Both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One want to be way more than just your gaming console—they want to be the centerpiece of your home entertainment system. This week, we got our first look at the apps that'll launch with both consoles. Here's how they measure up.
On the numbers game alone, Xbox One appears to have the edge with 19 video services ready to go (if you include HBO GO, which won't launch on the console until the spring). By contrast, PS4 starts off with only 12, one of which is YuppTV. Both have the major players including Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video.
As for what sets the two apart, HBO Go is a big victory for Xbox One. From there, the most noticeable separation is in sports. Xbox One will launch with ESPN and the NFL, whereas the PS4 has the NBA and NHL.
Even though some of the extras available on Xbox One—like Verizon FiOS TV, as well as network apps for Fox and FX—might not seem that important, they ultimately could be the difference in how you experience the consoles once you own them. And again, these are just the apps that will be present at launch; both consoles will undoubtedly add more as the months and years roll on.
If a gaming service is going to be the center of your living room entertainment, it's going to have to figure out how to keep you from switching back and forth to you cable box. The choice between Xbox One and PS4 ain't easy, but for now, Xbox might've just tipped the scales in its direction. [Xbox Wire and Sony]
Megachart by Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan