Console War: PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U

Officially, the time is here. All 3 of the next-gen consoles have finally been released. For many months, the console war is at a new time high. If you are planning on getting one of these systems, then you might want to know what makes each so special.

First I want to say, that while others may not like a certain aspect of these consoles, don't let that be the deciding factor. This post is not choosing which is better, but more of the hits and misses of each console to give a general idea of the current state of gaming.

The Wii U came to the scene first and was the latest attempt by Nintendo to get the consumers.

Pros:

• Immediately, what I like about the Wii U is the game pad. The game pad acts as a support for the games and at the same time, is very useful for 2 player games, as each player has a full screen.
• Online support seems to be better. I don't know too much of the online capabilities, but from what I heard, the internet is faster and online seems more smooth compared to the original Wii.

cons:

• The game line up is lacking. There were some good ones at launch, but after all this time, there are not many good games. It suffers from the same problem as the PS Vita.
• The initial setup is long. You have to update the console and can take almost 5 hours to complete. So if you are planning on playing anything on the day you get the console, think again.

Over the months it has been out, the unfortunate thing is the console sales are doing very poorly. But yet the irony is that their handheld division is doing great. It seems as though Nintendo should stick to handheld games. As of now, there is a bundle with the new Super Mario Bros 3D World, to try to get the Mario fans buy the console. We just have to wait and see if this can turn the Wii U around.

The PS4 came out last week and a lot of people have been awaiting for this console. This console claims to be the system that supports the community.

Pros:

• The price is way more affordable than the initial launch of the PS3. Better chances of people are getting the console sooner than later.
• A changeable HDD is possible in case you need to expand storage.
• Share features are also possible. You can share gameplay to a few sites. And also share online features with other account users.
• Blu-ray features stay the same as the PS3.
• Internal Game Capture.
• Upgrade feature with games.

Cons:

• No backwards compatibility is available for previous games. You are stuck with PS4 games.
• Online Fee! Yes you have to now pay for playing online on the PS4. That has to be the most disappointing things about the PS4. We spent the lifetime of the PS3 free, and now Sony is starting to assimilate into Microsoft.
• Day One problems. When the consoles first launched, there were some hardware and software problems. This is only a very small percentage of the users, but it is still out there. Currently Sony is taking the time to fix the problem and is offering refunds if necessary.

The PS4 is one of those consoles where you kind of like it. There are some great benefits, but you are also losing other benefits. If you can accept losing some of the important aspects, I say this is a great console.

The Xbox One just hit the store shelves today. And after knowing that the XB1 and PS4 are similar in terms of tech and hardware. There are some other qualities that make it different from the PS4.

Pros:

• TV integration makes this console like a cable box, allowing you to watch channels.
• External HDD support.
• Kinect 2 is improved and more responsive than its predecessor.
• Improved Controller.
• Internal Game Capture.
• Upgrade feature in games.

Cons:

• No Exchangeable HDD. The HDD can't be replaced which may not seem like a problem now, but with all the games that are going to take up space, you will have no choice but to use external HDDs.
• Subscription is still required for Online support so there is no surprise there.
• The price is higher than that of the PS4, so more buyers may tend to go after the PS4.
• Day One Problems. Even as we speak there have been reports of discs not being read properly. This could be do to the fact that the initial design was to install the game and abandon the disc and just play the game straight from the console.

The Xbox One is in the same predicament as the PS4 and more or less may come to preference.

In the end all consoles share unique goals. Some have great benefits that will improve a gamer's experience, while others may hinder from what worked in the past. These game companies all seem to want to please the consuming market, while at the same time want to try something new. Whether you are going for one or all 3 consoles, the question is which one are you going to buy first?