PlayStation Plus puts Xbox Live to shame

"The Xbox Live rewards scheme is a poorly thought-out last minute attempt to try and justify the value of Xbox Live to gamers."

Gameondaily discusses why PlayStation Plus makes a mockery of the Xbox Live service

[Majin-vegeta]

Duahh everyone knows this other than the obvious xbox fanboys.

[LostDjinn]

Look how broken the responses get the further you go down the thread. It's getting salty in here and it's only going to get saltier.

OT: Everybody knows this. Apart from chest beating and trolling people who already act like victims I don't see the point.

Edit: I should say I don't see the point if you don't count sinking to new (are they new though?) lows for hits.

Edit 2: miDnIghtEr20C_SfF You're about to disappear. You know why, I know why and above all site staff know why. It's "people" like you that bring it on yourselves and then play the victim that I can't understand. Do you know why you do it?

[4Sh0w]

Nope. Live is much better when it comes to actually using it. psn+ offers more free stuff but the experience is sort of clunky with all the updates, waiting and then installing. Its much better than when it started though but its not smooth with things like matchmaking like Live.

[LostDjinn]

You don't actually have it do you?

The updates are automatic unless it's a day one patch it'll download whenever it's available (you don't even need to be there), the cloud storage is seamless and the speed is identical to XBL and steam every time I've used it. Apart from the install which occurs after download (steam does the same thing) and is OS based not PSN based.

As for matchmaking, you do realize that the dev runs that under the current system for both consoles right?

[darthv72]

without getting too deep into the totality of both services. i can say that i have been a gold member since its onset. I have seen it grow exponentially into the service it is now. Each revision has added value to the service i started out with.

I am paying no more for it now than when i started. well maybe $10 more but still....MS didnt have to make the additions they did to the paid side but if anything all of those additions are just more incentives to keep you a member.

It started off as a pay to play online service but has grown into something more and those who are veterans of it know what i am talking about.

it was only this past February that i signed up for PS+. Now that was due in part to having just picked up a Vita after the recent announcement of the PS4. Prior to being a + member, I always saw it as more of a discount service because...lets face it, you initially got discounts on the content. It wasnt until they started adding in full games to the mix that its real potential started to take off.

What many generally gloss over is the fact that the + membership is a glorified rental service. Now that is NOT a bad thing (even though I will get disagrees for stating that). I mean the games you get (and you do get ALLOT) are ones that you can play, beat and get rid of at your leisure. If you want to "own" them then go buy retail (or 2nd hand).

It has really paid off for me because of having the Vita i am able to play games like uncharted, Gravity Rush, etc without having to buy them (which i will likely do anyway as I love having physical copies) and having the PS3 for games like Darksiders (really fun) and the recent HD remakes of Ico (never played before) and Shadow of Collossus (own the PS2 orig).

I can say that being a member of both services has its pros and cons. Once you are hooked, it makes it hard to just walk away so when my renewal comes up for gold in november...yup, Im renewing. when my renewal comes up for + in May...yup, Im renewing.

I like and use both services. I wont say one is better than the other but i will say that what each one does right, it does so for the respected platform. That should be enough to satisfy the concerns of those who are on the fence.

thank you for your time.

[Gozer]

http://www.destructoid.com/...

Only sony fanboys think PSN is better than Live. The UI for PSN is complete garbage compared to Live. Messaging is a pain in the balls on PSN, Live its easy. No party chat for PSN, Live has this covered. Free Games with Gold on Live, Live gets to keep their games. PSN+ is just a rental for games.

Let me guess"bu..but we get all those features with the ps4." Yeah and you will pay for them now, and you still wont have dedicated servers for all your online MP games. But guess what? Live users will have all those features plus dedicated servers for their online MP, so Live is still the best online service for 3 gens in a row.

@Ashlen
Do you realize how stupid and biased your comment is? No, They are both not services. One is a blessing from God, the other is damnation to hell. You don't deserve your bubbles.

[Ashlen]

PS+ is a service XBL is a paywall

[LostDjinn]

LOL
Check out Gozers link from 2009. Been waitin' awhile to use that one huh?
I guess what your saying is you're stuck last decade. Is that where your view of XBL comes from? Well thanks for providing reference.

