Console Wars: What Next Gen System are You Getting?

[Tommy Bunz]

Figured its time we polled this bitch up.

[ThaJim2]

Does anyone here even have a Wii U?

I have pre orders for both but will probably sell the PS4 and keep the 1. The reason for leaning that way comes down to really the TV features and the timed exclusives for the games I normally play.

This could change if say Rockstar or Sony ever give an update on that spy game that they showed off like 20 years ago now at E3.

[Sigma]

I've have pre-orders for both, but only so I'm guaranteed to get one (or both) if I decide to go ahead with the orders.

I would rather get the Xbox One than the PS4, but I need a couple of things clarifying about how it works first. There's still too many unknowns and existing information may change. There's stuff I want to know about the PS4 too, like how well the online system will work (things like party chat and cross-game chat), whether all games will have custom soundtracks this time and whether all downloadable PSN games will have demos. I also want to see what the price is like for digital downloads when compared to physical media.

If the library sharing works how it sounds like it's going to work on the Xbox One - so you and 1 other person can access your library of games at the same time - then I'm in, because that basically means half price games cos me and a mate will take it in turns to buy them.

[Combo7]

I'll be getting a Wii U as soon as a new Zelda gets released.

Won't get a PS4 or Xbox One because I have a PC, but if I were forced to buy one it'd be the PS4 for the superior hardware and the free apps. Neither has exclusives that are worth a damn.

[naturalborn103]

PS4. I have never been a xbox fan.

[DJ Primate]

Probably sticking with my PC. That being said, the better of the two consoles is clearly the PS4. If you're not clear on how massively flawed the XBONE is, make sure to do your research before your give M$ more money. Also the PS4 is like, 100 bucks cheaper.

[Sigma]

What's the massive flaw with the Xbox One? That you're limited to trading in and selling games at certain stores? I guess you can stick to PC where you can't trade in or sell games at all.....

[drobizhek]

We all know the answer to this one.

[Hush]

I have a Wii U, but I still voted PS4. I'm not planning on pre-ordering/getting it at launch though. There are enough current-gen games to keep me busy for a while. Also, I think it is best to wait until a compelling enough game is released to make me want to pick up the system.

[Tommy Bunz]

Yeah, I feel like this next gen is being forced a year or two sooner than really necessary. Still pretty happy with the current gen output.

[Tired & Broke]

Yeah, I feel like this next gen is being forced a year or two sooner than really necessary. Still pretty happy with the current gen output.

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

I'll be getting a Wii U as soon as a new Zelda gets released.

i feel like this will be no earlier than 2015, but i'm pretty much in the same boat (no wind waker remake)

[Combo7]

^^

Bunz, this was the longest console generation ever (seven and a half years). You're always going to keep seeing games released for a console right up through the launch of its successor, regardless of where you draw the line between generations.

[Moolah]

PS4. I have never been a xbox fan.

[Vlad Analogue]

Microsoft killing the DRM:

from eventhubs:

In a very strong about face, Microsoft appears to be changing their policies concerning DRM and the Xbox One, their next generation console.

An official announcement is supposed to be online later today, but game developers are said to have heard about the changes already, and the public will follow soon after. Microsoft is supposedly updating their Xbox One Q&A page at the moment with the following details.
• No more always online requirement
• The console no longer has to check in every 24 hours
• All game discs will work on Xbox One as they do on Xbox 360
• Authentication is no longer necessary
• An Internet connection is only required when initially setting up the console
• All downloaded games will function the same when online or offline
• No additional restrictions on trading games or loaning discs
• Region locks have been dropped

Previously, Microsoft would require users to connect to the internet every 24 hours to check in, or it'd render some games and features unusable. Also, there were potential restrictions on selling game discs, both of which appear to have been reversed by these recent developments.

There's still a rather large price gap between the two consoles, with the Xbox One running $499 USD and the PS4 coming in at $399, but today's announcement would seemingly even out some of the major differences the gaming community cited during E3, and the weeks leading up to it.

[Tommy Bunz]

^^

Bunz, this was the longest console generation ever (seven and a half years).

Hard to believe. I probably just didn't realize it because I didn't get any of them til like year 3 or so.

Also, I'd buy 2 Wii U's today if it meant that I'd get a Wind Waker sequel.

[Sigma]

I'll believe that when I see it, Vlad!

EDIT - And I've just seen it, haha. That is surprising!

[360]

I'll believe that when I see it, Vlad!

EDIT - And I've just seen it, haha. That is surprising!

