1. technology and computing
2. consumer electronics
3. game systems and consoles
4. xbox

FEATURE
PS4 vs. XBOX ONE
XBOX ONE
Launch Date:
11/22/2013
Price:
$500
PS4
Launch Date:
11/15/2013
Price:
$400
FIGHT!
Two titans enter the ring, but will they both win a spot in your living room?
Words: Ryan Taljonick
40 Issue 34
November 2013
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A
fter nearly eight years of gaming on
the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii, you are
about to witness something that
doesn’t come along very often: the end
of a console generation. The release of Sony’s
PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One is at
our doorstep, promising to usher in a new era of
innovation, ever-prettier graphics, and console
capabilities unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
It’s hard to say what gaming’s future has in
store, but both Sony and Microsoft would have
you believe that their respective consoles are
must-own pieces of machinery. And, come
November, you’ll have to decide with your wallet
which of the two (both, perhaps?), if any, will
play a formative role in your next-gen gaming
experience.
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Both the PS4 and Xbox One are packed with
great features, and, more importantly, will be
home to some fantastic games, but there’s a lot
to consider before plopping down a few hundred
dollars: What exclusive games does each platform have in the pipeline? What multimedia
capabilities can you expect? How much will you
have to pay for online services? What about
features like motion controls, backward compatibility, livestreaming, and companion devices?
In the following pages you’ll find all the
crucial information you’ll need to decide which
console(s) will earn a spot in your living room.
The next generation is almost here—and, thanks
to this handy guide, you won’t have to jump into
it blind.
Issue 34
November 2013 41
PS4 COMPARISON
LIVESTREAMING
IN THE BOX
PS PLUS

PlayStation 4 console

DualShock 4 controller

Headset for voice chat

HDMI cable

USB cable
XBOX ONE COMPARISON
One of the advantages Sony’s PS3
had over Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is
that you could play online games
over the PlayStation Network for
free, whereas 360 players had to pay
a yearly fee for access to Xbox Live.
To play online with the PS4, you’ll
now have to shell out $50 a year for
a PlayStation Plus subscription. At
least that subscription comes with
It’s fun to let others spectate your
games. Right now, livestreaming from a
console to the Internet requires an external capture device and a nearby PC. With
the PS4, you can immediately stream and
commentate your games from your console to the entire world through services
like Ustream or Twitch simply by pressing
the “Share” button on the DualShock 4.
Time to say goodbye to complicated
streaming setups.
some free games every month!
PS4 CONTROLLER
TECHNICAL
SPECS_
Optical Drive: Blu-ray/DVD
RAM: 8GB GDDR5
CPU: Single-chip x86 AMD
“Jaguar” processor, 8 cores
GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics Core
Next engine w/ 1152 shaders
Storage: 500GB hard drive
(removable)
Max display resolution: 4k
(3840 x 2160)
Account access from multiple
consoles: Yes
Cross-game chat: Yes
Requires Internet connection: No
Backward compatibility: No
(cannot play PS3 games from disc,
or any non-PS4 downloadable
games)
SONY GAIKAI
It’s been hinted that Sony’s Gaikai
streaming service will eventually allow
you to play PSOne, PS2, and PS3
games Netflix-style over the Internet.
42 Issue 34
November 2013
Behold, the DualShock 4. It may look a bit bizarre at first glance, but this
thing is undeniably comfy. The screen-looking doodad in the center is
actually a touch pad, and the traditional DualShock’s Start and Select buttons are gone. In their stead are the new Share and Options buttons.
01
02
STREAMING
XBOX LIVE
In the next-gen battle, both the PS4
and Xbox One require yearly paid
subscriptions to play games over the
Internet. While PS Plus costs $50 per
year and comes with free games each
month, Xbox Live Gold will run you
$60—and there’s no guarantee you’ll
get any free titles. It will, however, offer cloud storage for your music, movies, and games, and your friends list
can now hold up to 1,000 gamertags.
Just as with the PlayStation 4, the Xbox
One has built-in streaming functionality,
meaning you don’t need anything but
your console and an Internet connection
to broadcast your gameplay. Twitch.tv
is the only streaming service available
on the Xbox One (compared to the PS4,
which has access to both Twitch and Ustream), but considering it’s far and away
the most popular service out there, this
should be a non-issue.
