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Sony VS. Microsoft: The Best Console Line-up


Sony held an event to announce two new consoles. The PS4 Slim and Pro. At E3, Microsoft also announced two new consoles. A Slim model of the Xbox One (S).  And another console that will supposedly be “The most powerful console ever”, codename Scorpio. Rumor is, it will have 6 teraflops for 4K optimization. Now that both companies introduced their new consoles, we can finally compare the two.
The PS4 Slim and Pro are the newest members of the PS4 family. The Slim will feature the same specs of the original PS4 with minor changes. The USB ports will now support 3.1 USB input and the removal of the optical port. Sony will also be releasing an update to all PS4s that will include HDR lighting (High Dynamic Range) –  which will only work with an HDR TV. Not a lot has changed but, these changes seem to me like a step backwards. I don’t see any additional features to the Slim.

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The PS4 Pro are for the hardcore gamers. At $399 it’s a good way for new players to join the the PS4 community. But the Pro was aimed at existing PS4 owners that want the upgrade. Players that want the best visual quality would be playing on the PC. Fans might shy away from the Pro because of the need of a 4K HDR TV to get the best experience. The Pro will have 4.2 teraflops, 4K video output, HDR, 1TB memory, and enhanced graphics for the PlayStation Virtual Reality headset (PSVR). With PSVR releasing next month it makes sense to lean towards the Pro. Without PSVR or a 4K HDR TV the Pro isn’t needed by the average gamer.

At E3 2016 Microsoft announced the Xbox One S. Since then Xbox One has beaten PS4 in sales for the past two months. The Xbox One S comes as low as $249. The difference between the two Slims are the small hardware upgrades. The Xbox One S will now have 1.4 teraflops as opposed to 1.3 teraflops on the Xbox One. The console will feature 4K video output with HDR lighting – It will be upscaled to 4K. Lastly it will support Blu-Ray 4K DVD – which all PS4s will not support. Looking at the changes Microsoft made for the Xbox One S, just shows the Xbox One is  going to be more of an improvement than the PS4 to the PS4 Pro.

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 I thought Sony shot themselves on the foot with the way they presented the Pro. Microsoft made a smart choice on how they presented Scorpio. Making the consumer feel like new hardware could benefit them. And reaching out to developers to ensure that games are going to be better with Scorpio. Comparing Microsoft’s announcement to Sony’s. Microsoft said and showed the right things. Sony didn’t do anything that would ensure gaming would be better with the Pro. It would look better, but that’s not the problem. We need to improve more on immersive narratives and fluid gameplay, before adding more graphical power.

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