Reasons Why a PlayStation TV and PS4 Console Bundle could Eliminate the XBOX One, among other things…

Of all the different consumer groups, gamers are a very particular and knowledgeable sect that’s often hard to please.  Moreover, gamers tend to demand progress in various areas from leading companies whereas other types of consumers really don’t.  Perhaps you could chalk this up to the relatively youthful status of the video game industry in general, but it likely has something more to do with options and access.  Simply put, people who love games want as many options available at any given time and complete, unfettered access to as many pieces of software as possible.  Say what you like, reason it out however you feel, but the truth is that gamers don’t tend to tolerate failure for long.  This is of course what makes the emergence of a proposed PlayStation TV + PS4 console bundle so tantalizing – it reeks of success, options and unregulated access to games galore.  But before we examine how or why this bundle might eliminate anything, lets’ look at each individual component of the equation, shall we?

The PS4

Needless to say, it’s fairly obvious at this point that Sony’s PlayStation 4 console has emerged as the clear frontrunner and likely winner as far as the 8th generation goes.  With such a strong showing they’ve also been able to gain traction, adding lots of interesting titles and lulling in new indie developers to expand their appeal and community as well.  Moreover, the console itself was a creative boon from the start, nearly every aspect of its design (internally and externally) caters to something which speaks directly to gamers.  For starters, it’s an incredibly powerful little beast which is likely to provide lots of room for game developers to work with for years to come.

Additionally, it features much more PC-like user friendliness in general, where such components as the hard drive can be easily replaced without much trouble, even by a novice.  The point is – the PS4 is a winner, clear and simple, and when you tack on that it also keeps on improving itself over what its competitors are offering there’s additional room for growth to consider as well

The PlayStation TV

Essentially being a screen-less Vita, this microconsole utilizes a DualShock 3 controller and the internet to connect to your existing television (via HDMI) to deliver streaming games of all types.  Basically, this means that all of the good Vita, PSP, and of course PSX – PS3 titles could become instantly available and on an HD format no less.  When you also consider that the PSTV is also cross-compatible with the PS4, thus allowing a person to stream content from the PS4 to the PSTV unit, then you have something truly special to behold.  The basic point to be made here is that this is an exciting development which pretty much bypasses all the older more conventional systems we’ve come to know with regards to accessing historical “library content”, and best of all it’s apparently only going to cost around $100.  Now, consider the benefits of using the PSTV as a “second screen” or to engage “remote play”…do you see the possibilities implied here too? PlayStation TV was a really smart move by Sony – Here’s why… – another good read.

So, why would this bundle cause serious problems for the Xbox One and others?  

Aside from the last statement concerning using a PlayStation TV as an extension of the PS4, there’s yet another obvious reason why such a bundle would cause serious problems for competitors – it basically offers you complete access to the whole “Sony PS” package.  Right now there isn’t a console on the market that can tout top of the line performance and graphics while simultaneously offering you carte blanche to explore their previous iterations’ respective libraries. Moreover, Xbox doesn’t actually have as much to offer in this regard anyway, having been established slightly later.

The truth is, if they are able to keep the price low enough and perhaps even add in an emerging blockbuster game of choice to the mix, people who’ve yet to upgrade will likely veer over toward the PS4 in lieu of the Xbox One.  We’re talking about adding even more appeal and value onto a package that’s already steeped in it, to be honest.  Moreover, it is entirely foreseeable that a lot of people might be apt to purchase the bundle and then offer up the PlayStation TV as a great travel console, leaving their more expensive PS4 unit at home where it’s safe.

Furthermore, there are other companies currently experimenting with set top consoles boxes too, but none of them can really even come close to offering what Sony can with the PSTV simply because of their awesome library.  Should Sony elect to drive their prices down even lower for a proposed “mega bundle”, perhaps including a PS4 console, PSTV, two DualShock 4 controllers, a game, and /or even a PS camera then it’s pretty much going to be game over for the Xbox One, at least for this holiday season.