Microsoft claims to have made more than 40 improvements to the Xbox
One’s controller in comparison to that of the Xbox 360. It’s light and comfortable, the D-pad is considerably better than the one on the Xbox 360
controller, and the trigger buttons have rumble motors that promise to let
you feel the difference between firing a pistol and a rocket launcher.
01
03
02 Touch me
The touchpad is a curious
addition to the controller.
At the very least, it’ll add
a new method of input to
games. Let’s hope it’s not
too gimmicky.
03
03 Slick grips
The concave thumbsticks
on the DualShock 4 are
spaced farther apart to
avoid thumb collision
when you push them
toward one another.
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 Xbox One console
 Xbox One controller
 Kinect 2.0 motion sensor
 Headset for voice chat
 HDMI cable
XBOX ONE CONTROLLER
02
01 Share away
With a press of this
button you can stream
your games to Twitch.tv,
or post your own videos
to your favorite social
channels.
IN THE BOX
01 Rumble time
The Xbox One controller’s
Impulse Triggers have
built-in rumble motors to
provide more subtle force
feedback. www.atgamermagazine.com
02 Pad progress
The D-pad on the Xbox
360 controller is notorious
for being awful, but has
been vastly improved on
the Xbox One controller.
03 Thumb war
The thumbsticks on the
updated controller now
feature a really nice grip
texture to keep those
sweaty thumbs in place.
TECHNICAL
SPECS
Optical Drive: Blu-ray/DVD
RAM: 8GB DDR3 + 32MB eSRAM
CPU: Heavily modified x86 AMD
processor, 8 cores @ 1.75 Ghz
GPU: 853 MHz AMD Radeon GPU
w/ 768 shaders
Storage: 500GB hard drive
(not removable)
Max display resolution: 4k
(3840 x 2160)
Account access from multiple
consoles: Yes
Cross-game chat: Yes
Requires Internet connection: No
(but a connection is required to
install a day-one software update)
Backward compatibility: No
(cannot play 360 discs, or non–
Xbox One downloadable games)
MICROSOFT’S CLOUD
Xbox Live will have some 300,000
servers at its disposal for cloud
storage, AI computing, and multiplayer support.
Issue 34
November 2013 43
PS4 COMPARISON
XBOX
XXXXX
XBOX
ONEONE
COMPARISON
PLAYSTATION 4 EYE
KINECT 2.0
Unlike the Kinect 2.0, which comes bundled with every Xbox One console
(thus the $100 disparity in price between the platforms), the PlayStation 4
Eye is an optional add-on that will run you $60. Sony’s answer to the Kinect
isn’t quite as powerful as its competitor, but it will allow for gesture and
voice control of the software interface—a neat feature for those who can’t
be bothered to pick up the controller.
Kinect 2.0 comes bundled in with every purchase of Microsoft’s next-gen
console, and it’ll play an integral role in your gaming and media consuming
experience. Not only does it power the console on and off via voice recognition, but its cameras have been enhanced—and their field of view widened—to accommodate rooms of all sizes.
01
03
01
02
02
03
PLAYER TRACKING
PS4 Eye can track the DualShock 4’s
light-bar sensor. If you’re playing
splitscreen co-op and switch seats
on the couch, it’ll automatically rotate
your on-screen position.
01 Cameras
The PS4 Eye features
two wide-angle cameras
for more accurate motion
capture, and can read the
DualShock 4’s light-bar
sensor, the PS Move, and
body gestures.
02 Mic check
These four built-in
microphones will allow
the PS4 Eye to
accurately recognize
voice commands, a first
for any of Sony’s gaming
consoles.
03 Power up
This little knob is the power
source that you’ll plug into
your PS4; the rest of the
Eye can be rotated independently from it to achieve
the optimal viewing angle of
your room.
MULTIMEDIA
COMPANION
DEVICE PS VITA
Sony has big plans for the
PlayStation Vita—and if you don’t
already own one, you might want
to consider picking one up. Why?
Because many PS4 games can be
streamed directly to the handheld
machine, meaning you can play
titles like Killzone: Shadow Fall
and Infamous Second Son from
the comfort of your bed, even
when someone’s occupying the big
screen. The same holds true for
Gaikai; once the streaming service
is implemented, Sony could make
its classic game libraries available
on both your PS4 and Vita. Isn’t the
future of gaming grand?
44 Issue 34
November 2013
PRIVACY PREVAILS
Following consumer backlash about
privacy concerns, Microsoft has
stated that the Xbox One will now
work regardless of whether Kinect
2.0 is connected and powered on.