Edit: Oh you mean the cloud? Well that is where the magic comes from apparently. LOL

[4Sh0w]

LostDjinn I do have both do you want pics or something. You know very well there are more updates for psn which btw I dont usually notice any difference most of the time and downloads for games or anything to do with psn are much much slower than xbl no matter what speed you have. Its not even comparable. Xbl also handles matchmaking differently than psn, devs do it all for themselves on psn. I didnt even mention cross game chat which ps3 never got, only now coming to ps4.

Here this is from IGN as of March 26, 2013 it covers everything I said above:

"Xbox Live has a much more robust system, adding friends, parties and chatting is all much more seem-less and seems to be built better into the Operating System and network. Playstation has long suffered catching up to the level of social interactivity that Xbox has had which could be a major reason for the share button in their new console."

"It’s true that the PlayStation Network is free and that you’ll need to pay to access online features with Xbox Live. But the old adage remains true: you pay for what you get. Xbox Live remains a more secure platform than the PSN, subject to far fewer hacks and other problems. And while the paid PlayStation Plus service is certainly a great value, the fact remains that if you have security concerns the Xbox 360 is the better of the two."

"On the plus side, it means Microsoft get the lion’s share of online-enabled games, with even the most low-rent of independent developers able to support online matchmaking in their games. Meaning, overall, it makes online play in multi-format titles far more likely on the 360."
http://www.ign.com/blogs/re...

[scott182]

I love having PS+, it's been great for me. I can't really compare it to live because I haven't used live a lot, just at my friends house. But I wont be giving up + any time soon... And with Sony ramping up their online service for next gen all the features will improve dramatically (servers and otherwise) with Openstack/gaikai. Also with the free games I get monthly it covers the cost easily.

[Gozer]

@Lostdjinn
Yeah, and the sony fanboys haven't changed a bit since 2009.
http://n4g.com/news/1371389...
http://n4g.com/news/1371027...

Live is still the best online gaming service around. No tantrum throwing from your camp is going to change that.

[LostDjinn]

@ 4Sh0w: Hahaha. You link to the personal blog of some random guy that doesn't even own as PS product? Well I don't know about you but I'm sold. That right there is what you'd call "cold hard fact".

OMG seriously? It's like you took all that time to line yourself up and then kicked yourself in the face. You've just shown how desperate you are by not providing facts. Anything will do regardless of how flawed. I mean you understand don't you? Being desperate doesn't make you right and what you've written couldn't be further from the truth.

@Gozer: Really? The same story from two sources? Well aren't you the clever one. Tell you what. Go to any youtube video about anything to do with anything playstation. Try any PS4 video. Look at all the hate. Why don't Sony disable comments, or remove them so people can't see the comments? Some of that stuff's homophobic, racist and abusive.

Strange that people aren't making a big deal out of that isn't it? Anyway, back to your tantrum...

Edit: Had to change an "R" to a "T". Also had to point out that yes 4sh0w, the PS3 doesn't have cross-game chat or party chat. If you want those features on PSN you'd have to go all the way to the Vita. Guess what? They're free there too. ;)

[FamilyGuy]

@ darthv72

"I am paying no more for it now than when i started. well maybe $10 more but still....MS didn't have to make the additions they did to the paid side but if anything all of those additions are just more incentives to keep you a member.

It started off as a pay to play online service but has grown into something more and those who are veterans of it know what i am talking about."

You're basically just saying that the service was enhanced over time and it's a big part of your appreciation but in contrast PSN evolved over time too, and the difference was even bigger considering PSNs meager beginnings.
All while staying free while MS eventually decided to raise the price of Gold by $10 without really giving a good reason. PS+ being outside of the PSN (in-general) topic.

Gold places a paid-blockade in front of many of its services that are free everywhere else. What is it that you're actually seeing value in? Their service has some extra sports affiliations and I guess the way it does matchmaking for setting up games but other than that what is it they do that's worth paying for?

So far all I can see is the illusion of "value", if we were talking about the X1 it would be a different story. There's 300,000 servers, matching making by level, the system of weeding out annoying players and more. That's the X1 though, for 360 I'm just not seeing what makes it worth the cost.

@ All others

Please notice that we're talking about the differences in SERVICES, not the differences in hardware, user interface or any other thing that works when you aren't even signed in. If you don't need to pay for XBLG or PS+ to access it, it doesn't count. Please understand this because a lot of you are comparing things that aren't part of the topic.

I reiterate: THIS IS A TOPIC ABOUT PS+ VS XBLG!
It is NOT a topic about PSN vs XBLG
It is NOT a topic about PS3/PS4 vs 360/X1
It's paid service vs paid service.

