When the next generation of consoles were released at the end of 2013, there was a lot of hype over both Microsoft’s Xbox One and the Sony PS4. Truth be told, Microsoft had seemingly shot themselves in the foot when they made it clear that games could not be traded between Xbox One owners like it could be done on the PS4 (although Microsoft went back on this after the horrendous press this got from the public). It has been nearly three years which means the question has to be re-raised – which next generation video console should you go for if you have not already committed to one already? 

Virtual Reality

The first thing which will dictate many people what console they go for is the VR headsets that will come with both. As it stands, Sony are planning to realise the Playstation VR near the end of 2016, which will feature a 100 degree 5.7″ AMO-LED screen that can work with all the games on the console. For the Xbox, they will be releasing, well, nothing it seems. Microsoft claim that the likes of Oculus and HTC doing VR means they will not be adding anything to the market – does this mean the Oculus or HTC VR headsets will work with Xbox? Who knows. But, at the moment, the only console with any real VR experience will be the Sony PS4.

What more, Sony are also looking to release the PlayStation VR Aim which will be a gun designed specifically to work in virtual reality. From looking at some of the demos people have done of using the gun, such as even looking down the sights in VR, it is safe to say it is something to get excited about.

Pricing

In terms of the pricing between the two consoles, they have depreciated in value at about the same rate. Therefore, if you are a big tight or on a budget, neither console is cheaper than the other.

Games

Another big reason to go for one console over the other is for the exclusive games a console brings. For example, Xbox have Halo and Forza Motorsport whereas Sony have Gran Turismo and Uncharted. In all fairness, it depends on what type of genre you enjoy playing to choose what console to go for. But, there are many games for each genre so don’t worry if you end up buying an Xbox and wanting to play Uncharted – there will be alternatives to Uncharted on the Xbox.

Who Wins?

Ultimately, forgetting about VR, both consoles are very closely matched to each other: so close that I couldn’t pick a winner. However, after seeing what the Sony VR headset can do with the gun and knowing that Xbox have not got any sort of VR experience lined up for the foreseeable future, I cannot help but be in heavily favour of the PS4 to the Xbox One. Either way, the future of gaming looks very bright.