01 Glass eye
This high-def camera
allows for one-to-one
motion control, and, thanks
to special sensors, can
even accurately map out
your room in the dark.
02 Kinect your way
If you get leery about a
camera watching your every
move, but don’t feel like
unplugging your Kinect 2.0,
you can simply put it into
privacy mode.
03 Voice recognition
There are three microphones in this bar, which
are powerful enough to
isolate the voice of one
person from an entire
group.
MULTIMEDIA
Thought your PS3 or 360 was the ultimate media hub? Next-gen consoles
promise to expand on multimedia capabilities thanks to built-in livestreaming services, game capture and editing
software, and an expansion of video
and social services.
Microsoft’s next-gen platform has an
HDMI passthrough, meaning you can
route your cable box, older consoles,
or even a PS4 through the Xbox One instead of using multiple HDMI inputs on
your TV. Voice and motion navigation of
cable TV, here we come.
CONFIRMED SERVICES
 Netflix
 Hulu Plus
 Vudu
 Amazon
Instant
Video
 Crackle
 Twitch
 Crunchyroll
 NHL
 MLB.tv
 Cinema
Now
 Epix
 Music
Unlimited
 Video
Unlimited
 Facebook
GAME CAPTURE / SHARING
One of the Xbox One’s greatest multimedia features is Snap Mode, which allows
you to pull up two things onscreen at
once. Say you’re stuck in a game; simply
pull up Snap Mode, open YouTube, and
you can watch a guide as you play without
having to quit out of your game.
GAME CAPTURE / SHARING
The Xbox One will allow you to edit
and share clips from the last five
minutes of gameplay footage, which
is automatically recorded by the
console. There’s just one caveat:
You have to have a Gold subscription
to Xbox Live to access the Upload
Studio app, the service through which
editing is performed.
Capturing video footage from consoles
used to mean investing in a capture box.
Only then could you record proof of your
dominance, then edit all your best clips
together into an epic display of skill. The
PS4, however, records the last 15 minutes of your games automatically, which
you can then edit into easily shareable
clips right from your console.
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SNAP MODE
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SECOND-SCREEN
EXPERIENCE
XBOX SMARTGLASS
Microsoft may not have any
handheld gaming devices akin to
Sony’s Vita, but that doesn’t mean
you’ll miss out on a second screen
experience come next-gen (if
that’s something you’re interested
in). Simply download Microsoft’s
Xbox SmartGlass app on your
tablet or phone and you can access supplementary stats of your
favorite games while you play, as
well as your achievements and
Xbox Live profile. Sure, that’s not
quite as exciting as streaming PS4
games on a PS Vita, but at least
SmartGlass comes at the wonderful price of free.
Issue 34
November 2013 45
PS4 LAUNCH GAMES
Stealth plays an equal part in this white-knuckle shooter.
PS4 LAUNCH GAMES
Make some friends and race ‘em, too.
DOWNLOADABLE
PS4 GAMES
Lasers go fast, but you can go faster.
If the PS4’s hefty retail launch lineup isn’t enough to
keep you satiated for long, the PlayStation Network
will be host to some fantastic downloadable games,
including some that are 100 percent free to play.
TINY BRAINS
KILLZONE: SHADOW FALL
Publisher: SCE • Developer: Guerrilla Games •
Price: $59.99 • Genre: First-person shooter
One look at a trailer for Killzone: Shadow Fall is enough to
afflict viewers with a severe case of jaw droppage. The next
entry in the PlayStation-exclusive series of first-person
shooters is undeniably gorgeous—an unsurprising side effect
of being a next-gen game—and appears to be packed with all
the frantic shooting, setpiece explosions, and Helghast slaying
we’ve come to expect from the franchise.
Knack can add objects to augment his body mass and grow in size.
DRIVECLUB
Publisher: SCE • Developer: Evolution Studios •
Price: $59.99 • Genre: Racing
Itching for a competitive racing game? Driveclub is all about
forming teams—or clubs—with your friends and taking on the
opposition, either asynchronously or in real time online. And,
best of all, PlayStation Plus members can snag a free downloadable edition of Driveclub. If you want the full package,
though, you’ll have to pick up a retail copy of the game, which
comes with a slew of cars and tracks to race them on.
WAR THUNDER
WARFRAME
Behold the Behemoth!
