We have already discussed in detail about the Hardware / Console Specification of pS4 and XBox One here. Both Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft XBox one have considerably improved their Accessories & Peripherals to give the state of art gaming pleasure for gamers across the world.
Motion Sensing Camera – The next generation Kinect system comes bundled and is required to work with the xBox One offering improved voice recognition (conversational command prompts), better player detection (more joint detection) and depth perception, and we think it will have up to four player tracking. Sony’s PlayStation Camera comes with the PS4 and offers the same features as Kinect.
Controller Sony’s DualShock 4 controller iterates on the DualShock 3 with larger, fuller grips (common complaint of PS3 was controller was too small), a touch pad on the front (offering new ways to play and interact), Sony Move functionality (to support motion gaming), Digital (not Analog) front buttons, and a headphone port for chatting. Microsoft’s controller now features an integrated battery (xBox 360 required AAA batteries), but retains much of the same look and feel with only slight changes in ergonomics for the stick and directional pad.
Remote Play We think second screen technology is a bigger focus for PS4 and next xBox. PS4 remote play will stream games to the PS Vita, enabling players to continue playing a game without a TV, and connect the PS4 to mobile devices,
making any smart phone or tablet a second screen that adds new game play or simply shows information. xBox SmartGlass application will come pre-installed on each new xBox One and also adds new information.
Online Gaming – Microsoft has built more social features to xBox Live (added news trends and friend activity) and is building 20x more data center capacity to support larger online multi-player battles, offer cloud media storage, and enable video recording. Microsoft had the superior online experience in the last cycle and was able to generate a large paying online user base (48mn current xBox Live members).
Social Sharing An interesting new feature on Sony PS4 is the Share Button on the center of the controller, which enables players to share live game play footage with their friends online (Broadcast mode) and instantly upload the clip (or a screenshot) to the web at sites such as Facebook. xBox One features an in-game DVR that lets players record and edit video.
Downloadable Content Both consoles have a downloadable content feature, and the PlayStation App lets players browse the PlayStation Store from a mobile device and begin downloading content even if the player is away from the console. Players can immediately start playing portions of the game while it is downloading. It is unclear if xBox One has a similar feature.
Microsoft and Sony seem likely to compete aggressively this cycle (content and possibly price), hardcore gamers will likely be happy to upgrade.