虽然许多游戏机制造商来来去去，但今天只有两个主要参与者——索尼和微软(Sony and Microsoft)。当然，任天堂(Nintendo)仍然非常受欢迎，但它的混合Switch 控制台(Switch console)并没有真正与PlayStation 4或Xbox One竞争。
这两个主流游戏机(mainstream console)巨头是您可以找到最新 AAA 游戏的地方。专注于马力和令人瞠目结舌的图形，你会发现更令人印象深刻的游戏的唯一地方是在 PC 上。当然，要付出代价。
真正的问题是如何决定你应该购买哪个平台。最简单的答案是两者都买，但这显然不是大多数人负担得起或明智的选择。如果您决定在游戏 PC 上使用控制台路线(console route)，那么哪个更好？
事实是，哪种产品“更好”与你自己的价值观、品味和环境有关，而不是任何客观的优势。为帮助您选择一方，以下是PlayStation 与(PlayStation vs) Xbox 之战时(Xbox battle)需要考虑的几个关键点。
我的朋友在哪里玩？(Where Do My Friends Play?)
对于许多人来说，电子游戏在很大程度上是一种社交爱好。多人(Multiplayer)游戏比以往任何时候都更受欢迎，并且是现代游戏机的主要卖点(selling point)。如果您是那种与您的朋友一起在网络游戏中投入巨资的游戏玩家，那么您几乎已经做出了决定。
在大多数情况下，您只能与与您在同一平台上的其他玩家一起玩。因此，如果您所有的朋友都使用PS4或Xbox，您将不得不效仿。
话虽如此，所有游戏机制造商都开始热身于跨平台游戏的想法。因此，从长远来看，这可能不是问题。特定游戏已经让您可以在其他游戏机甚至 PC 上与游戏玩家一起玩。除非(Barring)有特定的技术限制，否则这很可能成为未来的常态。
独家标题(Exclusive Titles)
控制台只是达到目的的一种手段。我们不想要控制台本身，我们想要玩电子游戏！每个游戏机品牌(console brand)都有独家的特许经营权和头衔，通常由游戏机制造商(console maker)自己资助和开发。要么通过它拥有的工作室，要么通过它签约开发独家游戏的工作室。
例如，Halo和Forza游戏被视为 Xbox 的系统销售商。Gran Turismo和战神(God of War)系列将是Playstation 方面(Playstation side)的例子。
在控制台之间进行选择通常是选择您想玩更多的独家游戏的问题。这里有几件事要记住，以帮助您做出决定。
首先，如今真正的独家产品相对较少。除了第一方游戏外，许多独占游戏实际上都是“定时”独占。这意味着，如果您等待的时间足够长，它将来到您选择的平台。
您还应该考虑到随着一代人的临近，游戏机会变得更便宜。因此，如果您愿意等待，您可以在世代周期后期播放其他平台的独家游戏，此时提供最优惠的价格。如果围栏(fence feel)一侧的独家产品感觉像是您无法耐心等待的那种标题，那么您应该听从自己的直觉并购买支持它们的控制台。
向后兼容性(Backwards Compatibility)
Xbox 和 Playstation(Xbox and Playstation)都有很长的游戏机历史，但你能在最新一代的游戏机上玩它们吗？能够在较新的系统上播放较旧的游戏是一种称为“向后兼容性”的功能。
从真正意义上说，这意味着能够从旧游戏机中取出原始光盘，将其放入新机器并玩您的游戏。从这个角度来看，只有Xbox One在两个当前一代游戏机之间具有向后兼容性。您可以将您的Xbox 360或原始Xbox 光盘(Xbox discs)放入您的Xbox One控制台并播放它们。
然而，这确实有一些警告。只有受支持列表中(supported list)的游戏才能运行，并且该游戏(game doesn)实际上并不能从您的原始光盘播放。该光盘是所有权证明，可让您访问经过测试的游戏数字版本。这(Which)意味着您确实需要有效的互联网连接(internet connection)和等待下载的耐心。
那时它不是通用的向后兼容性，但很有可能您现有的许多Xbox 360和原始(Original)游戏都可以使用。如果您不拥有这些光盘，您可以随时简单地购买这些游戏的数字版本。
在PS4上，情况看起来非常不同。根本没有PlayStation 1兼容性，至少在撰写本文时没有。此功能可能会在某个时候添加到PS4（和PS5）中，但现在情况并非如此。这使得PS4成为第一款缺乏PS1 兼容性的(PS1 compatibility)索尼游戏机(Sony console)。同样(Likewise)，PS2 和 PS3(PS2 and PS3)光盘也无法使用。
这并不是说您可以在PS4上玩(PS4)PS1、PS2 和 PS3 游戏(PS2 and PS3 games)中的任何游戏。许多流行的游戏已被移植到PS4，您可以购买它们作为数字下载。但是，您的原始光盘不授予您使用这些版本的权利，并且它们经过精心改造以在新控制台上播放。
原始力量(Raw Power)
视频游戏机的功能和性能(power and performance)一直是激烈争论的沃土。尤其是跨平台游戏，可以直接比较画质和性能(image quality and performance)。这也是对控制台进行排名的最简单区域。
实际上有两个PS4和两个 Xbox One 性能级别，总共有四种型号。在这里，它们从最弱到最强排列：
- Xbox One 和 One S
- 游戏机 4
- Playstation 4 Pro
- 的 Xbox 一 X
如果您想了解有关这两种高性能型号的更多详细信息，请查看我们关于如何在每个品牌的基本型号和“专业”型号之间进行选择的文章。在这两种情况下，如果您无论如何都要购买新的控制台，那么如果可以的话，值得购买更高端的型号。也就是说，如果您高度重视视频游戏的技术性能。
游戏开发人员确保他们的游戏在每个控制台的基本模型上都有趣且可玩。因此，这不是游戏体验差与好的问题。相反，这是一个好与更好的问题。
增值服务(Value-Added Services)
当您决定使用Playstation 和(Playstation vs) Xbox时，您不仅仅是在选择一个控制台。你也在选择一个生态系统。这两个品牌都有自己的付费在线订阅，让您可以访问多人游戏以及免费的每月游戏。此外，会员还可获得独家内容或价格优惠(content or price discounts)。