Tiny Brains is a cutesy
co-op puzzler in which four
players—each with a unique
power—must work together
to escape the clutches of a
mad scientist.
Take part in epic battles
spanning World War II and
beyond in this free-to-play
multiplayer game. If you’ve
been itching for a good flight
combat sim, look no further.
RESOGUN
Publisher: SCE • Developer: Housemarque •
Price: TBA • Genre: Shoot-em-up
A spiritual successor to Super Stardust HD, Resogun promises
to be a fast-paced side-scrolling shooter in line with the kind
of games you’d expect from developer Housemarque. The
premise—dodging endless waves of incoming bullets while
destroying enemies with your own—may sound simple, but
the addition of a gravity mechanic, which affects projectiles
and movement, is bound to make the action interesting.
Are you afraid of the dark?
Few things are more satisfying than equipping
exo-armor and tackling allor-nothing missions with a
group of friends—exactly
what Warframe is all about.
DC UNIVERSE ONLINE
KNACK
Publisher: SCE • Developer: SCEJ • Price: $59.99 • Genre: Action
In a world overrun by Goblins, there’s only one hope: a
Frankenstein’s monster of a creature called Knack. During
his adventure to save mankind from the Goblin threat,
Knack will find ancient relics that he can assimilate into
his body, unlocking new powers. Game director and PS4
mastermind Mark Cerny describes the game as a cross
between Crash Bandicoot, Katamari Damacy, and God of
War. Count us in.
Games in the pipeline
INFAMOUS SECOND SON
(February 2014)
Fight back against an oppressive militant force with parkour
and superpowers in this openworld action-adventure game.
46 Issue 34
November 2013
We’ve all dreamt of becoming
a superhero, but DC Universe
Online lets you make your
own. Choose your powers,
customize your hero’s looks,
and fight the good fight.
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN
Publisher: Square Enix • Developer: Square Enix •
Price: $39.99 • Genre: MMORPG
Final Fantasy XIV may have had a shaky launch back in 2010,
but it’s been rebuilt from the ground up and relaunched as
the now-fantastic A Realm Reborn. Sure, it borrows a lot of
ideas from its competitors—public quests, raids, a traditional
leveling and combat system—but this Final Fantasy MMO
also has an awesome story and tons of fan service. Not to
mention it works surprisingly well with a DualShock.
DEEP DOWN (TBA)
In this free-to-play fantasy
RPG, you’ll have to travel back
through time and fight dozens
of harrowing monsters while
exploring dungeons.
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BLACKLIGHT RETRIBUTION
A sci-fi FPS with obscene
amounts of customization,
Blacklight: Retribution features tons of classic game
modes and a few unique
modes of its own.
Cross-Platform Games
Some games will launch on currentand next-gen platforms. If you pick
up a game on, say, PS3, you can
trade up to the next-gen version
for just $10 at Best Buy.
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CONTRAST
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive • Developer: Compulsion
Games • Price: $15 • Genre: Puzzle-platformer
In Contrast, a delightful puzzle-platformer that takes place
in the 1920s, an imaginary friend named Dawn is the only
hope young Didi and her family has of preventing their ruin. As
Dawn, you’ll have to traverse the film-noir setting, helping Didi
solve her family’s problems. The neat twist here is that some
puzzles have you move in 3D, then flatten yourself into the 2D
shadows in order to move forward.
BATTLEFIELD 4
The Battlefield franchise built its reputation
on large-scale combat, complete with vehicle
and infantry skirmishes. In Battlefield 4 you can
col
trigger map-changing events, such as the collapse of an entire skyscraper.
Issue 34
November 2013 47
XBOX ONE LAUNCH GAMES
Survive the zombie apocalypse your own way.
You’d be forgiven for thinking this is real life.
XBOX ONE LAUNCH GAMES
An old pugilist returns.
Games in the pipeline
TITANFALL
In this sci-fi first-person
shooter, your supersoldier
can perform crazy wall jumps,
summon giant mechs, and
pilot them in the battlefield.
PROJECT SPARK
DEAD RISING 3
Publisher: Microsoft • Developer: Capcom Vancouver •
Price: $59.99 • Genre: Third-person action
Hundreds of zombies. Countless craftable weapons. No load
times. These are but a few of the promises made by Dead
Rising 3, an open-world zombie action game in which you’ll
play the role of mechanic Nick Ramos. Unlike previous Dead
Rising games, you won’t face an always-running clock, and
new protagonist Nick can craft items on the fly no matter
where he is, giving him an extra survival edge.
