PLAYWhich Gaming Console Should You Buy?

Console gaming is at it's peak right now, but which console is better, Xbox or PlayStation?

Now more than ever games are being popularised and normalised.

With the advancements in the technology industry it is no wonder these fun pass times have been gaining much attention.

Now quite a competitive market, gaming consoles are trying to persuade their audience to choose them over their competitor. Exclusive games are becoming more common and deals with other providers and services, such as Optus and Xbox, are pushing an advantage. How are we going to decide which console to buy? Well we hope our advice can give you a better idea of which console you would prefer to purchase.

So with that introduction to the world of gaming consoles out of the way, which console should you buy? Well for starters, lets break down the three main consoles. Xbox vs Playstation. Before we start I would like to say that this section is simply facts about what is good about each console and their individual specs.

Xbox One X

Price from Microsoft

$649 includes console, controller & a choice of game from a selection.

Specifications

• Online – Xbox Live costs $80 for 12 months
• 1TB Storage
• Wireless Controller
• 4K Resolution Gaming + Blu-ray + Streaming
• CPU – 2.3GHz 8-core AMD Jaguar
• GPU – 6.0 TFLOP AMD Radeon (40CU, 1.172GHz)
• HDR (High-Dynamic-Range)
• Size = 300 x 240 x 60 mm, 3.8 kg total weight
• 3x USB connections
• Internal 245W power supply
• Backwards compatibility with Xbox + Xbox 360 Games

Overall these are some very impressive specs. With higher resolution than any console before and a huge amount of power in the console this is certainly a good choice. It is obvious that the Xbox One X’s graphics are beautiful and are sure to impress. The specs itself are a bit more impressive than the PS4 Pro but that is not conclusive evidence to say you should buy an Xbox.

PlayStation 4 Pro

Price from Sony

$639 includes console, controller, cables

Specifications

• Online – PlayStation Plus costs $80 for 12 months
• 1TB Storage
• Wireless Controller
• 4K Resolution Gaming & Streaming
• CPU – 2.1GHz 8-core AMD Jaguar
• GPU – 4.2 TFLOP AMD Radeon (36CU, 911MHz)
• HDR (High-Dynamic-Range)
• Size = 328 x 295 x 55 mm, 3.3 kg total weight
• 3x USB connections + 1x PlayStation Camera
• Internal 310W power supply
• PlayStation VR support

Again, these are some very high end specs. The price does not include a free choice of a game, however these are both prices from the head company so they are bound to be higher. With similar specs to the Xbox One X it is not really a competition of who was the best specs as neither is noticeably better or worse. The PS4 Pro’s graphics are incredible but still do not convince you to buy either console.

Exclusives

With the specs out of the way, proving that they are essentially pointless to look at when they are so similar. The min points that make a final decision more likely is that of exclusives. Console exclusive games are what generally drives someone to buy one console over the other.
Some of the biggest titles belong to PlayStation such as Ratchet & Clank, The Last of Us, the Uncharted series and Marvel’s Spiderman, as well as many more. These bring many people over to the side of Sony.
However, Xbox also has their own lineup of exclusives, including Ori and the Blind Forest, Cuphead, Forza Horizon / Motorsport and perhaps biggest of them all, the Halo series. For many these are good games but simply not good enough to match the might of PS4 exclusives.

Friends

Now at YOMM this is our top priority. Whether or not a console has an exclusive title that we prefer, we always stick to the console we all have. This means that no matter what game we play, we can play together. Personally this is my favourite part of the gaming experience, to share it with others. Many of you may also feel this way about console gaming as i’m sure it has been a discussion amongst friend groups for a while. Whether you are an avid gamer or just a casual player, having a community to join always feels good.
This may be enough to convince you to buy one of these consoles but we will keep giving you some more info.

Why You Should Buy / Not Buy

Xbox One X

The Xbox console has always been reliable as a gaming system, the reviews are giving the console 4/5 or more. The exclusives are awesome and even the online provides free games every month so you’re basically paying nothing for online if you play the free games. This is a console fit for anyone, family games are accessible and there are some incredible single player games also. Still considered to be the most powerful gaming console right now, the Xbox One X is definitely a good choice, but it isn’t without issues.

The price is about the only down side as it may be too much for some. Considering the graphics as a main factor, you also have to own a TV to support this. If you TV is not capable of screening 4K than the 4K graphics are useless. Another feature that could be a let down for some is the lack of VR support. This is a new and exciting technology which will hopefully be the way of the future (check out our article on VR!). Most notably, the ‘Red Ring of Death’ is still here to stay. This indicates a major problem in your system or simply that your console is now essentially dead, hence the name.

PS4 Pro

This console also provides free games each month with online, again meaning that if you play them your online is inexpensive. One thing that we love about the PS4 Pro is that it supports VR. This means that all the VR games we can get our hands on are available to us. The exclusives will have you occupied for hours and hours as well as all of the pre-released content for PS4. With 1TB of storage it is unlikely you will run out of space for your games and other downloads, but even if you do, there are easy ways to solve this. Reviews for the PS4 Pro are similar to the Xbox One X, maybe even better in some cases, but there are still problems.

However, the price is still a lot for those who are not willing to spend too much. The 4K graphics are also in requirement of a 4K TV which is another expense to play this system at it’s full potential. The analog sticks on the controller wear very easily and very quickly with much use of them. The HDMI connection has been known to be faulty after some time and the disc reader can jam if you purchase a console with a misplaced part, which was common on release. The issue of the ‘Blue Line of Death’ is still present sometimes also, where the console is notifying you of a huge problem.

Verdict

There is no simple solution to this age old question. Considering all the factors and after talking to the YOMM team we decided that the PS4 is what we prefer, but that is only our opinion. After being presented with all the facts they each weigh up pretty evenly. Whatever you choose, you will totally enjoy your time playing games on these consoles! We just hope you have made the right decision for yourself!

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Wow! So after all that what do you think you would prefer to buy? Do you already have one of these consoles and do you regret buying it?

Let us know in the comments! Because here at YOMM, Your Opinion Matters Most!