Comparison Microsoft Xbox One X + Gamepad + Game + Kinect vs Sony PlayStation 4 Pro Premium Bundle + Game

The platform or set of platforms supported by the set-top box.

A platform can be described as a basic set of software and hardware that makes games work. Such sets significantly differ in the set of characteristics and, usually, are incompatible with each other. Therefore, any "platform" game is necessarily released for a specific platform (or in several versions for different ones), and for its normal operation it is necessary that the console supports this platform.

Most modern platforms were created by large companies, and their names are directly related to the brands of set-top boxes of these companies: for example, Sony has a PlayStation, Microsoft has an Xbox, etc. Note that one platform can describe several types and generations of game consoles; see details below in the descriptions of the individual items.

The most popular options today:

— Play station. Developed by Sony. Includes multiple generations of PlayStation desktop consoles, as well as portable consoles (see Form Factor) such as the PS Portable and PS Vita. Later desktop models are compatible with games from previous generations (with rare exceptions), and portable consoles can also run games from early desktop PlayStations. Supports the PS Move controller, which works on the principle of motion tracking.

— Xbox. Platform created by Microsoft. Includes only desktop models, is c...haracterized by a fairly powerful hardware. One of the interesting features is the original Kinect controller, which is a camera to track the user's movements and control the game through these movements.

— Nintendo. A platform developed by the company of the same name. Within this family, three directions of consoles can be distinguished: desktop Wii, portable DS and combined Switch. One of the most striking features of this platform is that when developing new consoles, Nintendo pays attention not so much to increasing hardware power as to introducing original technical solutions. Thus, the Wii became the first set-top box on the market to use motion controllers (see "Packages"). The DS family is feature-packed, and some of these consoles are even capable of displaying a 3D image that is visible without special glasses. The Switch is the first full-fledged hybrid set-top box that natively allows for both portable and desktop use (see Form Factor for details).

— Android. Unlike all the above names, Android is not a gaming platform, but a full-fledged operating system designed for various mobile devices (primarily smartphones and tablets). Its key difference from the actual platforms is the extensive possibilities for installing additional applications, among which the actual games are just one of many categories (and far from being the main one). Most Android models are gaming tablets (see "Form Factor").

It is worth noting that technical support of one set-top box for several platforms is not excluded. In addition, this list is not exhaustive, there may be other options on the market — most often the original eight- and sixteen-bit platforms.

The official release year of the game console. Usually, it is indicated by the date of official sale. This information allows you to determine the "age" of the device — and, accordingly, its functionality (to some extent), including within its own platform. So, for example, the difference between the Xbox One S and Xbox One X in terms of name is not particularly obvious; but knowing that the first was released in 2016, and the second — in 2017, you can definitely determine which model will be newer and more advanced. Accordingly , the novelties of 2020 and 2019 will be even better.

Additional items supplied in the kit in addition to the actual console. Joysticks are not taken into account in this category — their availability and quantity are indicated separately (see below).

— Game included. A game (or several games at once) for the console — usually on a separate medium like a DVD, but other options may be provided (for example, a license key for downloading the official version). The specific games supplied in the kit, even for the same model, may be different, this point needs to be specified separately. However, anyway, complete games have common features: they are initially optimized for this console, and often they are designed to demonstrate to the user all the advanced features of the device (for example, control using the motion controller described below or VR glasses). The cost of the game is included in the price of the bundle, but it is usually much cheaper than the same game sold separately.

— Motion controller. A game controller that allows you to control the gameplay not by pressing buttons and deflecting levers, but by the movements of the user. This allows you to play many games using the same movements as in the real world — for example, by waving your hand while holding the controller in it, imitating a bowling ball throw or hitting a tennis racquet. The design and principle of operation of such devices may be different. So, the controlle...r for the Nintendo Wii is held in the hand or in a special adapter (for example, imitating a pistol or rifle). Microsoft Kinect is a camera that monitors the position of the player's body and controls the game accordingly. The PlayStation Move from Sony works in a similar way — only, in addition to the camera, it uses an external manipulator with a bright marker ball. Anyway, the motion controller is able to significantly diversify the gameplay. It is best to purchase it immediately with a prefix — it is at least easier and faster, and often cheaper.

— Digital camera. Digital camera features vary by console form factor (see above). So, in portable models, it usually represents a “peephole” located above the screen or on the back side; sometimes there are two cameras at once. In games, such equipment can be used, in particular, to recognize a player by face, to work with augmented reality technologies, to automatically adjust the 3D screen to the position of the user's head, etc. In addition, many portable consoles with this function also allow “non-gaming” options for using the camera — in the same way as it is done on a smartphone or tablet: for video communication, broadcasting on the Web, shooting photos and videos, etc. The specific functionality in both cases may be different. As for desktop models, here the digital camera is usually implemented as a separate device and is most often used to operate a motion controller (see above) or virtual reality technologies (see below). At the same time, we note that Microsoft Kinect is not considered a digital camera — it is a full-featured motion controller that works without additional equipment. But the camera used in the PlayStation consoles only works with the PS Move controller and the PS VR system, so it belongs to this category.

— VR headset. A helmet or virtual reality glasses is an accessory that enhances the effect of immersion in the game. Wearing such a helmet, the user can turn and tilt his head, examining the virtual space as if he were looking at it in the real world — the sensor system changes the image in front of the eyes accordingly. Thus, the maximum "presence effect" is achieved, and the gameplay becomes more diverse and interesting. For example, in racing or a flight simulator, it is convenient to control the environment with the help of a helmet, and in shooters and “roaming games” it may even be possible to look around the corner with your head stretched out. Models bundled with VR accessories can be sold without them, but the console and headset set is usually cheaper than the headset and set-top box separately (not to mention the fact that buying everything at once is more convenient and faster). Note that a VR headset may require a digital camera (in particular, this is the system used in PlayStation consoles); in such cases, if there is no camera "on the farm", it would be useful to clarify its presence in the kit.

