5 Reasons why I pre-orederd an Xbox One (and not a PS4)

By far one of the most common videogame questions people are asking me these days is what I think of the upcoming consoles. In fact I’ve been asked it so much that I now know exactly what to say. Here’s why I pre-ordered an Xbox One (and not a PS4).

Firstly it’s important to remember that this is the first time even two big consoles have been released so close to each other (now the release dates have been announced and they are both coming out within a week) and because of this they’re going to be pretty similar. If you remember when the Xbox 360 came out it had a years head start on the PS3, meaning that for a while huge titles such as The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and Rainbow Six: Vegas were Xbox exclusives. On the next generation you’re going to be able to get pretty much any game on either platform; there will be pretty much no third party exclusives. Because of this, buy whichever console you want, it really doesn’t matter. I pre-ordered the Xbox One, here’s 5 reasons why.

1) I’m still going to get a PS4. Seven years is a long time, and it’s a long time to stick with one single console. Most people I know currently own both a PS3 and an Xbox 360, and if you give it enough time most people will probably end up with both next gen consoles. The price will certainly go down, and you’ll probably be able to purchase either for under £100 before the succeeding consoles are released. I probably won’t wait that long, and will likely get a PS4 in its first year of release. Therefore when it came to choosing a console to buy at launch I didn’t see it as a long term commitment. The Xbox One is what I want now, and the next four reasons explain why PS4 can wait.

2) Xbox has the exclusives. Many people have been telling me the opposite, but seem to fold when I ask for the details. Xbox One has Forza 5, Ryse: Son of Rome and Dead Rising 3, PS4 has Killzone: Shadow Fall, Drive Club and Knack. Personally I know which three I want. Maybe this is just personal preference, but in my own opinion Killzone has always been overrated, Drive Club will never compete with Forza and Knack looks like Lego Star Wars meets a really bad version of Ratchet and Clank.

3) And the download exclusives. Sony might have been saying the right words when it comes to supporting indie gamers, but on day one Microsoft will have the games. Loco Cycle, Killer Instinct and Crimson Dragon make up three additional exclusives that will all be available at launch. PS4 may have Resogun, but nothing else on PSN has me excited yet.

4) Day One Edition. Okay, it might not look like much, but I personally think Microsoft’s idea of having a ‘Day One Edition’ is really cool. It’s just a bit of text on the controller and an achievement for your gamertag, but it’s more than Sony is giving you. In years to come this will no doubt become a huge collectors item, and for me it was additional motivation to get the console at release. In 6 months I could go out and buy the same PlayStation 4 that was available at launch, but you couldn’t go out and buy the same Xbox One as me.

5) It comes with a Kinect. Not really, although this expensive accessory does explain the increased price. My final reason is actually a really stupid one, and doesn’t apply to people living outside the UK. I pre-ordered an Xbox One because it comes out first. There will be a whole week where Xbox One owners can enjoy the next generation whilst the Sony fans wait. Sony might be releasing their machine in more markets, but as a result it will be reaching England two weeks late. Not cool.