PS4 Vs. Xbox One: Which Console Won E3 2016?
The battle was closer than you might think...
It all happened so fast. Merely one day of E3 2016 has gone by and already Sony and Microsoft have laid all their cards out on the table for the PS4 and Xbox One. It was a solid - if not spectacular - year for both consoles, with Sony focusing largely on exclusives while Microsoft is continuing to redefine its console with new hardware, several software changes, and of course its own roster of exclusives.
While Sony has dominated the E3 battles of recent years, this time round things weren't quite so clear cut, and we'll be running through several key categories (let's call them battlegrounds) over which the two consoles will be clashing.
From the hardware and software, to the exclusive titles and the manner of the presentations themselves, we've got it all covered, so read on to get the verdict on which console won E3 this year.
8. Software Updates And Changes
On the software front, Microsoft has definitely been the more proactive one in recent years, adding plenty of cross-platform compatibility features with Windows 10, and of course the coveted backwards compatibility that was received so well last year.
Microsoft carried that form into E3 2016, with its biggest software announcement being Xbox Play Anywhere, which means that if you buy a game for Xbox One or Windows with the 'Xbox Play Anywhere' label, you'll get it on the other platform for free, complete with transferable save-games and achievements.
A major point scored for Microsoft. Other features announced at E3 include Cortana eventually replacing Xbox voice control, a 'Looking for Group' feature for co-op gamers, and Xbox Live Arena, which will make it easier to organise large-scale gaming competitions.
Sony, on the other hand, was quiet on this front. No backward compatibility, no flashy features for online play, nor any cross-platform perks. In light of E3 this year, you could really make the case that the Xbox One now has the more gamer-friendly software platform.
Winner: Xbox One