[LiQuiZoN]

Majority of these people can't even differentiate xblive from the xbox operating system or psn from the playstation OS. Quite sad. This is how you become dumber from to eh internet. Lol.

[Joe913]

@Gozer you should not be able to comment on any article ppl like you is why a lot of websites are thinking about taking the comment section away what is wrong with you of course Sony fanboys going to like PS+ just like MS fanboys like live I try to keep from calling names over someone’s opinions cause you have the right to think what you want but you make it hard lol.

[nukeitall]

I think 4Sh0w put it best.

Xbox Live is much better in use than PSN, but PS+ offers better value.

So take your pick. Premium service or value service?

That said, I think PS+ is slowly ruining the industry by devaluing games. I might have bought more games if they weren't free, but now I would just wait to get many of them free. Those free games will again occupy my time, lowering my interest in buying games.

This is similar to how Netflix is eating into blu-ray and dvd sales. The difference, new movies comes out much slower than the games on PS+.

[ShinMaster]

@ Xbox fanboys

Your vague knowledge of PSN is mostly based on the PS3 itself and its interface.

This is topic is about paid services, PS Plus vs Gold. Not PSN vs XBL.

[mewhy32]

Well I don't know about putting them to shame but PSN offers more. I mean PSN+ members do get loads of perks like some awesome free games and the membership works for PS4, PS3, and Vita. Not to mention that it's 10.00 less than live.
Even if you don't take the PSN+ you can still access many of the online features of the consoles with the free account. With micro$oft everything is behind the pay wall.

[News4Noobs-]

@Gozer
Isn't this article talking about PSN+ vs XBL? Or about how both OS run for each system?
Because if you're saying that XBL is better than PSN because you can send messages faster then you don't know what the difference between a serivce and
hardaware/software is.

Can you say XBL is better than PSN because
-You can send messages faster
-Cross game chat
etc etc?

Answer is NO
Those are hardware/software base features which SHOULD be FREE. The reason why most why most XBL members would argue this is because it is forced on you guys and because it is not free, and because Playstation can't do it at this time because of its memroy... but wait until the ps4 comes out and lets see.

Yes I agree XBL is good... but for what you pay, it is just a shame. Not because I don't have the money, but because it is not worth it when PSN offers a lot more. Again, the features that you guys mention why XBL they are not in the ps3 because of hardware issues.

[Kayant]

@nukeitall

"That said, I think PS+ is slowly ruining the industry by devaluing games. I might have bought more games if they weren't free, but now I would just wait to get many of them free. Those free games will again occupy my time, lowering my interest in buying games."

And you think sony just get these games for free.... If you're really interested in a game not available on PS+ then you will still get it. It's not like you will always be interested in the IGC line-up compared to a game you really want to play.

[UltimateMaster]

PlayStation Plus puts Xbox Live to shame
This has been a well known fact for a while now.

[amiga-man]

The value in Playstation plus is undeniable I can't keep up with the excellent games available and have I have no problem at all paying into it.

The same is not true of xbl cross game chat and access to stuff like Netflix which is free everywhere else and should not be behind a paywall anyway is hardly value and it is difficult to justify it's cost,

[SniperControl]

@Gozer

Do me a favour and scroll all the way to the bottom of the article you posted, to the first comment post.

You will see that the actual author of the piece meant it as satire.

"You guys do realize I was being satirical right? My favorite system is the PS3!"

Enough said..............

[badz149]

@nuketail

"That said, I think PS+ is slowly ruining the industry by devaluing games. I might have bought more games if they weren't free, but now I would just wait to get many of them free. Those free games will again occupy my time, lowering my interest in buying games."

only PS+, ha? PS+ is a rental service for you haters, right? so, you're saying that Gamefly, Blockbuster etc. were all ruining the industry too? and they started way back. how about those game stores putting games in the bargain bins? oh...how about Steam? those several old month games for dirt cheap during sales, sure are ruining the industry too, right? not to forget games for Gold started recently. MAN...MS is such a JERK, right? giving games for free like that! /s

put down the tinfoil hat for once and start talking like a gamer! we already know devs and publishers get their money off those free PS+ games. as a gamer, shouldn't we just be happy Sony provide a service like PS+ and make more highly rated games reaching to more people? but NO! SONY IS RUINING THE INDUSTRY! pfft...the blindness of some people!

