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Social features and integration: Xbox One and PS4 comparison (image heavy)
- Thread starter etta
- Start date
UpUpDownDown
Member
Shareplay is the only completely new/unique OS feature on either system.
That was some seriously forward thinking shit that will have everyone playing catch up for the next few years.
Everything else is a variation of things already established.
That was some seriously forward thinking shit that will have everyone playing catch up for the next few years.
Everything else is a variation of things already established.
geordiemp
Member
Would prefer the Ps4 to be simplified even more.
Its fine just to see what your friends are currently playing and what party they are in, anything more is just being too nosey.
I think its just wrong to be able to see what a friend has been watching or doing all day....its just too much big brother.
The ranked by gamerscore stuff is just Naff, as is trophies but at least its not in your face.
Both systems need to be streamlined and simplified imo...just too much crap.
Its fine just to see what your friends are currently playing and what party they are in, anything more is just being too nosey.
I think its just wrong to be able to see what a friend has been watching or doing all day....its just too much big brother.
The ranked by gamerscore stuff is just Naff, as is trophies but at least its not in your face.
Both systems need to be streamlined and simplified imo...just too much crap.
A.D. Skinner
Member
I never realised how much content the X1 UI had, I guess I've been taking it for granted!
And sorry, since the day I saw it until now, the PS4 news feed part is absolutely horrendous.
I hope the X1 doesn't lose any features in the UI upgrade to W10.
I would like it of thebX1 added achievement rarity though, and overall unlock percentages across the whole of XBL. PS4 has something along those lines, maybe that could be added to the OP?
And sorry, since the day I saw it until now, the PS4 news feed part is absolutely horrendous.
I hope the X1 doesn't lose any features in the UI upgrade to W10.
I would like it of thebX1 added achievement rarity though, and overall unlock percentages across the whole of XBL. PS4 has something along those lines, maybe that could be added to the OP?
UpUpDownDown
Member
I will never understand this screen from a design standpoint. Like, what's the point of the fade?? If you have 3 or 4 friends online you could actually fit them all in that space.
It's not clicked on.
That's showing a preview (ghosted version of the menu) above as you scroll left or right through the options.
Fortinbras
Member
You need the Youtube app.
SicSemperTyrannis
Member
Go to store page, select search, type in name...still not obscure or very difficult. I would say it is the same level of user required input compared to the PS4.
Azure Phoenix
Member
Honestly I find the Xbox One UI and the activity feed part of the PS4 UI to be a complete clusterfuck, random useless information strewn everywhere in boxes with no clear reason or order to any of it. Just give me a list of options and let me select things like a friends leaderboard if I want it, not throw it randomly on the side of a page because why not.
It feels like we've transitioned from the edgy, disorganised interfaces of the 90s, through the clean and simple interfaces of the late 00s and are now into some awful hybrid with clean and simple interfaces rammed full of clutter they weren't designed to handle.
It feels like we've transitioned from the edgy, disorganised interfaces of the 90s, through the clean and simple interfaces of the late 00s and are now into some awful hybrid with clean and simple interfaces rammed full of clutter they weren't designed to handle.
I know it is. That's what I'm saying. It's pointless, there's enough room to show the actual information.
Michael F. Assbender
Banned
Holy shit, I had forgotten what a cluttered mess the Xbone UI is. It hurts my head to look at it again all these months after selling mine.
Storm Raider
Banned
I have to say, the PS4 UI is much better than the Xbox one (no pun intended).
The Xbox one is so overly cluttered with the same looking squares it's hard to tell where you are and how to navigate menus.
The PS4 is very minimalistic and easy to navigate.
Can't wait for the new XB1 UI, whenever that comes out.
The Xbox one is so overly cluttered with the same looking squares it's hard to tell where you are and how to navigate menus.
The PS4 is very minimalistic and easy to navigate.
Can't wait for the new XB1 UI, whenever that comes out.
x24hrs2livex
Banned
There is a box literally right next to the main window for GwG and Deals with Gold.
Read my post again. That is exactly how it works on Facebook. It's not going to propose people already on your friends list. What would be the point in that? Rather, it suggests people from your friends friend list. And, yes, the same people do appear on the browser version, only the list of possibilities is far more extensive. The central defining factor on PS4, as I correctly remarked, is that all the suggestions will own PS4s and have PSN accounts.
Breakfast at Noon
Member
I forgot how much of a cluster fuck the xbox ui is..
I added the trophy rarity thing, but the Xbox One does have overall unlock percentages.
What are quote tags? I had to resize the pictures to 720p because they were massive at 1080p, and Imgur's "Huge thumbnail" compressed them for some reason.
aygomyownroad
Member
Personally I don't care too much about the social integration. However the Xbox store is Great as its easy to find videos of the game on the page so you can see what its like running etc before you buy it.
These social aspects are cool if you want them but the Xbox store is better than the ps store
These social aspects are cool if you want them but the Xbox store is better than the ps store
TacosNSalsa
Member
Ah okay...misunderstood . What I was getting wasn't that they are suggesting people I already have as friends but that the people they are suggesting to me we share one friend from psn alone. But I get what are saying now...still irritating . At least let me stick it in a corner somewhere where I actively have to go looking for it.
