1. It's Too Early To Decide Which Console To Go For
FlickrAnd this is where the fanboys suit up, load up, and come out to play. Fact is, we don't know which way things are going to go. There are still too many variables at play, and it's just too early in the game. As Microsoft's Phil Harrison said, the sales war is a marathon, not a sprint. Right now Team Xbox will be sweating, make no mistake - not only is the PS4 outselling the Xbox One, but just about every head-to-head comparison of cross-platform titles sees Sony's machine coming out on top. Framerates, screen tearing, depth of field, we're seeing a lot of wins for the PS4. Again, it's still early days. Microsoft has backtracked on the compulsory inclusion of Kinect with each Xbox One, and this could change things in two ways: Firstly the price, with the console now significantly cheaper, and finally in line with PS4 pricing. Price parity is essential - many gamers don't see the Kinect as good enough reason to shell out so much more cash. Secondly, developers now have a good few percent more power at their disposal as the Xbox One doesn't need to keep resources aside for the Kinect. It might not be enough to surpass the power of the PS4, but with some clever programming we could start seeing some Xbox One wins in the direct comparisons. Console exclusives also play a huge part, so you need to be sure that your console of choice has the titles you most want to play. Why is it important to worry about which console wins the race? It's not just vitriolic fanboyism. Lower sales means less enthusiastic support from publishers and developers. Obviously as long as it's relatively close we will keep seeing most big games coming to both consoles, but if the gap widens enough things can change. Don't believe that? Think about how many proposed Wii U titles were postponed indefinitely (read cancelled) when publishers realised they wouldn't bring in the cash. In this regard, it makes sense to hang on a little - a new console is an emotional choice as well as a logical one, so many will follow their hearts regardless, but it may be wise to see how things develop over the coming months. In the meantime, keep that Xbox 360 or PS3 spinning happily you have enough reasons not to bin it just yet.