PS4, Sony’s way back to the top ? or is the Xbox One the way to go ?

So, the PS3 wasn’t exactly a flop, but Sony certainly did not win the last generation of console wars. Previously the Playstation 2 and Playstation One had a big lead over most of their competitors with the PS2 being  a stable in most households.

The Playstation 4 is looking to regain the console crown, and when first released, was hyped as doing just that. With Microsofts stance on DRM ( Digital Rights Management ) Sony was flying in front in terms of pre-orders, but now that Microsoft has had a complete re-think in terms of DRM, will this hamper the PS4?

The answer is undoubtably yes, not a lot of people would pay extra money for the Xbox which retails more than the PS4, for a device they can not swap games with friends on, or trade in etc. But now with the massive stance change, a lot of people will be staying with their beloved Xbox.

This site gives a great comparison in terms of specs

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6972/xbox-one-hardware-compared-to-playstation-4

The specs are very close, with both devices running 1.8 GHz of processing power, but the PS4 does have a distinct advantage in terms of having 50% more CU’s(Compute Units) than the Xbox One meaning again the PS4 may have its head in front in the Graphics war, which to be fair it mostly always has had ..

Now, I’ve went from N64 to PS2 to Wii to PS3 to Xbox 360, so to be fair.. I’ve experienced a few different consoles, and to say I have a preference is null and void. I’ll be choosing my next console on a couple of different factors, Price, sheer power, and the quality of the games it will possess. The games for the PS3 were great, mines just reached the end of its lifespan, and the individual games for Xbox were also great .. but which one will have the next stand out ?

The Xbox has already shown games off like Metal Gear Solid, and Forza, with the PS4 showcasing The Order and Infamous amongst many others.

Both devices look like massive improvements on the current in terms of game performance, which ultimately is what most gamers are looking for. The additional features are features to seal the deal, but ask most gamers what they would prefer, great extra features or a good solid device and you will likely only get one answer.

My money isn’t down on any of the Devices yet, when Microsoft retracted the DRM policy to allow traded games etc, my money quickly came off of the PS4, and I shall await further revelations in the console battle !

Wii U Preview

Ok, with the announcement having been made over a year ago.. we are slowly creeping into the release date for the Wii U, anticipated for the 4th Quarter of 2012.

The Wii U is the newer version of the Wii as you might have guessed. The console will be backwards compatible with Wii games, and is trying to create another entirely new form of gaming, just as the Wii did on its release date.

The biggest talking point, is shown in the image above, the Wii U GamePad. This has a screen on the front and allows you to view the entire game on this screen, or supplementary information such as maps, just like the bottom screen on a DS and also acts as a touchscreen. The interesting thing is that this can be used with, or without a TV.. The first mainstream console that could also double up as a handheld. The GamePad also has a front facing camera, a built in accelerometer and Near Field Communication (NFC) built in. This, like many smartphones means that you will be able to make payments using the Wii U and also use this with interactive figurines within a game.

 

As well as the GamePad the Wii U will also have the option of a more mainstream Wii U Pro Controller, which is an attempt by Nintendo to attract more console gamers away from the Xbox and Playstation and bring them to the Wii. Nintendo are also attempting to make porting of games to the Wii U far more easy and streamlined meaning that some of our other console favourites could be making their way to this device. This could be a massive benefit in my eyes as when I had my Wii, it was more of a child friendly gaming device that occasionally was a good laugh at parties.. but I would never sit down for hours on end and play like I would an Xbox or Playstation.

It will be good news to existing Wii owners that all peripherals such as the Nunchuk and Wii Balance board are all thought to be compatible with the Wii U.

The following games have been confirmed for the Wii U:
Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros U, Pikmin 3, Wii Fit U, Wii U Panorama  View, SiNG, LEGO City: Undercover, Project P-100, Game & Wario, Aliens:  Colonial Marines, NINJA GAIDEN 3: Razor’s Edge, Darksiders II, Assassin’s Creed  III, Batman Arkham City Armored Edition, Mass Effect 3, Rayman Legends,  Scribblenauts Unlimited, TANK! TANK! TANK! , Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and  ZombiU.

It will be interesting to see how it performs at its release date. The Wii did well, but like the DS, it flourished to an unusually high level at Christmas. This is a time console sales usually shoot through the roof but even taking this into account, Wii’s have been like golddust for the past few years at Christmas with stores selling out for weeks and possibly months on end.

The Wii U is thought to be arriving shortly, and with rumoured prices of upwards of £200, equivalent to 2 Ouya’s it might be an easy choice for some, but a tough sell for most.