Sony and Microsoft have released new video game consoles to record numbers just in time for Black Friday and the holiday season. On Nov. 15, Sony’s PlayStation 4 broke all previous console records before it, selling over 1 million systems in the United States and Canada within the first 24 hours of its release. Microsoft’s Xbox One, released Friday, Nov. 22, set a record for Microsoft, also selling over 1 million consoles in 13 countries. In comparison Nintendo’s Wii U, released Nov. 18, 2012, sold 400,000 systems in the first week according to an article on Arstecnica.
The buzz leading up to the release of all the new consoles has caused people to take sides.
“The PS4 focuses on the gaming experience rather than the entertainment aspect. Xbox One mostly tries to put together the whole package of entertainment with movies, music, and not so much on gaming like the PS4,” said UO senior Mackenzie Allen about his decision to purchase the PS4. “I grew up with a PlayStation and a lot of the games I played with as a kid are only exclusively on PlayStation and not Xbox,” Allen added.
“I bought it because I love the Xbox and wanted a new one. I like it because it has better graphics and there is voice control,” said UO junior Evan McCausland.
In the midst of this debate between brands, some students lack interest in the dispute. “Maybe I’m the only weirdo on campus who doesn’t care about games,” said Hortensia Gutierrez, a UO graduate student. “I don’t know the difference between the two.”
According to the PS4 FAQ, the system costs $399.99 and includes a 500 GB hard drive, a dual shock wireless headset and both a power and HDMI cable. The PS4 boasts ten times the processing power of its previous incarnation, the PS3.
The Xbox One is priced at $499.99 and features a personalized home screen as well as multitasking features that allow the user to perform actions like Skype and watch television simultaneously.
The Xbox One released with 22 accompanying launch titles, while the PS4 released 24 according to an article on Den of Geek.
Many stores including Best Buy, Fred Meyer and GameStop celebrated both consoles’ releases with midnight launches. Additionally, GameStop held prelaunch events for the Xbox One and PS4. The prelaunch event for the Xbox One allowed customers who had pre-ordered the new system to trade in their old hardware for a 90 percent bonus credit according to a piece on Gamespot.
Yuliana Barrales contributed to this story.
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