[TrollCraftTales]

@4Sh0w
You do know that the online service you are using makes no difference with in-game match making right? And yes, PSN and PS+ have a lot of annoying updates, but that doesn't mean Xbox has none at all! And with PS4 (and maybe Xbox One) The updates will be automatic while you are away, therefore taking out the only negative to PS+...

@Gozer
I hate it when people say PS+ is a rental service. The only way you lose the games you have is if you don't pay. I can say XBL is a rental service, because 90% of the things you get on it are blocked out if you don't pay... The only things on PS+ that gets revoked if you don't pay are the games PS+ GAVE YOU FOR FREE! Or the online service, which happens on both, other than that you can still use everything PSN has to offer, unlike Xbox, when you don't pay you lose almost everything, except the ability to play single player games...

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

One service was hacked and shut down bringing Sony and gamer to their knees crying.

One service has not been hacked, crippled and destroyed for weeks.

People that bring up PSN needing to be better than Live this far into it are the one's still in denial. Everyone knows Live is better overall. PSN is much better than it was at the start, but it's not Live yet. Maybe on the PS4 things will change.

Also, one has party chat. One does not. The choice is easy if you're a MP gamer.

[black0o]

allow me to correct YOU Mr
xbox live was hacked as well but MS didnt reported nor acknowledge publicly, MS only cares about their image and some BS PR

PROOF: http://www.joystiq.com/2012...

another case http://www.engadget.com/201...

Edit: quick edit u did there nice ;)
''one has party chat. One does not''
1st it's a hardware limitations has nothing 2do with the PSN Just
2nd the Vita has a cross chat and no one is making a big deal about it :P

[rdgneoz3]

No service is perfect, though don't pretend yours is. They've all had their fair share of problems in the past. Let's just hope things go smoothly with the transition to next-gen.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007...

http://www.theverge.com/201...

http://www.engadget.com/200...

[5eriously]

What a excellent troll, you do your nick a great service. T's a pity and shame really that some humans had to be last in the queue when common sense were dished out while the stocks ran very low!

[MetalProxy]

Yep and one service (your preferred service) tried to force DRM. I honestly see it coming back in some form or another. Now thats scary shit!

[Tornado]

LOL obvious Xboner :D

[pete007]

@blackoo... but to have multiplayer at least 2 people need to buy a vita!! lol

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

@black0o

you need to learn the difference between a service being hacked and someone being phished. Xbox Live has not been hacked. I knew you were going to try to bring a link of people being phished on FIFA.

HUGE difference than having your whole network brought down it's knees and crippled.

What's next? You going to bring out the link of back in the day when live went out for SOME people because they were idiots and not prepared for Christmas when everyone wanted a 360.

Ha ha... learn the difference between being hacked and phished. It's huge.

Not surprised you got so many agrees from being wrong.

[ShinMaster]

This is topic is about paid services, PS Plus vs Gold. Not PSN vs XBL.

Besides, Sony has already rebuilt their security. Why do you think Sony themselves shut down PSN? It's better than before. And it will be even better on PS4.

[RobbyGrob]

That's because PSN was specifically targeted by a hacker group. This has nothing to do with the experience of the quality of the service. Live could just as well have gone down if the group chose to do so. I've never paid to play online on my PS3 and i've never had any multi-player issues that weren't technical issues with the games themselves. So clearly there's no sensible reason to pay for the multi-player unless you get something far better than the same experience as you would from the free service.

OT: PS Plus has always put XBL to shame. How is this news?

[warczar]

hey guess what? when PSN was hacked we could still watch netflix. the only gamers it hurt were the ones who cod, witch apparently is every xbox gamer.

if you think that cross game chat is better than free games your either stupid naive. and yes they are free for as long as your a ps+ member.

it's hard to care about little things like chatting when i'm playing kingdoms of amalur.

[TrollCraftTales]

@miDnIghtEr20C_SfF
One service was hacked by the most skilled hackers in the world. They even got into the CIA, if they WANTED to go after MS, they could, in a heartbeat. Then Sony gave out free games after it all blew over, what did MS do when they were reportedly hacked, they denied it and forgot...

