I have never had any kind of console. The last time I played it was all doom, quake and homeworld on networked PCs in a student house c20 odd years ago.

So then it appears that the choice is a PS4 or xbox one (the lower specced of both – I have a CRT tele still)

So then. Who’s got what? What’s best? Just want it for some good games I can battle my kids with.

What have your mates/kids mates got? Get the same.

If that’s not an issue, they’re pretty well equal.

PS4.

Ok are you planning to play online with your friends? If so go for what they have.

The answer is PS4 though.

What have your mates/kids mates got? Get the same

xbox mostly

Ok are you planning to play online with your friends? If so go for what they have.

I would have to look into the child safety of this. Presumably there are things in place, or I can limit the online players to known friends?

xbox mostly

There you go then.

I would have to look into the child safety of this. Presumably there are things in place, or I can limit the online players to known friends

Sort of but if they’re playing on public games they may hear others. The risk is very low and simple parenting will keep it under control.

The risk is very low and simple parenting will keep it under control.

This is the bit that seems to evade a lot of people, the amount of 12 year olds I know playing 18 rated games is quite odd.

he amount of 12 year olds I know playing 18 rated games is quite odd.

Now this is the other thing I need to research. It appears that lots of 10yr olds are playing starwars battlefront 2. This is 16 rated. So are the ratings utter tosh and all the other parents know better? Or does it relate to the issues around online playing for that particular game?

I have never seen this game so can’t offer any opinion on this yet.

This is the bit that seems to evade a lot of people, the amount of 12 year olds I know playing 18 rated games is quite odd.

The amount 12 year olds who parents can make a rational decision if they’re kid is ok playing a game rated 18 years doesn’t seem odd.

Hi Mate,

Come round and have a play! I am a sad gaming geek so have both, you can get a feel for both systems and make up your mind.

Personally I would probably go for xbox one, just because it does feel a bit more ‘home entertainment’ orientated, also most of your friends have it so you could share games!

Star Wars Battlefront didn’t seem like a complete gore-fest to me, lots of pointless running around before Darth Vader kills you effortlessly, as far as I could tell.

Looked up Battlefront 2, and apparently the 16 rating is because you can ‘choke or electrocute people, causing them to writhe in pain’. So as long as your lad stays away from the Dark Side, he should be OK. 😀

Cheers phil40. I know you said that and I should have made some time after yesterday’s ride, but time was against me! I was dripping in wet sleety mud too. But I will do soon!

That’s the thing about the age ratings, you need to find out what causes the rating. I had a demo of a motocross game for PS3 that I couldn’t figure out why it was a 16, turns out it’s because you can drink a can of energy drink to go faster.

With the proper online things like COD I’m not sure what the fuss is about the chat thing, surely you just don’t wear a headset? Then no one can threaten to send the cops round or whatever will be fashionable next week.

If that’s not an issue, they’re pretty well equal.

In relation to platform exclusives, it’s really not. That’s not fanboyism, just a fact as things stand.

Drac – Moderator

PS4.

Ok are you planning to play online with your friends? If so go for what they have.

The answer is PS4 though.

its also the correct answer

With the proper online things like COD I’m not sure what the fuss is about the chat thing, surely you just don’t wear a headset? Then no one can threaten to send the cops round or whatever will be fashionable next week.

It comes through the TV then but you can disable in game chat.

Cheers all. Nothing definitive. Not like Vhs v Betamax then 🙂 . A test of both at phil40’s will determine then.
And game ratings can be skewed by cans of pop or a couple of suspect moves by baddies. So I will have to endlessly play briefly test stuff before kids getting a go.

First thing I’d be buying in your boots is a new TV.

Eh, that chunky beast has got years in it yet. No budget for a tv anyway, so hoping it will do. It does have hdmi in.

It comes through the TV then but you can disable in game chat.

Interesting, I must have disabled it then, or I have my TV too quiet (I play when the kids are in bed and not often) I saw an icon in the corner like there might be something being said, but I didn’t hear anything.

I’m too crap for online anyway.

In seriousness,

I was in the same boat. I had a perfectly serviceable high-end CRT that I resisted replacing for ages. I finally replaced it and the difference for gaming was incredible, and in particular barely-readable text was suddenly crystal clear. And that was on the 360.

