Which Console (again!) - and Best Deal in UK

November 13, 2016 4:25 AM

Hello dear mefites. I appreciate there have been a number of recent questions about consoles (here, , here) but they refer to some specifics (i.e. for kids) that I feel don't apply and I'd appreciate some advice on whether to get an Xbox One or PS4. I have been promising myself a new console, but I can't decide on what approach to take and how to get the best deal. I'm in the UK and looking to buy at the beginning of December.

I got back into console gaming a few years ago through an Xbox360 which was already old hat. It was cheap and I can get cheap games for it but I'm now at the stage where I've played my favourites numerous times and the games I'm excited for are not being released. I also was gifted a PS3 which I was excited about playing the Last of Us on but it's really not my thing - too scary and twitchy, although perhaps I need to give it more time. Overall, I think I prefer the controller for the xbox but...

I REALLY want(ed) to play No Man's Sky so I thought PS4 was the answer. Now with the bad reviews I can't decide (although I'd be keen to hear your thoughts). I think most of the other games I'm keen on are or will be released for both systems. To give an idea of what I like some lists:

Games I like:
1. Mass Effect - loved all three. Played multiple times.
2. Fallout 3/NV - also played through a lot.
3. Skyrim - keen but getting a bit tedious after a while
4. Dishonoured - loved it, played through a few times

Games I'm excited for:
1. Dishonoured 2
2. No Man's Sky
3. Fallout 4
4. Mass Effect 4
5. Horizon Zero Dawn


Games I haven't gotten into:
1. Halo - too shooty and confusing
2. COD - same as above
3. Fable - too 'kiddy'


Does either console have the advantage for the above type of games?


Finally, how should I go about getting the best deal? In an ideal world I think I'd go for a PS4 if it came with Fallout4 and no man's sky, for example, but most of the bundles I'm finding are with FIFA (totally no interest). I'm used to buying everything second hand for £5 so it's a bit of a change. I really love playing games, and I'm prepared to spend some money on a new console, but a good deal would be great of course!

I'm not interested in the new, new models (ie pro or anything that needs a 4k tv), I never play online or in person against others, and I don't care at all about bluray. I'm planning on buying at the end of November/beginning of December. Is Black Friday really going to be good in the UK? Any recommendations for tracking sites? Hoping there will be some good deals before Christmas season.

posted by sedimentary_deer to Computers & Internet (11 answers total)

Best answer: Hm, last year around this time I opted for XBone. I played Dragon Age, Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and a couple of little free games from the paid subscription. That's it. For the last couple months it's barely been on, there aren't enough games, and I am really bored with it. The only thing I'm happy about is that I bought the machine and the games used on eBay (UK).
posted by yoHighness at 5:16 AM on November 13, 2016

Best answer: All of the games mentioned as 'have liked' to 'am excited for' will appear, or have appeared, on both consoles, with the exception of Horizon Zero Dawn which is currently PS4-only.

You seem to like RPGs a lot and don't like shooters. If you like RPGs, traditionally the PS4 is the console to go (whereas the XBox has been the console for shooters).

Both consoles are relatively new and have relatively meager offerings of games.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 6:17 AM on November 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Most games so far have typically had slightly better performance on PS4 but I'd say that preference for the Xbox controller over the Dual Shock would be a bigger concern, as would having buddies with the same console with whom to swap games or play online with.

Myself, I went with the PS4 because of Bloodborne and EDF and haven't regretted it. Xbox One still has zero exclusives I'm interested in.

About the Pro, it does not need a 4K TV and theoretically you should get a benefit even at 1080p with improved framerates or slightly better graphics in games patched to take advantage of the Pro's superior hardware.
Key word is should, because while it's on Sony's technical requirements that all games patched for Pro must perform at least as well or better than they do on vanilla PS4, so far that's not always been the case and for 1080p display owners, the cheaper, standard PS4 may actually end up a better choice if this becomes a trend.
posted by Bangaioh at 6:27 AM on November 13, 2016

As a 360 lover, I hate the xbone, and all my friends who got one are disappointed. Tons of ads, and while the 360 store was in many ways better than PS3, they are more equal now in price and variety.

I like both controllers but the PS4 feels so light and nimble compared to the hulking 360 behemoths- it may be a welcome change of pace for you.

NMS is super fun, the problem seems to have a been a hype train and weirdly incorrect expectations, IMO the game is fine :)

Also many/most cool PS4 downloads come with rights to the vita version, so if you pick up a vita in the future you'll have a small library waiting for you there!
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:03 AM on November 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have both, and only use the Xbox one. Here are some reasons:

If you get the Kinect, you can have it control all your components, TV, Soundbar, etc. with voice controls. I use this all the time for watching Netflix, Hulu, etc.

The Pro controller is just awesome... although I think Sony is having a couple of these made by other companies, too. I really, really don't like the PS4 controller.

Backwards compatibility... games you bought digitally on the 360 just show up in your library, and they're adding more all the time. Plus, the free monthly games include 360 games that you can play on the One.

Driving games are better on the xbox. Forza Horizon 3 is awesome.

As far as exclusives go, I'm really looking forward to Crackdown 3, Cuphead, Dead Rising 4, and maybe Sea of Thieves, maybe the new Gears of War.

The above advice about which system your friends have is good, though, if you plan to play online. Maybe that should be your #1 consideration.

I bought a used Xbox with Kinect for less than a new xbox by itself, and it's been fine.
posted by Huck500 at 8:20 AM on November 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

As a counterpoint I am moving away a little from the new consoles as I am not comfortable with lack of backwards compatibility etc. I don't want to do the whole PC-arms-race so I have a computer at home that is fine for indy games, my old consoles, and I play heavier games on super-nice equipment at my local gaming café for about 2 dollars an hour.
posted by Iteki at 10:12 AM on November 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

Amazon ran some decent discounts on both XBox Ones and PS4s in their last Amazon Day event (I snagged one for my nipper), and I think there's a decent chance of them doing the same this time around. I'd hold fire for that if I were you.

Not sure if it'd be a factor for you, but Microsoft are hinting that they intend to work up some sort of trade-in model with retailers when they launch their next iteration of the Xbox next year, which is rumoured in turn to be VR capable. All a bit vapourware, but having played with a Vive it tempted me.
posted by bifter at 1:38 PM on November 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: To drill down on one particular sub-question: in my experience No Man's Sky is not a bad game at all, it just doesn't nearly live up to the unreal hype that was built for it, and a lot of the bad reviews are reflections of that (or as a friend of mine put it, it's a 6/10 game that people act like is a 2/10 game because they were expecting a 12/10 game). I bought it at release and I don't know that it's worth the sixty bucks I paid for it, but it's definitely worth the $35 that Amazon is charging for the physical copy for PS4 right now.
posted by Itaxpica at 12:17 AM on November 14, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Hi All,

Thanks so much for the thoughtful replies, all very helpful. I think I may be swaying slightly towards the ps4 at this point; especially with the no man's sky details (thanks Itaxpica).

At the moment, I can get a new ps4 slim 500gb with dishonoured 2 and star wars for £239.99. Quite good but will hold out and see what comes up towards the end of the month.

Thanks again!
posted by sedimentary_deer at 12:51 PM on November 14, 2016

I think the PS4 is the correct answer for you. I own every console, but I use the PS4 the most.
posted by tacodave at 3:50 PM on November 14, 2016

Response by poster: Hello All, thanks for all the great answers. I got a PS4 in the end, loving fallout 4! Not quite there with No Man's Sky but persisting after the big update.

Thanks again :)
posted by sedimentary_deer at 1:27 AM on December 15, 2016