I ask you, what is really "better" about Live? Party Chat? Fixed on Vita and PS4, hardware limitations by the PS3, not PSN. Updates? Automatic on PS4. What else, oh yeah! Nothing... One is not "faster" than the other as many ignorant fanboys think, the UI is not PSN, it is PS3. PS+ Gives you TONS of free games, and yes, if you are an idiot and you don't pay, then you lose them, but if you don't pay for Live then you lose access to 90% of the systems features... PS+ Is neck and neck with Live right now, but the obvious winner of next gen in PS+...

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

I love all the fools that think they're getting free games.

Uhmmm.. you're paying a monthly service to RENT games. YOU DO NOT OWN THESE GAMES. You are PAYING sony to RENT games.

You are not paying something for FREE. Do you guys know that? How does something you pay for mean it's free? How does that make sense?

Guess what? I pay for cable internet and get to go online for free! Ya.. doesn't make sense. Either does saying you pay for a service to get free games. BECAUSE YOU ARE PAYING MONEY! These games aren't free. They are a monthly paid service. You don't pay PSN+ to get free games. You pay for PSN+ to RENT GAMES.

I pay Xbox Live Gold to play games online against people and my friends. All the other extra stuff that comes with Live is FREE EXTRAS for me. I pay online to play games. SO everything that is on Gold Live is EXTRA.

You don't pay for something monthly and say you get games for free. You are renting games. Sony has fooled you kids so bad into thinking you are getting free games. YOU ARE RENTING GAMES! Just like my buddy does with GameFly. He pays a monthly fee and can keep the game as long as he wants. When he is done paying, he has to give the game back.

When you stop paying for PSN+ you lose your rented game. YOU DO NOT KEEP IT. YOu are not getting free games.

It's really simple to understand. PSN+ is Gamefly. You are renting games. Not getting free games.

[a_squirrel]

Just imagine if the price you paid for xbox live also got you multiple free games. Now imagine that but $10 less a year.

I think playstation has been pushing this more for less thing and some people are too blind to even see it.

"YOU DO NOT OWN THESE GAMES."
Everyone knows this, genius.

"Guess what? I pay for cable internet and get to go online for free! Ya.. doesn't make sense."
"I pay Xbox Live Gold to play games online against people and my friends. All the other extra stuff that comes with Live is FREE EXTRAS for me."

facepalm.jpg

"When you stop paying for PSN+ you lose your rented game."
No, you lose access to the collection of games LIKE NETFLIX. It's not like you have to 'rent every title individually. And if I grabbed a game when it was free, and lost my membership the next day, I can still go back and download if I renew.

Idiot.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

How many times does this article have to come up?

I'd say PSN+ is better seeing how they release more up to date titles. But then again MS gives out older games you get to keep for good.

We still don't know if MS will continue this on X1 or not but they need to stay competitive with Sony and give great value like Sony has been doing.

[Saints94]

The whole "free games" is only until December. And on my 76 people friend list, not one is playing those old games.

I can say that downloading stuff is nice and fast though.

[a_squirrel]

My brother can't download the free game for some reason. It's just not showing up on his.

[VENOMACR1227]

Funny how the article didn't mention the #1 most important factor for an online gaming service.....the actual online gaming. COD and BF are some of most popular online games, and I believe they sell best on Xbox because of the excellent online service.

Sorry but I don't care about getting free crappy Indie games. I don't watch Netflix because the instant movies are generally old or just bad. Plus I got a Smart TV for that anyway if I wanted. I use my Live for online gaming, not apps and the internet, thats why I have a tv, tablet, computer, or cell phone. Glad it only took Sony 10+ years to catch up.

[Majin-vegeta]

Lol are you serious??BF sells better on PS fact.

Just look at how many current players are online.

And everytime i check the online people PS3 is always on top.
http://bf3stats.com/

Sorry but I don't care about getting free crappy Indie games.

Lol i'm sorry what??So you call these all indie games?

http://cdn2-www.playstation...

This is just for the 1st year.

[gobluesamg]

@Veno
How misinformed can you be. Holy f@#k man!

[TrollCraftTales]

First, the online services are the same, they are the same speed, everything. People who think it is faster, or smoother, or better on XBL are just ignorant.

Second, PS+ doesn't give out "free crappy Indie games." Kingdoms of Amular, Shadow of the Colossus, Dead Nation, Tomb Raider Underworld, Castle Crashers, Far Cry 2, Sly Cooper, Little Big Planet 2, Just Cause 2, inFamous 2, Saints Row 2, The Walking Dead, Gotham City Imposters, Borderlands, PAYDAY: The Heist, Resident Evil 5, Bioshock 2, Darksiders, Sleeping Dogs, Saints Row The Third, Uncharted 3, Battlefield 3, Hitman Absolution, And Much Much More, You saying they only give out crappy indie games is just ignorant and immature fanboyism at it's best... Glad it only took Microsoft 10 years to even BEGIN offering free games, and the first 2 they gave out are 4-7 years old. Go troll somewhere else...

