Xbox vs PlayStation: Developments at E3 2018 hint at an extended console war

History has always been a bear witness to iconic rivalries between two opposing business interests: Coke vs. Pepsi, Marvel Comics vs. DC comics, Apple vs. Samsung and now, Sony’s PlayStation vs. Microsoft’s Xbox.

Both companies have been manufacturing consoles and competing with each other for over 15 years; ever since Microsoft released the Xbox to take on Sony’s PS2. Both systems were sixth generation consoles and the Xbox had a clear upper hand (probably because it released about 20 months after the PS2).

However, it was when the eighth generation of consoles were released when things started getting real. Both the PS4 and the Xbox One were released in November 2013 and fans on either side were delighted about the prospects.

Although the systems shared almost the same specs, what irritated gamers was the Xbox One’s “always online” feature; the console has to be connected to the internet at least once every 24 hours.

The PS4, on the other hand, was easier to use, cost $100 lesser than its rival and even had 30 percent stronger graphics than its rival.

Until 2015, both companies released regular updates of sales figures till Microsoft announced it would stop this practice. As per Electronic Arts'  Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen Microsoft sold about 30 million Xbox One consoles by the end of 2017 while, in a statement released by Sony, more than 73.6 million PS4s were sold during the same period.

While things look bleak for Microsoft, the low sales figure does not mean that Microsoft is giving up on the console market. In a bid to match PlayStation’s impressive original content, Microsoft has started looking to hire a new studio designed to create entirely new games.

During the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018, Microsoft’s gaming chief Phil Spencer announced that it was working on cloud computer gaming, the next Xbox console (most probably titled the Xbox Two) and developing up to 52 new games, including the likes of Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077 and Fallout 76. All this shows that Microsoft is getting ready for the next console war and beyond.

The PS4 enjoys the top place for now and is concentrating on producing top-notch original content. But with the coming of new consoles (like the Nintendo Switch) and rising competition, it is only a matter of time before it gets dethroned.