The PlayStation 4 is a video
game console from Sony Computer Entertainment. Announced
as the successor to the PlayStation
3 during a press conference on 20
February 2013, it was launched on 15 November 2013, in North America,
and 29 November 2013, in
Europe and Australia
Moving
away from the more complex Cell
architecture of its predecessor,
the PlayStation 4 features an AMD x86-64 Accelerated
Processing Unit, in hopes of attracting a broader range of developers and
support for the system. The PlayStation 4's GPU can perform 1.843 teraflops, making it
the world's most powerful games console
Sony
intends more focus on social gameplay, incorporating a "share" button
on the new controller and enabling a view of in-game play streamed live from
friends. The console enables interactivity with other services and devices
through the following methods: PlayStation
Now, acloud-based gaming service
that offers streaming video game content;PlayStation App, designed to enhance gameplay by usingsmartphones and tablets as a second
screen; and PlayStation Vita's
design for playing a majority of PlayStation 4 games through wireless Remote
Play.
Xbox One is a video game console developed and marketed by Microsoft. Announced on May 21, 2013, it is the successor to the Xbox 360 and is the third console in the Xbox family.[7] It directly competes with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's Wii U as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles.[15][16] Xbox One was released across North America, several European markets, Australia, and New Zealand on November 22, 2013,[2] and is scheduled for release in 26 other markets, including Japan, the remaining European markets, and the Middle East, sometime in September 2014.[17] It will also be the first Xbox game console to be released in China, specifically in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone. Microsoft and various publications have classified the device as an "all-in-one entertainment system",[18][19][20] making it a competitor to other digital media players such as the Apple TV and the Google TV platforms.
Moving away from the Xbox 360's PowerPC-based architecture and back into the x86 architecture used in the first Xbox, the console features an AMD processor built around the x86-64 instruction set. Xbox One places an increased emphasis on entertainment integration, offering the ability to overlay live television programming from an existing set-top box, split-screen multitasking of applications, and improved second screen support. The console includes a newly upgraded Kinect motion sensing peripheral, previously an optional attachment for the Xbox 360. Microsoft is emphasizing the Kinect's integration with Xbox One through features such as a built-in Skype client for videoconferencing, user recognition and tracking, and the ability to use voice commands and gestures to navigate the console's user interface. New gaming functionality includes an expanded Xbox Live service, improved Kinect functionality, cloud computing, the ability to automatically record and share video highlights from gameplay, and support for live streaming gameplay online.
Upon its unveiling, Xbox One was criticized for its initial digital rights management policies (including a requirement for a periodic connection to the internet, and ambiguous restrictions on the resale and sharing of previously-purchased games), along with Kinect usage requirements and higher price than its competitors. In response to the criticism, Microsoft dropped these restrictions prior to releasing the console.