[VENOMACR1227]

Man, you kids must have a PS move shoved so far up your ass. Fanboy much? Lol get a life. Wetting your pants over something so minor.

[BallsEye]

free stuff doesn't mean better service. You obviously never used both for a longer period of time. XBL for XO looks very promising with all the new stuff and the cloud.

[TrollCraftTales]

lol... The cloud. I can see it now, day one on the Xbox One, everyone is playing games then BAM! Cloud servers are down, please reconnect and try again later. Every online only game has been almost broken. Sim City, GTA Online, Hell, even Halo 3. So do you really think an entire CONSOLE based on online gaming is going to work day one. Have fun waiting for the cloud servers to respond while I play games...

[BallsEye]

Halo 3 was broken? Care to explain how exactly? So far it's been PSN having down times every now and then. For as long as I'm on live the only downtime I experienced was a switch from old dashboard to completely new one, and it was pretty short.

[gameonbro]

lol but it don't help the person that submitted the article into this wasteland has the name of septic

[TechMech2]

Xbox Live multiplayer is better. That's all I need to buy an Xbox one.

[hobohunterz]

Typical baseless response that Live is better with no reason why just that its better....

[TechMech2]

@hobohunterz
I don't need to justify my choice to you. Xbox live has been faster and more reliable network bang than ps network. I don't care what you think about my opinion.

[ovnipc]

Give all the games you want still piss on PSN! The service sucks they have to give games for free to make up for the shit the games are, and actually they are not free cause you are paying $50 a year for the same you get for free just a few games for free for crap service no thanks! PS can die! Viva el XBOX!

[Tetsujin]

All those who argue Live is better for its xgame chat, I have something to beat it - Cell Phone with unlimited talk time and text. :D No console required.

OT

Some of the die hards on here make me ashamed to be a gamer sometimes. It's + and Live for features and value, not PSN vs Live; and for those who argue yes it is, go reread the article.

[Jazz4108]

Not trying to start anything but how can you talk to your entire team with a cell phone?

[Tetsujin]

I have party chat, and the people I play with we know each other in real life, so it makes it easier to communicate. The few I met just online we use Skype or Team Speak.

[nosferatuzodd]

indeed we all know that and i have both psn and xboxlive.
psn justify my 50 bucks live, not so much

[KiLLeRCLaM]

XboxOne is shit..

[s8anicslayer]

In terms of free offerings yes it does, But I must say that I'm quite envious of what EU store gets over any one else on PS Plus. MG Rising next month?? Come on that's just not fair!

[Blastoise]

Why not just make an EU account? it's easy enough. I have both an American account and a Japanese on mine

Edit@Godmars

I'm saying I live in Europe and have a European account, an American account and a Japanese account.

I only have Playstation plus on my European account, but getting American PS+ is as simple as buying a PSN voucher off of eBay

[Godmars290]

Are you saying that you're paying for a US and EU PS+ each, or that you've figured out how to abuse the service and double dip from each region?

[SnakeCQC]

we get mgs rising?? hell yeah i was about to buy that lol

[Majin-vegeta]

Sadly yes I hate you guys :( (not literally).
http://n4g.com/news/1371827...

[JokesOnYou]

Nah I prefer xbl because its much faster for downloads, its more streamlined/easier to use, there are more gamers always online which makes the community more active=engaging, microsoft makes really cool improvements to the dash at least twice a year, xbl is more stable even without the frequent long firmware updates like psn, both offer free games that I either are old, already played or dont care for really but most of all xbl is hands down the best for ME because thats where ALL my friends and family connect for online gaming.

[torchic]

"there are more gamers always online which makes the community more active"

how far up your ass did you have to dig to pull that one out? wow I've honestly seen it all.

if anything there are more people on PSN as Sony has sold more consoles worldwide, every PS3 ever sold was sold with built in wi-fi, and PSN on PS3 has always been free.

but I'm probably wrong as, like you I have absolutely nothing to back up my claims but at least I'm not trying to pass baseless gibberish as fact.

