While most of your customers already know which team they’re on–PlayStation® 4 or Xbox One™–it’s important for your sales staff to be well educated on both new consoles and for your store to be well stocked on gaming accessories.
PlayStation 4
The PS4™ is definitely a looker. Sleek and sexy, this console features a compact, asymmetrical design and weighs just over 6 lbs. The best part? The PS4’s power supply is built inside the system–meaning users won’t trip over a bulky power brick. But don’t judge a console entirely by its cover. The PS4 has more than just good looks. The PS4 is built to perform. The console features a single-chip processor that combines eight core x 86-64 AMD “Jaguar” CPU with a 1.84 teraflop GPU. It also harbors an 8GB GDDR5 RAM and a 500GB mechanical hard drive. According to Sony, the PS4 has ten times more processing power than its predecessor–the PS3™.
Each PS4 comes with a power cord, 6-foot HDMI cable, micro-USB cable, monaural earbud for online chat and the much-anticipated DUALSHOCK 4 controller.
The new DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller is also pretty impressive. It includes a built-in rechargeable battery, doubles as a motion controller, has a touch pad located on the top, a built-in speaker and a headphone jack. Oh, and did I mention that the DUALSHOCK 4 allows users to share game clips with other users and to social media sites? The remote can also be recharged from the PS4 while in standby mode. Not too shabby! The PS4 also features PlayStation®Vita remote play over WiFi and streaming-media apps including Netflix, Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, Redbox Instant™ and more.
The PS4’s disc drive can also be used to play Blu-ray® and DVD discs but does not play CDs, MP3s and is not DLNA-compliant. To fully experience the PS4 users will need a PlayStation Plus subscription ($50 per year). Perks include access to 1GB of cloud game saves, free and discounted games across all Sony® platforms, automatic updates, game demos, online multiplayer and beta invites.
Xbox One
The Xbox One was designed to be the one box your customers will need for entertainment. Gaming, live TV, streaming online video and music, Skyping with family and friends–this guy does it. This box does big things and thus, this box IS big. Weighing in around 8 lbs., this guy’s hardware includes an eight-core AMD CPU, 8GB of DDR3 RAM and a 853 MHz GPU. The console also comes with a power brick, Kinect sensor, 6-foot HDMI cable, controller and one chat headset. Like the PS4, the Xbox One is only available in one model–a 500GB system.
While the Xbox One is $100 more expensive than the PS4, it does include the second-generation Kinect. (PS4 users can purchase an optional PlayStation Camera for $60 as an upgrade.) The Kinect is a combination camera and microphone that lets the console see, hear and react to users. Users can navigate menus by its Real Vision, Real Motion and Real Voice commands! Microsoft also crafted the Kinect with an IR blaster so that it can interact with TVs and other components.
Unlike the PS4, the Xbox One can control a TV, audio receiver/soundbar and accept commands from a universal remote via the Kinect 2.0. As far as the controller goes, the biggest change users will discover is the new position of the Xbox button, which is now located at the top of the controller, instead of the middle. Users will appreciate the move since it makes it more difficult to hit by accident. The controller is also lighter than the Xbox 360 controller and includes force feedback in the triggers. Unlike the PS4, the Xbox One’s controller will use AA batteries.
Xbox One is also changing the game when it comes to sports. Users can stay connected to all the latest NFL news, video highlights, scores and stats anytime and can even follow Fantasy Football updates in real-time while watching live TV broadcast games. Like the PS4, Xbox One also plays Blu-ray and DVD discs. From the Xbox OneGuide, users can navigate through cable channels by voice or controller. They can also access favorites and app channels like Hulu Plus. Netflix is not currently supported but is promised to arrive by Spring 2014.
Xbox One users will also need a ($60-a-year) Xbox Live Gold membership to play online multiplayer and to access some of the console’s features like game DVR and Netflix streaming.
Game Accessories
Neither console is backward compatible with previous-generation games, meaning users won’t be able to play games purchased for the PS3 or Xbox 360. Whether your customers are Team PlayStation or Team Xbox, one thing is for sure: the future has a lot in store. We’ll have to wait and see what Sony and Microsoft ultimately have in store for these two consoles. As your customers wait for more games to be released, now is the perfect time to pair customers with accessories to take gaming to the next level.
Both consoles come with some type of gaming headset, but they are very basic. Upgrade your customers to the Thrustmaster Y-250P or Y-400Pw Gaming Headsets for ‘real life’ audio sensations and superior sound. Ensure controller life with Dreamgear’s dual charging docks for the Playstation 4 or Xbox One.
Petra’s merchandisers are constantly working with accessory manufacturers to ensure you have access to the latest advances in gaming accessories. Your Petra sales representative can fill you in and make recommendations to help you make a winning accessories assortment. See all of our gaming accessories here.