Except that the UI is in fact, cluttered.
I don't think it is. As I have mentioned before, it takes time to learn what everything does because at first it appears so overwhelming. After using it for a while, I realized that the screen is just split in three vertical slices generally, and of course they are dynamic. So for example, the Friends app has alerts/messages/profile/suggested friends on the left 1/3rd, friends list in the center 1/3rd, and activity feed on the right 1/3rd of the screen. That's basically what Metro is, just sections on the screen with tiles.
OP not sure if this is relevant for this thread, but one of the best XB1 features for me is when I'm with friends i can sign into my account on my friends machine. I can DL my games and configuration settings, saves etc and literally start from where I left off at home. As we go to each others houses a lot I use this often. Not sure about PS4 account mobility, but this is really neat.
It's not that bad as these screens are a bit deceptive, the sections ease in and are presented only of you need to see them. You need to scroll to the right to see all that, most of the time I don't see all the additional info.
I think PS4 does this too, but it's slightly easier on the Xbox One as the cloud saves is automatic syncing (download and upload) every time the save is modified, whereas on PS4 it only does it once a day or manually.
Sorry for the late reply, but
Speed of use is an important factor in UX design. For example, if it takes 5 minutes to load a screen that does everything you could ever want it to, would you ever use that screen? Probably not; no one is going to wait 5 minutes to use a feature.
So speed and ease of use are important metrics in how useful social (or any other) feature is, which is why I mentioned it.
Ahh OK, glad to see its there. One of the best things about this gen is cloud utility being integrated in all important user related actions.
I agree, but the the time variable is, well variable, and the base cannot be used as 5 minutes, because neither takes that long for any app. Also, the reason why Xbox takes a long time for some, again, this is highly variable, is because the OS was built with the cloud in mind. The new dashboard is completely revamped and not build with the cloud and Kinect in mind, which is why it's so snappy. I agree that the PS4 UI is faster to navigate on average, but the deltas for specific features varies from person to person. I am for example on the low end, fortunately Bell Fibe's DNS servers are fine, so I didn't have to switch to Google DNS, and my Friends app for example loads fast.
To add a performance analysis would mean to go measure different setups, but I agree, and I think everyone here agrees, that PS4 is faster when loading certain stuff because it's not cloud based and most of those things are baked into the OS and not a separate app.
Aceofspades
Banned
PS4 has Shareplay so it wins in my book by a mile.
Shareplay is very underrated feature and the only revolutionary feature on either system.
Shareplay is very underrated feature and the only revolutionary feature on either system.
loaf of bread
Member
Nah. PS4 is bare bones and utilitarian. I knew how to use it and where shit was the moment I booted it.
I've had my XB1 since launch and I still don't understand how to do a lot of things and have gotten "lost" or "stuck" in the menus plenty of times.
Ricerocket
Member
The current X1 UI would work for a PC but for a game console, it's horribly busy.
The new one from what I've seen looks to tone it down a few notches of info overload so they do admit that it's bad.
The new one from what I've seen looks to tone it down a few notches of info overload so they do admit that it's bad.
Doctoglethorpe
Member
One thing i love on ps4 that i dont think xbox one has, is group text chat. And not text in temporary party chat, though it has that too, but a permanent message thread you can have up to 100 people in. It basically functions like a forum thread right on your console. My main group of friends have one set up so we can easily talk and post random or game related stuff, including screenshots, or lfg. It even works on the phone app which lets you post while your away from the console and upload any picture you want, which we all use frequently. Its been incredibly valuable as a way to keep in touch and share pictures. The only thing it lacks compared to chatting on a real forum is the ability to share video, which feels like an odd omission given the share button functionality. Hopefully sony add that soon.
Does xbox do this? Since i dont use it much im not really sure, but from what i can tell its just one to one chat.
Does xbox do this? Since i dont use it much im not really sure, but from what i can tell its just one to one chat.
I think so, I can add up to 32 people in the "To:" field in Messages.
The X1 store definitely needs a huge makeover and the speed at which things operate also needs improving, but otherwise I don't mind the UI. I guess I'm just used to it after almost 2 years.
In saying that the UI update later this year will be very welcome.
PS4 UI is definitely faster and the store layout is actually very user friendly but I have always found Sony's UI very sterile feeling.
End of the day 99% of the time I turn on either console is to play games and both do that very well.
In saying that the UI update later this year will be very welcome.
PS4 UI is definitely faster and the store layout is actually very user friendly but I have always found Sony's UI very sterile feeling.
End of the day 99% of the time I turn on either console is to play games and both do that very well.
TimorousPanda
Member
I like the features on my Xbox, but I hate how it's organized and how it performs. I'd like it a lot more if it was as zippy as my PS4, but it's still enjoyable to use.
X1 allows you to send messages to a group but responses come back individually rather than to the group. Pluses and minuses to both ways of doing it.
