Design
The Xbox One and PS4 follow a lot of the tenets of American and Japanese car design. Like a Lincoln Navigator, the 7-pound, 13.1 x 10.5 x 3.25-inch Xbox One is big and imposing. Besides the alternating panels of black glossy and matte plastic with plenty of ventilation slots, there isn’t much to the One’s design. For all intents and purposes, it’s a big heavy box.
MORE: Microsoft Xbox One: Full Console Review
Microsoft makes up for the bulkiness by adding a prodigious amount of ports including three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI-in, HDMI-out, S/PDIF, an Auxiliary port, Ethernet, IR Out, and a secure lock slot.
The PS4 is more like a Mazda Miata. The 6.1-pound, 10.8 x 12 x 2.08-inch console is nice and compact, and its angular design makes it look more modern. Similar to the One, the PS4 has both glossy and matte black plastic panels, but adds a horizontal color-changing LED strip to break up the landscape. Our only complaint about the PS4’s design is the somewhat hidden power and eject buttons, which blend in too well with the LED strip.
MORE: Sony PS 4: Full Console Review
The PS4 doesn’t have as many ports as the Xbox One, but it still has two USB 3.0 ports in the front of the device and HDMI-out, Ethernet, an Optical port, and an Auxiliary port for the PlayStation Camera.
Winner: PS4
Where the Xbox One is big and bulky, the PS4 is sleek and slim. We love the modernist look of the PS4, which makes it look more like a next-gen console, and something that will be just as attractive five years from now.
