A New Xbone!


For years I have been a self confessed Playstation fanboy, for no reason other than it's what I bought first, so I stuck with it.
I did get the original Xbox for a couple of LAN Halo tournaments back in the day but never had the urge to get the 360, in my eyes my PS3 was all over it. So naturally at the announcement of this current gen of consoles the XBox One didn't even register an original interest to me.

For the last couple of years now I have heard the arguments from both sides of the fence. One fan base claiming to be better than the other, all the while I was off to the side, just being happy to still be enjoying my time spent gaming.

More and more over the last few months, with the more people in the gaming industry I talk too it has been apparent that there is more to this other side of the fence I have ignored. So after much back and forth my wife finally had enough of my questioning and got me an early birthday present. A 500gb Xbox One.


First impressions after un-boxing were not the best.

First thing was the massive power box and an extremely loose fitting cord with it. It was in fact that loose that you only had to slightly move it, say if a child bumped it, and a sparking noise would happen and the console would shut down. Luckily enough I had a second cord I could swap out so no big issue.



Next I came across the controller, one that needed AA batteries installed, I have to admit I was a little shocked, then it dawned on me, at least I don't have to wait for it to charge up, I can get straight into playing. I picked up a rechargeable the next day as I went through the batteries relatively quickly.

Booting the console for the first time I was amazed at just how quiet it was. The fan noise from my PS4 has always been excessive, headset mic can pic it up. That massive power box does the job in keeping the XBox One cool.

Now let's get to the nitty gritty of it all, just how does it stack up when compared directly.

First of all the interface. Having used only the Playstation for the last two generations the Xbox One home screen feels slow and clunky, after a month of use my opinion has not changed. I am not a fan of the games being hidden away in an "app" I would much prefer them out in the open that I can scroll through and decide what to play.

The marketplace is definitely a new experience, one that took me a while to get the hang of. Now that I have it works well, and the range of items available isn't too bad either.

Screenshots and Video's, this is an area the XBox One is let down, not in its ability to share your productions, but just taking a screenshot is a hard task. To take a screenshot takes too long and you exit out of the game momentarily, the video option while clever in that it records what has happened not what is about too is again a long process.


Everything you screenshot or video is shared to your news feed inside the XBox app, which for me is brilliant, everything I use is Windows 10 based, phone, tablet PC, they all sync with the Xbox One and I have even been able to stream to my tablet, which is a pretty cool feature.




At the end of the day we have these consoles for one thing.... gaming! Let's be honest here, The Xbox One and Playstation 4 are equals. I have gotten my hands on a few good games including exclusives and they all look and play fantastic. 1080p or 900p I cannot pick it, I'm playing on a 4K TV and have no complaints.

The controller did take me a little time to get used to but now that I have it is comfortable to use, still feels massive though.
I've had some connectivity issues, problems with NAT types and being kicked from parties/games with friends. The download times are also excessive. These can be attributed to either the Xbox or the fact it is on WiFi, once I get another LAN cable I'll be able to check.
Overall my experience with the other side has been an enjoyable one, I get to play games with mates I haven't been able to in a while. I finally get to finish the Halo story, and above all else just enjoy something new I have been lucky enough to get my hands on.

PS4 V's XBox One is no more. Both have their qualities, both have their flaws. If you're on the fence I cannot help you. Passion for the past pushes me one way, but a new found level of enjoyment means I cannot go against it.

Whatever you choose, remember to enjoy yourself and enjoy what you are doing.

Pat (Snoogs)

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