RedAssedApe
Banned
Is there anyway to remove yourself from the what's new feed on ps4? I have a small number of friends and the feed tends to be dominated by my ow activity since I play the most hah
Oh, okay. I'll add the group chat feature to the PS4, then.
JayhawkerStL
Banned
It's only overload for about a day or two. Pretty soon you figure out how to quickly get to whatever you want and ignore the rest. Different people use different info, and I use different info at different times.
Mostly, I appreciate the various ways I can interact with content and people on the XB1. It's not hard to navigate, and information is fewer clicks away than you think when you learn how its put together.
I do think that the dashboard and UI seems primed to take advantage of how users use various features, and to streamline that experience even more, and make the UI more intuitive.
You guys complaining about the Xbox One's UI sound like a bunch of 60year olds. Like my mom when she's using her laptop and calls me asking where stuff is. I've never understood the complaints of it being hard to find stuff and cluttered. It's really simple, looking for a game or app click games and apps right on the home tab. Wanna see who's online look to the right for the friends window and look at scroll through who's online or click to see. Setup pins for games or apps you use frequently and you're golden. If you are wanting to find a specific game or app without browsing the store just Bing it. Not liking the look of the UI is one thing, but I just don't understand how anyone can say the X1 OS is harder to use than the PS4. Having to scroll all the way to the right to get to the PS4's game library to find games and apps on my system is way slower than on the X1. I don't have an issue using either one though. I don't like the look of the PS4's UI more though...
Keihart
Member
This thread remember me of this video, oh god i feel old now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_iOTBTyupc
I prefer the ps4 simply because i like fast and minimal UIs, i want information only when i ask for it and the rest should be information that i need or find useful in any moment. Also it's pretty fast and i hate Windows 8.
Features wise they seem to be pretty much the same?
I prefer the ps4 simply because i like fast and minimal UIs, i want information only when i ask for it and the rest should be information that i need or find useful in any moment. Also it's pretty fast and i hate Windows 8.
Features wise they seem to be pretty much the same?
Tell me about it, not to mention downloading a whole bunch of DLC at once on the Xbox store is a fucking joke. Takes way to long to queue DLC and find it. That whole store is in shambles compared to the ps4 one. PS4 one isn't great either but when I was able to queue up and start downloading all of drive clubs DLC the other night I was happy it didn't take more than two minutes. I would probably shoot myself if I had to download 35 ad dons on the Xbox one because it would probably take over 15 minutes to do it.
Should be under your privacy settings.
The 5 minutes was an example, I wasn't saying either one had an area that took that long. I was simply saying that features are useless if you can't load the page they're on.
I also didn't mention whether one or the other is faster, simply because I don't know. Which is why I wondered if anyone has done a comparison between getting those features working (with and without a game running) to see how useful they are. Tangentially, I would love to see the performance of the new X1 UI.
Finally, to say that ps4 wasn't built with the cloud in mind is somewhat silly: for example, on the home row, each game pulls info from the internet. The top row has friends, messages, party, trophies, and profile that all are reliant on the internet/cloud as well.
Go into any "psn is down" thread and you'll see how bare bones the OS is without internet/cloud.
Anyway, back to my original point, which is: speed is, by necessity, an important factor in any discussion of features. If you want this to be a be-all-end-all thread for social feature comparisons, then a least a sample video of each one is going to be needed, even if it only serves for people who may not be familiar with one system or another.
JayhawkerStL
Banned
Nail on the head.
Sure, I could take a video, but it will be useless because my apps load relatively faster than others'. That's the whole problem with the OS at the moment, it's inconsistent and too dependent on peoples' internet setup, not just download/upload speeds.
The Baron Count
Member
I wouldn't call it hard to use, that's just ridiculous.
I do think there are more steps required to do things than should be necessary. It's a perfectly decent UI that unfortunately seems to have been designed with Kinect completely in mind. It's not unwieldy on a pad but it's not exactly fluid either.
A redesign will fix this. I love the functionality of the thing.
arhra
Member
I'd say the individual store pages are better on the XB1, thanks to stuff like the integrated streams/clips/etc, but the overall store layout is better on the PS4.
ShadowkillXNA
Member
Not at all. Its overly complicated to do the simplest of tasks, unintuitive, and slow. Its the only console os that makes me want to punch everyone on the design every time I see it.
Far prefer the ps4 os. Fast, simple and functional.
You're on a gaming forum that has a lot of tech enthusiasts. If so many people think the xbones ui is needlessly complicated and ugly there just might be something to it.
Please give me an example of what's overly complicated about doing things on the Xbox One? Also what tasks on the PS4 are more simple than on the X1? You're right we're on a gaming forum with gamers who are tech savvy and have used many consoles. So it really baffles me how the people on this forum who are the hardcore gamers have trouble using the X1's OS And haven't adapted...
Head.spawn
Junior Member
How often have you have used your console, that you are still confused two years later?
I could see maybe a day or so, a week tops... maybe after new features are added, that might throw you off a bit... But if you could be specific as to where you could possibly be stuck or lost, I could buy this.