Gut reaction – Xbox One vs PS4

Will Findlater – Editor: PlayStation 4

I’m leaning towards the PS4. Shoot-in-the-face fests and football franchise updates don’t excite me; Quantic Dream, Media Molecule and Jonathan Blow excite me, and each presented a demo at the PS4 event that left me wanting more. Sony’s trumpeting of 2013’s more esoteric gaming elements (and my non-journalistic assumption that it’s doing so for anything other than cynical reasons) has caught the attention of my Amiga-addicted inner child. Permit me to completely change my mind once E3 rolls around.

Tom Wiggins – Deputy Editor: Xbox One

I’m no Don Corleone when it comes to loyalty but in the four years since I plonked a PS3 alongside my trusty Xbox 360 I’ve only ever turned it on to play Uncharted 3 – and I gave that up halfway through because the tiny controller and stubborn sticks meant my shooting was about as accurate as a dog with an Uzi. I’m no shovel-handed giant but these paws have grown accustomed to the 360 pad – and while the revamped Kinect might mean I don’t need to use it as much with an Xbox One, I buy consoles for one main thing: to play games on my sofa in my pants.

Paddy Smith – Online Editor: Xbox One

Truth be told, I’m not much of a gamer. I’ve never owned an Xbox. My PS3 (I’m on my second) is used almost exclusively for catch-up TV, film on demand and as a Blu-ray player. But while Sony’s PS4 launch went heavy on gaming benefits, the Xbox One appealed to my sense of media unity. I’d love to bin my six remotes and have just the one. Scratch that – just the none. And while the TV utopia Microsoft’s promising may be a way off perfection, I’m leaning towards its media hub smarts over the PlayStation’s gaming prowess. And after all, I’ve never owned an Xbox.

Simon Osborne-Walker – App Editor: Xbox One

I’m a practical man, and the lack of PS4 hardware on which to get my calloused hands means that I’m currently anchoring up next to the Good Ship Xbox One. However, the winds shift rapidly and destructively in gaming – just look at Sega’s sunken wreck. If Sony rides in on the next tide with the right combination of compelling games and a sultry, specced-up media vessel to moor beneath my telly, I’ll raise the PS4 flag quicker than you can say “Jolly Roger”. It’s all-round media capability rather than gaming power that fills my sails these days, so I’ll chart my course accordingly.

Tom Parsons – Reviews Editor: PlayStation 4

A lack of backwards compatibility doesn’t bother me (come on, how many original Xbox or PS2 games have you actually played in the last five years?), and if Kinect works as well as Microsoft reckons it’s going to be ace. I’m more bothered about the slower RAM in the Xbox One, and the fact that Sony is welcoming indies while Microsoft closes the door on them. You can keep your Call of Dogs – I want more Journeys and Limbos, and right now it looks like PS4 is going to be the place to get them.

Stephen Graves – Online Deputy Editor: PlayStation 4

Brand loyalty’s not really an issue for me – I got on board the PS3 bandwagon because of its Blu-ray drive and because you didn’t have to pay for multiplayer. Having said that, I’ll likely stick with Sony – the PS4’s controller looks to have fixed the flaws of the DualShock 3, and the Kinect is just a little too intrusive for me. Plus we’ve yet to discover whether the Xbox One’s media smarts will reach markets outside of the US.

Mark Wilson – Features Editor: PlayStation 4

It’s PS4 for me, so far. I’m not convinced the Xbox One’s TV features are as revolutionary as Microsoft claims, and the interactive content is (at the moment) very US-centric. Consoles still should still focus primarily on games, and I’m more excited by the PS4’s exclusives (The Witness, Shadow Fall, DriveClub) and its embracing of indie developers.

Lucy Hedges – Multimedia Editor: Xbox One

I’m not a huge gamer. Wait, who am I kidding? I couldn’t give a toss about gaming. So while the Xbox massive is busy salivating over the prospect of exclusive franchises, new – albeit chunky – hardware and a refined controller, I’m getting rather excited about its potential as a multimedia system – I can’t wait to leave the remote wedged down the back of the sofa as I control my TV with flailing arms, while barking commands like a crazy person in the comfort of my own home. The Kinect’s all-seeing eye unnerves me somewhat, but it’s nothing that a tea cozy can’t fix.

Xbox One Luke Edwards – Multimedia Journalist: Xbox One

I’m an avid gamer. But I don’t know which console I want. I have a paragraph to decide. Looks don’t really matter to me, so the retro VCR shell of the Xbox One isn’t a turn-off – it’s certainly better than Sony’s blur-box we’ve been shown. An even zero points. But I love Gears of War and Halo. Point to Xbox. I also prefer the Xbox gimmick-free controller. Cha-ching, two points. But indie gaming is the future and Sony is more open to it. Plus the PS4 has more power. Two points to Sony. The deciding point has to go to the Kinect voice and gesture controls, which have me leaning towards the Xbox – until we get some solid info on pricing and game releases. Roll on E3.

Esat Dedezade – Staff Writer: Xbox One

The Xbox One launch needed less TV and more games, though they have to leave something to show off at E3, I suppose – I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some mind blowing new titles. I actually quite like its no-nonsense simple design and look forward to it becoming the central hub of my living room, despite the slightly unnerving (but awesome) telescreen-like Kinect. Plus it looks like it’s got the best controller ever made. While I am tempted by the PS4, I’m hopelessly addicted to Halo and wouldn’t trade my Spartan armour for anything else.

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