've heard about the GPU and memory architecture benchmarks,
[unk] have hinted that the PS4 has more power, but we don't see any of those advantages right now and it always comes down on how developers take advantage of the platforms.
Now the Xbox One comes with the Kinect that helps you navigate the interface that take Skype calls and it's really a key part of the experience that feels like you're in the future when it works.
Now the PS4's camera is optional.
It has some basic commands.
It does come in real handy if you're into Twitch streaming.
But let's be real,
it's optional for a reason.
The Xbox One also brings HDMI pass through, which is a first on a gaming console and makes this more than just a gaming machine just switch between TV viewing and gaming.
Both bring Blu-ray players.
But the PS4 supports 3D Blu-rays out of the box and the Xbox One doesn't just yet.
The PS4 is a console that stays true to its gaming roots, but doesn't really bring any significantly groundbreaking hardware features so the Xbox One takes this round with a 4.3
and the PS4 gets a 3. Next round is game library.
When new consoles launched it tends to be pretty slim pickings and this is no different.
You have the same third-party titles on both consoles like Call of Duty: Ghosts and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag for all you fans of Pirates and the Open Water.
But you're not going to see any major differences between the two even from the current gen consoles at times.
Now, Sony brings really two first-party titles with Killzone: Shadow Fall that looks gorgeous,
but doesn't really do anything more than that and a quirky game called Knack plus a few downloadable indie titles like Resogun, but there's really nothing that stands out here and says "Buy me." Now, Microsoft brings better launch titles overall like Dead Rising 3 for zombie fans.
Forza Motorsport 5, which for the record is really hard to save to the Kinect.
Ryse: Son of Rome looks and sounds great and there's downloadable titles like Killer Instinct that at least gives you a chance to show off your system, but again there are no
killer titles here.
In fact, if you wanna show people that potential of next gen consoles, just take a look at NBA 2K14 on both of them and as Wazzup.
Now neither system pulls away here, but Microsoft brings a slightly better batch of titles, and we know this is going to change in the next six months and years to come, but on launch Microsoft takes this round with a 3 and Sony gets a 2.3.
So after averaging four rounds, the Xbox One only trails by one tenth of a point.
Round five is software features
and online services.
Each console has their own yearly membership service to access online gaming.
Sony has Playstation Plus that also gives access to free games for $50 a year and Microsoft's Xbox LIVE Gold service cost $60 for a year.
Now one difference is that there are a variety of video streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Vudu on both consoles, but you'll need that yearly online service on the Xbox One to use them.
On the PS4, you can just use them without
a Playstation Plus membership.
Now, both consoles have so many software features and services so we'll talk about some of the key ones.
On the PS4, Twitch streaming is really the killer app here that allows other people to watch you game online with commentary and all I can say is, "Don't knock it unless you tried it." The Xbox One has the Twitch app to view content, but can't stream from it just yet.
The PS4 has better social integration with deep hooks to Facebook and what type of stuff you wanna share if you're into sharing your gaming trophies and
don't want to attract girls.
And the PS4 also brings remote play that finally makes the PS Vita useful and allows you to play your game from a different room on the same network with your Vita.
Now the centerpiece software feature on the Xbox One is the ability to connect your cable signal through it and interact with it directly through the Xbox interface.
It will sync with most cable guides and you can use your controller or voice commands to navigate through it.
It's really special when it works, but there were many times where it couldn't understand some TV stations
and commands by voice.
It's really an Xbox layer on top of your cable box because you'll have no DVR access right now so you're back to using your same cable remote in those situations.
This could be a killer feature, but it still needs a lot more polish.
You can Skype and the camera tracks you during the video conversation, which is really cool.
Microsoft's Smartglass app on iOS and Android allows you to interact and deliver additional screen content while watching certain videos and playing games and, yes,
the PS4 has its own app, but it's not nearly on the same level.
Both consoles can record and edit clips that you show with friends, but the Xbox One just isn't as hooked in the social networks compared to the PS4 right now.
Overall, we're giving the PS4 the edge here with a 3.5 and the Xbox One gets a 3. The final round that decides it all is value.
Sony's PS4 system is $399 and Microsoft's Xbox One is $499.
And for your information,
both include the HDMI cables.
Now the reality is that if you care about online gaming, you're also going to shell out an extra 50 to 60 bucks.
With the Xbox One, it's more expensive but you're paying for the potential of the new Kinect camera and the HDMI pass-through and investing in them for the future.
With the PS4, you're getting the system that's dedicated to gaming and isn't worried about taking over your living room.
Now it really depends on what's more valuable to you and it's probably even too early in the game to tell.
Our judges are calling this a tie at 3.5 points apiece.
So, let's average out all six rounds.
And after a back and forth battle where the PS4 jumped ahead early, but the Xbox One fought right back, it's the PS4 that holds on to take this first match of many just edging out the Xbox One 3.4 to 3.3 and is your Prizefight winner.
The next generation for gaming is here, but if you ask any of our judges,
they probably say that neither console is a must buy right at this moment.
Now if you had to push me, I'd probably lean towards the Xbox One because it has more promise to be more than a gaming console, but then the hard core gamer and me says PS4.
This isn't an easy decision and won't be the last time we face these consoles against each other and it's really a battle that will be decided in the next three to five years, but the ultimate decision always comes down to you.
I'm Brian Tong,
thanks for watching and we'll catch you guys next time for another Prizefight.
