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Hello! In this article I am going to be comparing the two new next-gen consoles, the Xbox One and the PS4! These are some of the most anticipated consoles of the year, especially with some of the games that are going to be coming out. To start with I am going to go over the setup process, then I am going to compare at the end what was good and bad about each console along with how complicated the setup process is for each one. The main aim here is to get an objective view of which console could possibly be better – so without further ado, lets get onto the setup!

So both the Xbox one and the PS4 are relatively similarly priced, with the Xbox one costing slightly more – the thing that will attract people to either console is probably the “console-exclusives”, which are games that will only be published on one or the other console.

The start of the setup process for the PS4 and Xbox One – Here I have laid them both out on a table. This is a good comparison of their size relative to each other.

Here I am plugging both of the consoles into the wall socket – you can see the slight differences in the plugs (left is Xbox One, right is PS4).

Connect the power cable into the PS4 – the one good thing about this is that there is one cable directly to the mains, there’s no power pack which a lot of people prefer.

Here is a comparison of the power supplies of the consoles, as you can see that Sony have simplified theirs to just a plug and wire, whereas Microsoft have complicated this by adding a power supply box, although you could argue this is beneficial for the console for surge protection etc. Portability or safety?

Here is a clear demonstration of the extra step that is needed to be taken in order to plug power into the Xbox One, and especially compared to the simplicity and familiar ports of the PS4, it really does make it more of an annoyance than an inconvenience.  (PS4 left, Xbox middle and right).

Plug the HDMI into the TV, this is good as well because HDMI is simpler, with just one cable for video and audio – it’s also a more reliable to get solid FPS.

Plug the HDMI into the PS4 and that’s pretty much it for wires that go into the back, it’s very simple and accessible.

Here you can see some of the differences in the ports etc, it’s pretty standard so not much of a step in either direction here.

Here is where the kinect needs to be connected to the xbox, this is where the setup process can get somewhat annoying due to the amoujnt of wires that you need to fiddle around with, but nonetheless it’s not too hard and you can set it up rather quickly – provided you have a space to put the kinect, which can be a challenge in of itself – haha!

Plugging in the controller if wired. Ours is wireless so we’ll continue.

The controllers are pretty easy to connect wirelessly – the controllers that both the consoles come with are automatically paired out of the box, so there is no holding extra buttons on both the console and the controller etc – good job on Sony and Microsoft! Making our lives just that bit easier.

Here we used the controller to turn the PS4 on – this is a useful feature if you’ve sat down and actually forgotten to turn it on, and again makes the PS4 very accessible due to being able to just sit down and use the controller for everything.

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Beginning of setup – Telling us to connect a controller.

Choosing the time zone.

This is where we tried to set the PS4 up for online use, but couldn’t do it quite successfully.

Setup the time.

Power saving settings – Useful for people who are concerned about this sort of stuff.

Selecting the language.

Accepting the licence agreement. We read the entire thing thoroughly and agreed to sell our souls to Sony.

Yay!

How friendly.

The PS4 UI is actually very nice and easy to navigate compared to other consoles.

Putting the only game we had in – Destiny.

We actually did try to play it but were unable to because of not having an internet connection, but the PS4 was set up and ready to play any other game you have that isn’t online!

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Turn on the xbox using the controller and beginning the setup!

Another friendly intro. Hi Xbox!

Trying to connect to our nonexistent internet.

Telling it our location.

There was actually a fair amount of hassle to set up the microphone, as we struggled to get the correct pitch etc.

So many updates.. this took forever.

2gb… on near-0 internet. God damn it.

Power saving. I’m sure on an average street this will take out most of the street lamps with it’s power consumption but sure.

More loading bars. PTSD every time you see one.

Yep. The controller.

Kindly reminding us of the fantastic console we had bought, after this you’re taken to the home screen – unfortunately we didn’t have any games to test. But the setup process for the xbox was considerably longer than the setup process for the PS4, overall I think Sony put more effort into making the PS4 accessible.

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I wanted to talk about the design, ergonomics and aesthetics of each console and their controllers again – here is an image of both side by side;

As you can see, Sony had designed their console with a sleek design in mind, and the console really does reflect that design ethos, it looks nice, fast and almost “sport”-like – I am reminded of a sports car or something along those lines when I look at it. This doesn’t come without its flaws, though. For example this gives it a more fragile look. It doesn’t look as heavy or nearly as durable as it probably is, and the slanted shape at the front and the back can make it difficult to plug certain things into it.

On the other hand, Microsoft have clearly designed their console with a big, bulky and sturdy design in mind – this console reminds me of a tank, or some other military vehicle. This console really does feel like a polar opposite to the console sitting beside it. The quick, sleek and sporty look of the PS4 is a stark contrast to the bulky and durable Xbox One next to it. This thing looks like it’s not going to break. Ever. This does make it easier to put discs in, plug wires in and do whatever else with it, it’s just a more practical shape overall.

The controllers don’t quite follow these designs. The PS4 controller, having held it myself, is a lot more comfortable than the PS3 controller, so they are definitely improving their design, but I really think that the old design – and lets face it, it’s pretty much the same design as the PS2 dualshock controller – doesn’t necessarily mean better. The Xbox has nailed the controller design, being both comfortable and easy to use – and still feeling just as sturdy as the console it represents! It also looks better, but that’s more subjective than anything else. But I don’t think anyone else is denying that the PS4 controller looks phallic in some places(!).

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I think I have just about covered both consoles and their setup processes. This isn’t the article to be comparing the graphics, quality of gameplay or hardware components – this is purely from a design point of view and the article is written to accomodate as such. I am personally a PS4 fan (if I were forced to choose), but who is it up to to decide which is better? Overall they both have their pros and cons, and it is up to the buyer to decide.