Holy shit! I fucking knew it and said it multiple times! Ha! Eat your words, Jim! lol

[Hush]

With the recent news I changed my vote to "Neither..."

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

^^

Bunz, this was the longest console generation ever (seven and a half years).

Hard to believe. I probably just didn't realize it because I didn't get any of them til like year 3 or so.

Also, I'd buy 2 Wii U's today if it meant that I'd get a Wind Waker sequel.

they're doing a remake, it will probably be 95% identical

[an-also]

Neither to start. I'll see how they are both doing a year after release.

[Mo Cheeks]

what do you guys think as far as trading in the current gen as far as value goes

Of course that would mean having to do without my PS3 until the 4 comes out - but I figure the sooner I trade it in the more $ I will get

[ChaMerZ]

well damn. i could definitely perceive an undercurrent of bias and hate against xbox one, but i guess the results speak for themselves

[907]

I was planning on PS4 until Microsoft went back on all the stupid restrictions they were going to have, now I'm going with the one. I'll probably give it a while though, the first year or so of games for it will be coming out for 360 anyway, and I've still got a stack of recent games I need to play still as well. I've gone with Microsoft over Sony since the X-Box first came out, I'm glad I don't have to switch to PS now. They did the right thing, and are going to sell a lot more consoles now because of it.

[ChaMerZ]

i think i'm pretty much done with consoles, gaming and the planned obsolence mantra that most companies adhere to these days. my house is already filled with stacks upon stacks of untouched electronics as it is.

i remember back when i wanted a ps3 really bad. and then i got it and a year or two later it was like eeh . i think for me, games reached their acme on the ps2.

GOW? RE4? The GTA trilogy? my heart races anytime i think of that era.

too bad I can't really enjoy a lot of those games anymore. time's definitely not been kind to them.

i'd rather spend my money on blow or escorts.

[Mo Cheeks]

i think i'm pretty much done with consoles, gaming and the planned obsolence mantra that most companies adhere to these days. my house is already filled with stacks upon stacks of untouched electronics as it is.

i remember back when i wanted a ps3 really bad. and then i got it and a year or two later it was like eeh . i think for me, games reached their acme on the ps2.

GOW? RE4? The GTA trilogy? my heart races anytime i think of that era.

too bad I can't really enjoy a lot of those games anymore. time's definitely not been kind to them.

i'd rather spend my money on blow or escorts.

haven't been around these parts lately but this guy seems like a quality poster

[Random Sample]

I think I am going the PC route this time. I don't game much anymore, so I can't justify spending $400 on a system that I hardly use. I can get a decent video card for under $200 and play a little here and there. I have my PC hooked up to my home theater and Steam has a connection to use a ps4 controller through a blue tooth connection. So I don't have to use a keyboard and mouse.

[Smooth Lou]

I have a Wii U, but I still voted PS4. I'm not planning on pre-ordering/getting it at launch though. There are enough current-gen games to keep me busy for a while. Also, I think it is best to wait until a compelling enough game is released to make me want to pick up the system.

This x10000000000

I never owned a MS console, but my PS3 got a lot of play this generation. PS4 looks dope and it seems they took the hard lumps from the PS3's early days to heart. It's crazy to think about but there is a real possibility that this is the last generation of consoles as we know them. The console gaming generation basically revolves around our generation (20-late 30s) and the youngsters don't seem to give a shit.

The Wii U was a gift this past Christmas that I've only been using as a Hulu player and to play old Wii games I missed out on. There are currently no Wii U games worth playing outside of a party atmosphere (New Super Mario Bros & Nintendoland). New Pikmin and Rayman Legends will be first day purchases for me but other than that, I don't see any value from this console for the foreseeable future.

[Balzac]

i'll probably get both eventually but i'll be going with xbox first

[360]

Here is some good info on the differences of the next gen consoles from some dude named C Will:

A basic summary for those unable to watch the video (or who were turned off by the fact that the guy in the video kept referring to DDR5...)
PS4
8 GB of GDDR5 memory
256 bit bus
~5.5 Ghz data rate
Peak bandwidth - ~176 GB/s.
Xbox One
8 GB of DDR3 memory
256 bit bus
~2.1 Ghz data rate
Peak bandwidth - ~68.3 GB/s
Additionally, the Xbox One has approximately 32 megabytes of embedded SRAM (eSRAM) on the die. Reports suggest that there's approximately 50 GB/s of bandwidth in both directions for the embedded SRAM. We're still not quite sure how the eSRAM is being used - if it's being used as a cache, for example, the Xbox One could come close to matching the PS4's total memory bandwidth. Here's an article from AnandTech that provides a bit more detail.
Memory demands from the OS
Reportedly, the PS4 OS requires about 1 GB of memory, leaving 7 GB for developers. The Xbox One employs 3 different software elements - the Xbox OS, the Windows 8 kernel (thanks amxn), with both being tied together and managed by a hypervisor. The Windows 8 partition reportedly boots when the system is powered on and runs indefinitely until the system powers down. The Xbox OS partition, on the other hand, is booted only when you're playing a game. The hypervisor manages both of these seamlessly, allowing you to multitask between gaming and other entertainment features. It's being speculated that all three software elements consume 3 GB of memory, leaving 5 GB available for developers.
Differences in the types of memory
GDDR5 and DDR3 transmit data in different ways. GDDR5 has a relatively higher latency, but delivers data in larger chunks - exactly what you would want for a GPU, but not necessarily ideal for a CPU. On the other hand, DDR3, the memory type employed by the Xbox One, transmits smaller amounts of data more quickly - this is ideal for a CPU, but not exactly the best option for a GPU.
Here's a thread from r/buildapc from about 4 months ago that goes into a bit more detail regarding the differences.
The architectures of these systems are quite profound, as they reveal the overarching philosophies of both companies. Sony's approach with the GDDR5 is ideal for gaming, as it augments the GPU and is great for developers. Microsoft's choice for DDR3 (and the eSRAM) favors the CPU a bit more and, as a result, is better for activities like multitasking.
Aside from the memory subsystems, it should be noted that the PS4 simply does have more power under the hood, with 50% more raw shader power - 768 SPs at 800mhz for the Xbox One, versus 1152 SPs at 800 mhz for the PS4. Unlike the Playstation 3, this isn't a complicated architecture to understand, and it may not take anywhere near 3+ years for developers to harness this power.
Both systems, however, are exponentially significantly more powerful than the 360/PS3. One of the key features of both next gen systems is that they have unified memory pools. In your current computer, you have system memory, but your graphics card (if it's dedicated) has its own pool of memory as well. As a result, your system has to copy data from one pool of memory to the other, which takes time and can hinder peformance.
The 8 GB memory pools in the PS4/One are unified - meaning, quite simply, that both the CPU and GPU inside the PS4/One access the same pool of memory. This can provide significant performance increases (ie, the CPU can load textures into the memory, while the GPU is rendering). If you're interested in learning more about this, simply perform a search for "hUMA" (heterogeneous unified memory access).
And, even if you only game on a PC, and not a console, you should still be pretty excited, as the new consoles will only raise the bar for PC games. Porting games among the PC, PS4, and Xbox One is going to be far easier. In fact, the developer of Warframe recently said in an interview that Sony asked only 3 months ago if they wanted to bring the game to the PS4. They agreed, Sony sent devkits, and 3 months later, they showed off Warframe footage running on PS4 devkits at E3. Edit - Here's a link to the interview
This is definitely an exciting time to be a gamer.
Addendum
There seems to be much discussion comparing the next gen consoles against gaming PCs, and I think it's a bit unfair to make such direct comparisons. Many look at the Xbox One and PS4 and come to the conclusion that the consoles have about the same computational power as a Radeon 7850 (for those unaware, this is a mid range graphics card). And, in fact, this may be true. However, developing software for consoles is different than developing software for a PCs. When developing games for PCs, there tends to be a lot of abstraction.
A developer who is making a game to run on a PC has to make a game that can run on a seemingly endless amounts of hardware setups. Developers making a game for a console, on the other hand, know exactly what they're working with, and can extract every single iota of power from the console itself. To analogize this (bear with me) in a somewhat odd way, pretend your a chef. Your friend comes to you and tells you that there's a wedding taking place, and you need to make all the food for the reception. Well, OK, you could certainly do that successfully, but you may not get the best results. This would be similar to writing a game to run on PCs. Now, let's say your friend comes to you, says you need to make food for the reception, but tells you that there will be exactly 37 guests, 20 male, 17 female, half the males prefer chicken, the other half prefers steak, 1/3 of the females don't drink wine, none of the guests like seafood, and so forth (you get the idea). You know exactly what to make and how much to make to get the absolute best results.
It's not a perfect analogy, but hopefully it gives you an idea of why you can't exactly make a direct comparison between the next gen consoles and a PC of commensurate power. Since developers know exactly what they're working with, they can optimize their engines and games to get the most out of the console version.