Top 7 Reasons why the PS4 is currently more popular than the XBOX One

Without mincing words or verbally abusing any companies in question (like so many are apt to do these days), we present to you a list of 7 reasons which will hopefully shed some light on why the PS4 has outsold Microsoft’s Xbox ONE (to date).  These aren’t really speculations, just observations which are meant to echo the feelings and assertions of the average gamer.  Anyway, without further ado, here they are (presented in no particular order of importance)…

1.  Looks

Let’s face it; the PS4 is a bit slimmer and perhaps even more geometrically satisfying on some level.  Compared with the Xbox ONE, which comes off as a sort of futuristic VCR, the PlayStation 4 is much sleeker-looking.  The truth is, there is a certain expectation out there from hard core video gamers.  When they go out to purchase a new console they want it to look like a next-gen console.  By contrast, when you see an Xbox One you aren’t immediately aware that it is the successor to the elegantly-styled Xbox 360.  Is that too harsh a thing to say, what do you think?

2.  The price factor…duh.

Perhaps the most obvious and important reason the PS4 has done so incredibly well relates back to the fact that Sony decided to drop the price by $100.   Simply put, a $399 console looks infinitely more attractive to a consumer than a similarly-matched $499 one.  Times are tough for a lot of people and the extra hundred bucks creates a big obstacle for the average gamer.  Assuming that they weren’t very evenly-matched in terms of performance then things might have turned out differently, but the fact of the matter is that they are.  Moreover, since the selection of games which offer support for camera functions are still somewhat limited (at this time) it’s much more sensible to simply omit purchasing one.

3.  The Launch Lineup

One the whole, the general consensus among most next-gen gamers is that the launch title lineup of the PS4 was somewhat stronger than that of the Xbox ONE.  While it ultimately comes down to personal taste and expression, the PS4 hit the ground running in style, armed with a solid selection of titles which offered something for everyone.  At the same time, there are loads of other games on the table which have been planned for release, some of them emerging on store shelves this year in fact.  At the same time, Sony is applying much more support to the indie community than most were expecting, even going as far as lowering the cost of development kits.  This implies that not only will there soon be some amazing big budget titles to sink one’s teeth into, but the indie community will also be well-served via the PSN as well.  Moreover, since there is self-publishing, talented new developers can release their content on a major platform without having to charm a bunch of executives.

4.  Far fewer glitches and bugs present at launch, it would seem…

If you have been staying abreast of developments at and beyond the launch of both consoles you already know about the problems Microsoft has had to deal with.  No one wants to point a finger and make fun of them here, but you can’t deny that something must have went wrong throughout the planning phases somewhere.  The simple fact that the PS4 experienced only a smattering of critical failures is actually a testament to the solidness of the overall design itself.  Actually, with the release of any electronic equipment there’s always the threat of something breaking down, perhaps on the way to the store during transportation, for instance.  Moreover, you have to consider the complexity of effectively setting up an operation where you’re moving units at a loss (up to a certain point), with the only way to begin turning a profit is to sell a set number of consoles.  All things considered, Sony has most certainly achieved their goals with the PS4, much to the delight of gamers everywhere, we might add.

5.  The controller (DualShock 4)

Without doing anything too overzealous or crazy, the PS4’s DualShock 4 controller is a joy to hold and operate.  Think of it as an evolution of a familiar design that generations of gamers have grown to love – something that has moved on, but not in any pretentious way or anything.  Most noticeably, the touch interface allows for a new type of smooth control and will most certainly be used in new and exciting ways by intrepid game developers in the very near future.  Even the feel and shape of the analog sticks have been altered to afford for greater control, even with clammy hands.

6.  The PS4 sees to be a bit more powerful than the Xbox ONE

No one is trying to paint a picture here that the Xbox ONE is somehow an anemic platform that’s lacking in critical ways, but according to tests the PS4 edges out the competition.  Simply put, there’s some element present which has (according to some developers) more easily bring games to the console in higher resolutions with no sacrifice in terms of frame rates.  With all this in mind, when you consider the PS4 to be a bit more capable than the One, AND it’s $100 cheaper…well, the choice is pretty much obvious at that point for most people.

7.  The PS4’s UI (user interface)

For many gamers, especially those who already own a plethora of devices, a more straight-forward and simple UI on a gaming console is probably more desirable than an active, cluttered one.  In either respect, both examples look wonderful on either unit it’s just that the sleekness of Sony’s design is perhaps more attractive to a lot of gamers who might be looking for something attractive yet relatively direct.  Out of the PS4’s 5 default categories (What’s New, Internet Browser, the Playroom, Live from PlayStation, Downloads) you can pretty much quickly find whatever it is that you’re looking for fairly easily while at the same time staying connected to gaming news, etc.