PlayStation Plus 和 Xbox Live Gold(PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold)都相互竞争，但您可能会发现其中一个比另一个更符合您的喜好。例如，如果您的订阅失效，您将无法访问PlayStation Plus“免费”(PlayStation Plus “)游戏(Games)，而Gold游戏则不是这样。
微软(Microsoft)还拥有业界领先的Game Pass 服务(Game Pass service)，它的工作方式有点像Netflix，但适用于视频游戏。只要您是订阅者，就可以下载和播放一个标题库。更好的是，您可以付费购买一个Game Pass版本，让您可以访问Xbox 和(and)Windows 上的游戏。
虚拟现实(Virtual Reality)
虚拟现实比以往任何时候都更好、更实惠，但它仍然相当昂贵。您今天可以获得的最具成本效益的AAA VR 体验(AAA VR experience)来自索尼的PS4，通过使用PSVR 插件(PSVR addon)。
PlayStation 4是唯一提供VR 游戏的游戏机(VR gaming)，因此，如果您对 VR 完全感兴趣并且不想投资基于 PC 的设置，您应该强烈考虑PlayStation 4。
Playstation 与 Xbox：下一代(Playstation Vs Xbox: The Next Generation)
在撰写本文时，有关PlayStation 5和下一代 Xbox(next-generation Xbox)的详细信息开始浮出水面。现在就这些控制台中的哪一个是最好的做出正确的决定还为时过早，但你在当前这一代的选择将对这个决定产生影响。
几乎可以肯定，这两款游戏机至少向后兼容当前一代游戏机。这意味着您可以在新机器启动时无缝地将您的游戏收藏(game collection)转移到新机器上。
鉴于视频游戏的价格昂贵，在新品牌的游戏机上重新购买视频游戏是一个令人生畏的想法。所以在考虑你今天想走哪条路时，请记住这一点。
Playstation vs Xbox: How To Choose What’s Right For You
While many console makers have come and gone, today there are only two main players – Sony and Microsoft. Of course, Nintendo is ѕtill incredibly popular, but its hуbrid Switch console isn’t really in competition with either the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.
These two mainstream console titans is where you’ll find the latest AAA games. With a focus on horsepower and eye-popping graphics, the only place you’ll find more impressive gaming is on the PC. At a price, of course.
The real question is how to decide which platform you should buy. The simplest answer is to buy both, but that’s obviously not an affordable or sensible option for most people. If you’ve decided to go the console route over the gaming PC, then which is better?
The truth is that which product is “better” has more to do with your own values, tastes and circumstances than any sort of objective superiority. To help you pick a side, here are a few key points to consider when it comes to the PlayStation vs Xbox battle.
Where Do My Friends Play?
For many people, video games are largely a social hobby. Multiplayer titles are more popular than ever and a major selling point for modern consoles. If you’re the type of gamer that’s heavily invested in online gaming with your pals, then the decision has almost been made for you.
For the most part, you can only play with other players on the same platform as you. So if all your friends have gone with the PS4 or, alternatively, the Xbox, you’ll have to follow suit.
That being said, all the console manufacturers are starting to warm up to the idea of cross-platform play. So this may not be a problem in the long term. Specific titles already let you play with gamers on other consoles or even the PC. Barring specific technical limitations, that may very well become the norm in future.
