14 DAY TRIAL // After this week, both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One next-generation consoles are officially available for purchase in quite a lot of countries around the world and on several continents for different amounts of money.
Unlike previous devices, both consoles managed to reach some impressive sales that quickly surpassed the 1-million milestone, and the actual units are in short supply, as many gamers are scouring retail and online stores to find anything in stock.
This is great for both Sony and Microsoft, as after 7+ years, the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles were certainly showing their age in terms of power and features.
Even so, both the PS4 and the Xbox One still need time until they truly become successful in terms of video game lineup, sales, or features.
Both consoles launched with a pretty great lineup of exclusives games, with the likes of Killzone: Shadow Fall or Resogun, for the PS4, and Dead Rising 3 or Ryse: Son of Rome, for the Xbox One. The third-party lineup was also quite solid, with the likes of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, or Call of Duty: Ghosts appearing for the new devices.
However, a key aspect of any console launch is to ensure that new owners have new games coming out after the launch window expires. Both Sony and Microsoft have promised that such a thing won't happen, but the future may be surprising.
In terms of sales, the consoles still have quite a few countries and regions where they aren't available, including Japan, so they're a niche market for developers, especially when you compare them to the PS3 or Xbox 360, which have both reached the 80-million units sold mark.
Last but not least, in terms of features, the next-gen devices still have room to grow, as both Sony and Microsoft sacrificed some aspects in order to make sure that existing systems and mechanics work as intended.
Ergo, expect plenty of firmware and system software updates in the future to enable different elements.
The PS4 and Xbox One are great consoles, each with different strengths and weaknesses, but Sony and Microsoft need to continue investing in them so that new owners won't feel like they've made a bad choice.