Control the ancient world’s most powerful army.
FORZA MOTORSPORT 5
Publisher: Microsoft Studios • Developer: Turn 10 Studios •
Price: $59.99 • Genre: Racing
New racing games always boast having more cars, more
tracks, and more photorealistic graphics. Those are things
we’ve just come to expect, especially from Forza, a series
whose reputation is built on a devotion to realism. But Forza 5
takes innovation one step further with Drivatars, AI racers
that learn to mimic your driving abilities and will even earn you
street cred when you’re not online.
Fly through the skies and customize your very own dragon.
Project Spark isn’t so much a
game as it is a game maker,
allowing you to design your
own stories and gameplay
with an easy-to-use interface.
KILLER INSTINCT
Publisher: Microsoft Studios • Developer: Double Helix Games •
Price: $59.99 • Genre: Fighting
It’s been 17 years since the release of a Killer Instinct game,
a fighting franchise known for its double life bar, automatic
combos, and brutal finishing moves. We’d thought the series
gone forever—that is, until Microsoft announced a reboot
would be launching with the Xbox One. You can either try the
game out for free (though only one fighter will be available), or
purchase a disc with all fighters and stages unlocked.
Riding—and fighting—in style.
UNTITLED HALO
PROJECT
Microsoft hasn’t said whether
the next Halo title will be Halo 5
or some sort of spin-off, but
it’s definitely coming.
DOWNLOADABLE
XBOX ONE GAMES
Xbox Live’s digital storefront eventually paved the
way for incredible experiences such as Braid and
Super Meat Boy. Here are a few downloadables that’ll
kick off the Xbox One’s launch.
PEGGLE 2
RYSE: SON OF ROME
Publisher: Microsoft Studios • Developer: Crytek •
Price: $59.99 • Genre: Action
As the old adage goes, when in ancient Rome, slaughter your
opponents like the Romans do. In Ryse: Son of Rome, you play
as Roman general Marius Titus, who excels in both combat
and the leading of men. While you’ll be dishing out pain all
your own, you’ll also have to control his legion via voice-based
Kinect commands. Hmmm—wonder what happens when you
yell “This. Is. Sparta!”
Cross-Platform Games
CALL OF DUTY GHOSTS
Another year, another Call of Duty—except
this one comes with a helpful canine companion. New multiplayer additions include
maps with sections that can be destroyed.
48 Issue 34
November 2013
CRIMSON DRAGON
Publisher: Microsoft Studios • Developer: Grounding, Inc. /
Land Ho! • Price: $19.99 • Genre: Rail shooter
Crimson Dragon is a rail shooter in which you control—you
guessed it—a dragon. As you fly around each stage, your
goal is to shoot down as many enemies from the sky as possible while dodging their attacks. Movement can be controlled
via either the Xbox One controller or the Kinect, and you’ll
unlock many different dragons and dozens of customizable
skills as you play. Not bad for $20, eh?
WATCH_DOGS
Fight against Big Brother as
vigilante hacker Aiden Pierce
in this open-world actionadventure game. Think GTA
meets Splinter Cell.
LOCOCYCLE
Publisher: Microsoft Studios • Developer: Twisted Pixel Games •
Price: $19.99 • Genre: Racing / Beat-em-up
I.R.I.S. isn’t your typical crotchrocket—this sentient motorcycle
not only speaks 50 different languages, but also knows karate,
which will come in handy considering its mission is to seek
and destroy. LocoCycle offers a unique blend of the racing
and beat-em-up genres, as you’ll have to engage waves of
enemies in melee combat (again, as a motorcycle) all while
avoiding obstacles at breakneck speeds.
ASSASSIN’S CREED IV
BLACK FLAG
You’ve hunted Templars in Rome and in
the American colonies—now it’s time to
face them in the Caribbean as the turncoat pirate Edward Kenway.
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The world’s quirkiest
pachinko puzzler will return
in magnificent form with
Peggle 2, a sequel packed
with new stages, challenges,
and Peggle Masters.
POWERSTAR GOLF
Powerstar Golf is an arcade
take on one of the world’s
most popular sports. Each
golfer has a unique ability,
such as a super-powered
swing or a magnetic shot.
FIFA 14
The FIFA franchise has never
looked better thanks to EA’s new
Ignite engine, which features
advanced AI, more realistic character animations, and more.
Issue 34
November 2013 49