Microsoft and Sony will go head-to-head with brand new game consoles. While the Xbox 360 had a one year head start on the PlayStation 3, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will release within weeks of each other later this year.  Many will likely have to choose just one console later this year. To help make the decision a bit easier, here’s how the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 stack up against one another based on what we know so far.

Console Hardware

Both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are big improvements over their predecessors. While the Xbox 360 and PS3 couldn’t be more different, the tech inside the new consoles is surprisingly similar.
The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 both use custom AMD processors with x86 architecture, similar to processors found in desktop PCs. Both consoles also have 8GB of RAM, which is big for developers and should mean more immersive games. Both consoles also have built-in hard drives for storing games. Sony wouldn’t say how big the HDD inside the PS4 is, saying only that it was “very large.” The Xbox One will use a 500GB internal hard drive.

Console Design

Ultimately, no matter what the consoles do, they’ll have to sit somewhere near a TV where users see them all the time.

Controller

With every new console generation the controllers change, at least nominally. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers still look familiar, but they have a number of changes.