Features
Both consoles offer a fair number of comparable features. Each system’s online platform offers monthly free games for users with paid subscriptions to Games for Gold on Xbox One and PlayStation Plus on the PS4. These vary in quality but are both largely offering the same value for titles. Each system has relatively stable and streamlined online features that let you manage communities, follow social media, and upload your own content either via YouTube or Twitch.
If you are looking to get into VR right away, the PlayStation 4 should be your go-to system. It’s compatible with Sony’s PSVR, arguably the most wallet-friendly, bang for your buck VR system. As it stands, the Xbox One currently has no VR model, although Oculus compatibility is in the works for a possible 2017 release. However, if you’re itching to jump on the virtual reality train outside of a PC, then the PSVR is currently your best option.
If incorporating television and movie-watching is important to you, both systems support popular sites like Netflix, Xfinity, Amazon, and Hulu. Both also work with general cable as well, which can save you some trouble and counter space when setting up a system.
The biggest leg up that the Xbox One has over the PS4 is that a large portion of its library from the Xbox 360 is available to play on this generation’s console. While you can purchase some PS3 ports to play on a PlayStation 4, this comes at a price and with far fewer selections. You also have the Play Anywhere feature on Xbox, which allows users to play certain Xbox One games on PC, and vise versa.