As for the original question: ignore the fanboys. There’s little practical difference between the two and you’re going to have a good time with either. There’s arguably better platform exclusive titles on the PS4 but if you haven’t gamed since the original Doom you probably won’t care about that, and in any case the answer given in the second post trumps any of that.

I finally caved in a bought 8yo son the original Battlefront this Christmas.
I read up on it and watched a few video and spoke to other parents. And I really couldn’t see why it was a 16. No swearing, no blood or gore, no cutting off limbs with lightsabers. Just comical falling to the floor when shot or sabered.

I have a CRT tele still

Get a new TV. It’ll pay for itself in the first year on the energy you save.

No worries Yak,

I wasn’t cold until I rode along the roads back to my house! Then I got freeze brain within about 2 minutes!

Come round, just be warned mos of my games are fos and 16+ rated! However I don’t let my 8yr old play them!,,,

Oh and,

Insert my mandatory plug for Life Is Strange here.

By all accounts I have read the PS4 is the better system. I would buy the PS4.

If your kids mates have x-box get that.

I bought my X box one from a guy at work who bought himself a one X..I only have a couple of games, Forza Horizons 3 and Elite Dangerous. Both games look great..

I came from a PS 3 which has rechargeable controllers.. The X Box controllers , as standard, need batteries which seems a bit old hat.. If you’re watching Netflix or the like, the controllers switch off after 15 minutes of inactivity, which saves battery life, but makes it difficult to pause quickly when the kids come into the front room when we’re in the middle of something.

I was also a bit surprised to have to load a bluray app to play blurays.

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/1914982

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-Eneloop-Rechargeable-4BE-Batteries-Black/dp/B00JWC40JY

PS4.

If you had previous games on older generations of Xbox then would say Xbox.

Xbox live has better games.

Can’t imagine you’ll be disappointed with either.

Xbox one owner, moved on from original Xbox. I don’t play online and only a very casual gamer.

It’s handy to have access to the 360 back catalogue as there are some good child friendly games in that that you can pick up for peanuts second hand. You will be impressed vs. Doom but

GET A NEW TELLY.

😀

Hmmm, I can see a theme developing about the tele.

I bought the current one with the whole proceeds from selling a car – all 500quid, 13 years ago. The tele was labelled as ‘future-proof’ as it had hdmi in. I suppose we are well past that ‘future’. Ah well. Pah. [ tightwad grumbling…. 🙂 ]

I still remember when a friend replaced there CRT with a LCD telly. Turned out that smudgy mess in the corner of the screen turned out to be a map in GTA: San Andreas 8)

If money is an issue, you can probably pick up a second hand 37″ tv for around £100, or even something like this new:

Sharp LC-40CFG6021KF 40-INCH Full HD 1080p LED Smart TV with Freeview Play – £279 @ Tesco

You can get a play and charge kit for the XBox – Much better than rechargeable batteries.

You can get rechargeable batteries for the XBox – Much better than a play and charge kit.

IMHO.

I always found the charge and play kits to be better. Belt and braces etc.

You get a rechargeable controller for the PS4. – much better than… 😀

Plus it has a speaker in it.

Chips are down, I have had a Xbox One S and a PS4 this year, and much prefer the PS4. But there is a risk of coming across as a fanboy when one says that.

Reasons being:

Xbox dashboard is a mess + adverts
Controller takes batteries
Bloodborne, Persona 5, HZD, Uncharted, LOU etc.

Hopefully MS pulls itself around, as competition is always good, but even with the X I see no big game announcements on the horizon.

Fanboi!

HZD

To be fair, that does look bloody good.

there is a risk of coming across as a fanboy when one says that.

Not really. You’ve quantified your reasoning and have experience of both systems. Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Rather, the advice “get what I’ve got” with no other consideration for a poster’s requirements is what I’d say is fanboyism. It crops up time and again in computer threads (“buy a Mac” / “install Linux”), phone threads (Android / iPhone) and so on. Doubly so when it’s from a point of ignorance, people who think Windows is shit but haven’t used it since Windows ME days for instance. It’s frustrating and unhelpful.

I have no brand loyalties and have owned consoles from all of the Big Three previously. In isolation, if I were buying one or the other “cold” tomorrow then I’d probably get a PS4 just for the platform exclusives (though I’d miss Forza Horizon 3). However, one of the OP’s requirements is to game with his mates and his mates have Xboxes. That’s why the Xbox is the better choice here, and is also the primary reason I bought one over the PS4.