With Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo leading the way in the gaming console industry, the three firms have recently released multiple video game systems to keep up with the PC gaming hardware market growing at a fast pace. Since each of the companies has different console platforms and if you’re new to the platform, it becomes really confusing to choose sides, although, there are some who don’t mind trying out all the platforms.
What’s the difference between PC gaming and console gaming?
Unlike PC gaming consoles that involve configuring systems and setting up graphical presets for a stable performance, users do not need to tweak any graphical details while playing on a game console and is ready to play out of the box. However, the gaming performance on a gaming PC has been always better than a console. Apart from the technical aspects, while most of the game titles are available on both PC and game console platforms, there are special exclusive titles that are available in only either of the platforms. For example, a Sony PS4 exclusive like Uncharted 4 is only available for the PS4 and not for PC or Xbox One. Another major difference is the use of joysticks as the primary means of controls with respect to game consoles as opposed to the keyboard/mouse usage on PC. Game consoles are also more affordable as compared to the expensive gaming PCs and gaming laptops.
Which game console should I choose: PlayStation 4 or Xbox One?
If you’re interested in the best game exclusives and want better performance for a reasonable price, then you should opt for the PlayStation 4. The PS4 is also the only console to support virtual reality called the PlayStation VR. While Microsoft also has numerous game exclusives, the Xbox One performs slightly lower than the PS4. That said, the recently announced Xbox One X is currently the fastest video game system on the planet that’s capable of improved graphics and textures than Sony’s best machine.
Can I upgrade the storage on the Sony PS4 and Xbox One consoles?
You can interchange and replace the internal hard disk drives of the Sony PlayStation 4, the PS4 Slim and the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro with a larger hard drive or SSD drive. While none of the Xbox One consoles allow swapping of internal drives, gamers will be able to connect external hard disk or SSD drives to expand their storage game installations. Sony also recently released an update that allows their userbase to connect and install external drives with any of the PS4 models.
Where can I buy game consoles at best prices in the UAE?
Gaming consoles are easily available across all the major electronics stores and their online portals. Stores include Jumbo Electronics, Sharaf DG, Virgin Megastore, Geekay Games, Jacky’s Electronics, Lulu Centre, Carrefour and other online stores such as Souq.com, Noon.com, Buy On Dubai and more.
We now list out the best game consoles that are available in the UAE.
Sony PlayStation 4
Easily one of the most successful game consoles in history, the Sony PlayStation 4 not only outperforms the Xbox One in terms of performance and specifications but is also supported with a large library of exclusive game titles. Most of the game titles on the PS4 run at a minimum of 1080p screen resolutions and also has support for HDR. If you thought that the PlayStation 4 isn’t small enough, Sony also released the PS4 Slim that’s significantly thinner and lighter than the original model. However, keep in mind that the PS4 Slim doesn’t feature an optical audio output. Click here to compare Sony PlayStation 4 prices.
Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
While game consoles generally have a refresh cycle of 5-7 years, they get outdated very fast due to the rapid growth of the PC market. To keep up with the competition and to support high resolutions up to 4K, Sony and Microsoft had to reveal new consoles that are more powerful than their existing line-up. The Sony PlayStation 4 Pro, which was released by the end of 2016, features a faster APU and over twice the graphics performance than the original PS4. Game developers have updated many PS4 game exclusives with the option to boost the framerate or increase the resolution via the checkerboard technique to 4K resolutions. That said, there are games which will also play at native 4K resolutions on the PS4 Pro. The PS4 Pro is perfect for those who own a 4K TV and want to play most of the PlayStation exclusive titles at its best. Click here to compare Sony PlayStation 4 Pro prices.
Microsoft Xbox One S
While the PS4/Pro console is meant to be a 4K gaming system, the device lacks a proper 4K Blue-ray player. For those who want a proper 4K Blue Ray player that doesn’t break the bank, the Xbox One S is a good choice to consider. The console is a trimmed down version of the original Xbox One, which used to be criticized for being more expensive and underpowered than the PS4 on the time of its release. The Xbox One S also doesn’t have an external power brick and is also slightly faster than the previous model. Unlike the black Xbox One, the Xbox One S comes in a white color scheme and with hard drive capacities of 500GB, 1TB and 2TB. Additionally, the entire Xbox One series of consoles is capable of playing most of the old Xbox 360 game titles, thanks to its backward compatibility. Click here to compare Microsoft Xbox One S prices. Also, click here to compare Microsoft Xbox One prices.
Microsoft Xbox One X
As the ultimate answer to the beefed-up Sony PlayStation 4 Pro, Microsoft recently launched the Xbox One X system, the world’s most powerful games console in the world. The machine is far faster than the Xbox One and Xbox One S and surpasses the PS4 Pro by a good amount. The GPU is capable of reaching up to 6 TFlops of performance as opposed to the 4.2 TFlops of the PS4 Pro. And thanks to these upgrades, game developers were able to patch many exclusive game titles with stable framerates and improved textures at 4K resolutions. There are also several Xbox 360 game titles that received resolution and texture updates to run better on the new console. The Xbox One X also features a 4K Blue-Ray player of its own which is another advantage over Sony’s game consoles. If you’re looking for a future-proof Xbox console, the Xbox One X is the best choice for you. Click here to compare Microsoft Xbox One X prices.