In addition to those described above, other optional accessories may be included in the package.

— DVD/Blu-ray drive. Drive for reading optical discs. This feature is typical mainly for desktop set-top boxes (see "Form factor"); they at least support DVD, but many models are capable of working with Blu-ray. However, there are also portable consoles that support optical discs — full-size DVD / Blu-ray are too bulky for them, so specific formats are usually used in such cases (such as UMD in some PlayStation Portable models). Discs are most often used as media for games, although some models may also provide the ability to play audio and video (that is, in fact, use the set-top box as a media centre).

— HDR support. The ability to output a desktop video signal with the so-called extended dynamic range. In such an image, firstly, the colour depth increases (in other words, more different shades are displayed), and secondly, the contrast is enhanced — light areas look brighter, and dark areas look darker. This improves colour quality, makes the image more realistic and enhances the impression of depth, the picture is perceived as less flat. However you need to keep in mind that to fully use this function, you will also need a TV or other HDR-enabled screen — otherwise, all the advantages of this technology will be nullified by the limitations in the functionality of the screen itself. Also note that HDR technology has several formats (for example, HDR10 and HDR Dolby Vision), and not all of t...hem are compatible with each other. Therefore, to use this feature, you should make sure that the set-top box and TV are compatible with HDR standards.

— UltraHD (4K) support. The ability to work set-top box with the image standard 4K. The standard resolution of such an image is 3840x2160, which is 4 times higher than Full HD in terms of the number of pixels. This feature is mainly found in set-top boxes and allows you to output 4K video to a TV or other external device. Thus, you can get a very high quality, detailed image. However, note that in order to fully view such an image, it must be supported not only by the console, but also by the screen to which it is connected — otherwise all the advantages of ultra-high resolution will be nullified. Also note that not all modern games and other content are available in 4K (although, of course, nothing prevents you from playing videos of lower resolutions on the set-top box).

— Support for video services. Ability to work set-top boxes with various network video services. Usually, pre-installed client programs are responsible for this function, which makes it easy to search and play various content on the Internet. Among the video services supported by modern set-top boxes, there are, in particular, YouTube (the most famous and largest network video site), Netflix (one of the largest producers of TV series distributed over the Internet), Amazon Video (provider of TV series and films on demand) and others. . Note that access to content may be paid and have regional restrictions.

Additional connectors provided in the design of the set-top box in addition to those described above. A set of such connectors may include, in particular:

— Proprietary ports for wired gamepads and other controllers.
— IR (IR) inputs and outputs to work with various wireless accessories.
— Digital audio outputs for multi-channel audio. The most popular standard for such outputs is S / P-DIF, it has two varieties — optical and coaxial. The optical output can be separate or combined with the Mini-Jack 3.5 mm output (see "Connectors"); its advantage is the insensitivity of the cable to electrical interference, but the cable itself is quite fragile and requires delicate handling. Coaxial (electrical) connections are not as sensitive, but are more prone to interference.
— Analogue audio and video outputs (AUX, composite, component) — these connectors can be useful for connecting outdated video equipment.

The model of the processor installed in the game console.

The processor is the main computing module of the device; the capabilities of the set-top box as a whole largely depend on its characteristics. However, it is worth noting that information about its model in game consoles is usually of a general reference and promotional nature. The fact is that set-top boxes are usually designed for a specific platform, and this implies certain requirements for the power of the hardware so that the corresponding games work normally. Of course, knowing the name, you can find more detailed information — characteristics, test results, reviews, reviews, etc. — and make the most clear impression of the capabilities of the processor; however, unless you plan to use the prefix in non-standard roles, this information is unlikely to be of real practical value. The only exception is gaming tablets (see "Form Factor"): since they are very versatile and can be equipped with a variety of programs, processor data can be useful in assessing how fast an application will run.

Note that advanced desktop set-top boxes can have multiple processors.

The performance of the graphics card installed in the game console.

Performance is measured in FLOPS, the number of floating point math operations that a graphics card processor can perform in one second. Game consoles traditionally use teraflops, or trillions of operations per second.

Theoretically, higher performance means a more advanced graphics card and corresponding graphics quality. However, in fact, this parameter is often given more for promotional purposes than to describe the actual capabilities of the console. The fact is that the quality of game graphics depends not only on the capabilities of the graphics card, but also on other factors — including the general characteristics of the set-top box (processor, memory, etc.), as well as how well the games are optimized for this platform . Therefore, models similar to each other in this indicator may differ markedly in the actual video capabilities. Moreover, a relatively modest graphics card can also outperform a more performant counterpart. For example, Microsoft's Xbox One S, which has a "only" 1.4 TFLOPS video accelerator, supports 4K resolution and HDR (see "Features"), while its peer PS 4 Slim with a 1.84 TFLOPS graphics card TFLOPS does not have such capabilities. Therefore, it makes sense to compare video performance only on consoles that differ significantly in digital indicators.

The amount of RAM installed on board the console.

RAM is one of the main components of computer systems (which are all game consoles). Performance significantly depends on its volume: the more memory (ceteris paribus), the higher the speed, usually, and the better the system handles with resource-intensive tasks. On the other hand, in game consoles, RAM is installed in such a way that it is guaranteed to correspond to the claimed platform, so it makes sense to pay close attention to this parameter only in gaming tablets. This moment is described in more detail above in the “Processor” paragraph.