Exclusive Titles
Consoles are merely a means to an end. We don’t want the console for its own sake, we want to play video games! Each console brand has exclusive franchises and titles, which are often funded and developed by the console maker itself. Either through a studio it owns or one it’s contracted to develop exclusive games.
For example, the Halo and Forza games are considered system sellers for Xbox. Gran Turismo and the God of War series would be examples from the Playstation side of things.
Picking between consoles can often be a matter of choosing which set of exclusive game you want to play more. There are a few things to keep in mind here, to help you decide.
Firstly, true exclusives are relatively rare these days. With the exception of first-party titles, many exclusive games are actually “timed” exclusives. Which means that if you wait long enough, it will come to the platform of your choice.
You should also consider that consoles get cheaper as the generation heads towards its end. So if you’re willing to wait, you can play the other platform’s exclusive titles later in the generational cycle, when the best deals are on offer. If the exclusives on one side of the fence feel like the sort of titles you can’t be patient for, then you should listen to your gut and buy the console that supports them.
Backwards Compatibility
Both Xbox and Playstation have a long history of consoles with fantastic games, but can you play any of them on the latest generation of console? Being able to play older titles on newer systems is a feature known as “backwards compatibility.”
In its true sense, it means having the ability to take the original disc from the older console, popping it into the new machine and playing your game. From that point of view, only the Xbox One has backwards compatibility between the two current-generation consoles. You can put your Xbox 360 or original Xbox discs into your Xbox One console and play them.
This does have a few caveats however. Only games on a supported list will work and the game doesn’t actually play from your original disc. The disc is proof of ownership, which gives you access to a tested digital version of the game. Which means you do need an active internet connection and the patience to wait for a download.
It’s not universal backwards compatibility then, but chances are plenty of your existing Xbox 360 and Original games will work. If you don’t own the discs, you can always simply buy the digital versions of these games.
On the PS4, things look very different. There is no PlayStation 1 compatibility at all, at least not at the time of writing. This feature may be added to the PS4 (and PS5) at some point, but right now that’s not the case. This makes the PS4 the first Sony console to lack PS1 compatibility. Likewise, PS2 and PS3 discs won’t work.
That’s not to say you can play any games from the PS1, PS2 and PS3 games on your PS4. Many popular titles have been ported to the PS4 and you can buy them as digital downloads. However, your original discs do not entitle you to these versions and they have been painstakingly reworked to play on the new console.
Raw Power
The power and performance of video game consoles has always been fertile ground for heated debate. Especially when it comes to cross-platform games, where you can compare image quality and performance directly. This is also the easiest area within which to rank the consoles.
There are actually two PS4 and two Xbox One performance levels, making for four models in total. Here they are ranked from weakest to most powerful:
- Xbox One and One S
- Playstation 4
- Playstation 4 Pro
- Xbox One X
If you want to know more details about the two high-performance models, check out our article on how to pick between the base and “pro” models of each brand. In both cases, if you are buying a new console anyway, it’s worth going with the higher-end models if you can. That’s if you put a high priority on the technical performance of video games.
Game developers ensure that their games are fun and playable on the base models of each console. So it’s not a question of bad versus good gaming experiences. Rather, it’s a question of good versus better.
Value-Added Services
When you decide to go with either Playstation vs Xbox, you are not just picking a console. You are also choosing an ecosystem. Both brands come with their own paid online subscriptions, which give you access to multiplayer as well as free monthly games. In addition, members may get exclusive content or price discounts.
Both PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold are competitive with each other, but you may find one to be more to your liking than the other. For example, you lose access to PlayStation Plus “free” titles if your subscription lapses, which is not true for Games with Gold titles.
Microsoft also has the industry-leading Game Pass service, which works a bit like Netflix does, but for video games. There’s a library of titles that you can download and play as long as you’re a subscriber. Even better, you can pay for a version of Game Pass that gives you access to titles on both Xbox and Windows.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is better and more affordable than ever, but it’s still pretty expensive. The most cost-effective AAA VR experience you can get today comes from Sony’s PS4, through the use of the PSVR addon.
The PlayStation 4 is the only console that offers VR gaming, so if you are at all interested in VR and don’t want to invest in a PC-based setup, you should strongly consider the PlayStation 4.
Playstation Vs Xbox: The Next Generation
At the time of writing, details about the PlayStation 5 and next-generation Xbox are starting to emerge. It’s still far too early to make good decisions about which of these consoles are best, but your choices during the current generation will have an impact on that decision.
Both consoles are almost certain to be backwards compatible with at least the current generation of consoles. Which means you can seamlessly move your game collection over to the new machines when they launch.
Given how expensive video games are, it’s a daunting idea to re-buy your video games on a new brand of gaming machine. So do keep that in mind when thinking about which way you’d like to go today.
