PlayStation 4 banks on pricing and core gamers to ward off Xbox One

Sony is hoping a lower price point and a focus on core gamers will propel the PlayStation 4 ahead of rival Microsoft’s Xbox One when the consoles are released later this year.

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The PlayStation 4 announcement at Los Angeles gaming expo E3 last night (10 June) also appeared to take direct aim at the Xbox One unveil last month by revealing Sony would not implement a surcharge to borrow or buy secondhand games and does not need a constant internet connection – two requirements of the Microsoft console, which have attracted criticism from gamers.

By contrast, Microsoft is hoping the Xbox One will become the core entertainment hub of the living room. It comes with a Kinect motion sensor as standard and requires users to be online once a day in order to authenticate their gameplay.

The PlayStation 4 will be sold for £349 in the UK, while the Xbox One will cost £429.

Both companies used their E3 presentations to showcase the wide portfolio of new games titles that will accompany the consoles’ launches this autumn. Sony unveiled games such as Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom of Hearts III and Elder Scrolls Online, while Microsoft previewed Metal Gear Solid V, Project Spark and Sunset Overdrive.

In December 2012, the total number PlayStation 3 shipments overtook the number of Xbox 360s shipped worldwide, despite the Sony console launching a year later, according to research firm IDC. The PlayStation 3 shipped an estimated 77 million bundles versus 76 million Xbox 360 consoles.

In spite of its higher price point, pre-order listings on Amazon suggest the Xbox One is currently 2.3 per cent ahead the PlayStation 4.

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