By Michael Yeatts

On Nov. 15, North American retailers were hit with lines that trailed for hours as fans queued up to get their hands on the superior next-generation console: the PS4.

Since the E3 conference, even Microsoft-phile gamers could not help but see Sony’s PS4 being unveiled and reconsider their beloved Xbox. Now that both the Xbox One and PS4 are out, consumers are voting with their wallets on which system they prefer. For now both consoles seem to be tied in total sales. From what Sony and Microsoft have released, they both sold around a million consoles on their first day of release and are both still sold out in retail stores.

Microsoft launched the Xbox One in 13 countries opening day, whereas Sony launched the PS4 in two (the United States and Canada). And once the PS4 was released across the pond in the United Kingdom on Nov. 29, it sold 250,000 consoles within the first 48 hours of release as opposed to the Xbox One which sold 150,000 consoles in its first 48 hours of release. Considering the PS4 hasn’t been released to the massive PlayStation-centric fan base in Japan just yet, it’s safe to say that Sony will outrun Microsoft in next-gen console sales very soon. Though it is still up in the air, it seems the PS4 has won this battle of the console war.

As far as pricing goes, the PS4 has the Xbox One beat. For the console itself, the PS4 is a whopping $100 cheaper at $400 retail vs. the Xbox’s $500. Many Xbox diehards point out that Sony is forcing PS4 users to purchase PlayStation Plus in order to play online multiplayer. Though this is true, Microsoft has done this the days of the Xbox 360 in the form of Xbox Live, so it is not an atrocious stipulation on the part of Sony. Further, an annual PlayStation Plus subscription is $50 yearly as opposed to Xbox live that is $60 annually. Add that, the massive amount of free perks such as free games, access to certain betas, and early access to some DLCs, the hundred dollars less paid in purchasing the console and the higher quality machine, the addition of charged-to-play multiplayer seems comparatively miniscule.

Though the PS4 is sold at a lower price, the tech quality is by no means cheaper. The CPU (central processing unit) of the PS4 is the 8-core Jaguar and is clocked in at 1.6GHz; this is a significantly more powerful operating system than that of the PS3, which used a Cell microprocessor and clocked in at 3.2GHz. This enables the system to do things that the last generation could not such as multitask large applications, not have to shut down when a game crashes, and play some of the larger, higher-quality games that would formerly only be accessible on PC. That said, the Xbox One and PS4 have virtually the same CPU.

The GPU (graphical processing unit), on the other hand, in the PS4 has a distinct advantage on the Xbox One. The Xbox One has 12 CUs (compute units) versus the PS4’s 18 CUs. Logistically speaking, the PS4 (1152 shades) has an impressive %50 more graphical processing power than the Xbox One (768 shades). In other words, the PS4 has better graphic capabilities than the Xbox One. Games that can correspond with these capabilities on the PS4 will look amazingly detailed in a way that Xbox cannot match.

Aside from the hardware, the aesthetic of the machine is a manifestation of what a next-gen console should look like. Having unboxed a PS4 myself, I was in awe at the immaculate beauty of the system, intrigued by the asymmetry of its design as though it were a piece of modern art, and surprised at the compactness of the device. The PS4 is about two thirds the size of the Xbox One; this means that the PS4 has the shelf size and visual appeal for the casual gamer while still packing the power needed to support the hardcore gamer’s requirements. This sharp, literally-edgy style strays from the rounded hull of the PS3, giving the PS4 a very distinctive and pronounced look. Conversely, when looking at the Xbox One, it’s hard to escape the feeling that you are looking at an Xbox 360 because the two look too similar. When compared side-by-side, the cumbersome size and slightly re-mastered look of the Xbox One seemed blunt as opposed to the smooth, slanted dimensions of the PS4.

Arguably, the main antithesis of the PS4 is the hefty exclusives the Xbox One has in comparison to those of the PS4. More specifically, launch titles such as Dead Rising 3, Forza Motorsport 5 and Ryse: Son of Rome have been highly anticipated and very popular. This is magnified when paired with the titles Sony has made exclusive at launch –Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack and Resogun-that haven’t been nearly as anticipated or popular. Though this is a valid point, Sony’s primary titles are still to come, and they’re worth the wait. The only huge titles that the Xbox One still has exclusively for console release in the near future are Halo 5 and TitanFall; the PS4 has major console exclusive games like Infamous Secound Son, Final Fantasy XIV, The Order: 1886, Outlast, Diablo III, DayZ and Uncharted that are still to be released. The PS4 also has many free-to-play console exclusives like Deep Down, Planetside 2, Warframe and DC Universe Online. That’s not to mention the plethora of other Sony-exclusive titles that are lesser known and potential hits. Further, the behemoth hit Minecraft is coming to the PS4; need I say more? In the long run, the shortcomings of the Sony’s launch exclusives are eclipsed when one looks at the seriously awesome game lineup that PS owners have in store.

All in all, the PS4 looks to have finished ahead of the Xbox One.  Aside from things previously mentioned like hardware, appearance, pricing and games, the PS4 also has other unique and valuable additions that the Xbox One does not, such as the Dualshock 4 controller, the liberty to share games without much complication and the ability to use the versatile PS Vita as a touchscreen controller. When all aspects are considered, buying Sony’s manifestation of next-gen is the better short and long-term investment.