[5eriously]

Are your bubbles reducing by any chance? I wonder why! Maybe stop shilling and trolling on the PS3/PS4 articles and selling some false hope and honey on the eXBox3660/eXB0Ne articles may help considerably!

[WorldGamer]

@ Jokes.....
So, long story short, your PERSONAL OPINION based on the fact that your family and friends are on XBL is that it's better for YOU.... got it. lol.

As for the technical stuff, we have seen Sony improve on the PS4 architecture, arguably surpassing MS. They have improved their relationship with developers (see indies and AAA developers praise) and consumers. They have come up with a solution for downloading games, allowing you to play while you install (same as MS I believe), I can go on, but you get the point.

With all of this, you believe that they would not improve on PS+ for PS$ as well?? Do you truly believe that they would not take that into account as part of the overall experience?

Your preference is one thing, but I thing that we can all agree that XBL isn't going to be that much better, if better at all over PS+ this time around if the trends are to be believed.

I'm just saying, this one check mark on your list of MS "advantages" might not be valid in the near future. But then again, I guess it is conceivable that Sony will drop the ball on that one thing, tho unlikely.

EDITED for clarification and grammar. I like to write properly when I can.

[christocolus]

i agree with jokesonyou...i used both for a while and there is certainly something about the quality of ms service that is lacking in sonys...besides downloads speeds..playing on xbx live gives you the feeling of flying first class while playing on psn feels like economy class.im just trying to explain the feeling i get from using both..played mk and uncharted alot there and i do enjoy playing with my friends on psn too and i know sony will improve on its service next gen but currently on xbx live you actually get the feeling that the money you pay has been put into making the service great.matchmaking,voice chat,the community,leader boards,smooth gameplay online and the way
its all implemented too..but in the end i guess its a matter of opinion but for me ms service is one of the many reasons i and my pals are getting the xbx one first..cos as good as the service already is im wondering how ms could top it and yet they have stated there will be major improvements and a complete overhaul...come nov22 we will find out .

@5erioisly and the gang

if anyone is trolling its you..cos i checked and regardless of the heading this is actually an xbx article..so post your comments and stop attacking others cos you have issues with their opinions.

[Hello_World]

I'm pretty sure at this point you're a robot. There is nothing super appealing about Xbox One. Unless Ryse really makes your day.

The one thing about Xbone One I enjoy is calling it Xbone. That's not to bad.

I was a 360 gamer for 5 years, moved to PS3 when last of us was released, and the difference in incentives is staggering. Free games out the wahoo on PS+. On Xbox you get one old game every once in a while.

It's a joke at this point.

[JokesOnYou]

torchic
"there are more gamers always online which makes the community more active" 

-Don't see how that doesnt help an online experience and at least its true for ME as I said since Ive had xbl since day one so I notice xbl is more active, I get into shooters faster than when I tried with Killzone 2 and UC2 which are 2 of the few ps3 games I own. I have a built a really great community base of friends that greatly add to the craziness/good times. lol

"at least I'm not trying to pass baseless gibberish as fact."

-My first words "Nah I prefer xbl" then I gave reasons from my experience, how else do you express your opinions, when did I say these were facts? Right I didnt but because your need to hate on my opinion YOU took it that way.

5eriously
Again with the bubble BS I almost hate I have so many that it gives my attackers one more reason to deflect the issues. Ive invited every member who doesnt like what I say to downvote and take my bubbles, also Ive promised I wont complain EVER about my bubble count, please be my guess take them, mods whoever I just need 1 to state my opinion. 2 for an occasional response but it won't bother me if I can't. 3 is overkill. lol I can only assume bubbles are from members who like what I say, I do appreciate that but I wont cry if more hate what I say.

WorldGamer
-Yeah thats my preference why is it so hard to believe, actually I just dont get why some think ps3 technically speaking is better free games are nice but using xbl technically is just better for me but hey maybe they just like the UI or something Im not seeing. Also yes sony will improve but xbl still continues to outpace psn with dedicated servers/Azure vs Gakai and wait, wait, wait yes "teh cloud" no its not the holy grail but at least micro are front runners in introducing its use in online games, we'll see how that works out though.

[Trekster_Gamer]

Xbl blows Sony away as far as multiplayer gaming and social features and in many other ways. Notice the Sony trolls replies to Jokesonyoy are always ignorant, childish rants, The truth hurts them so much.

I do wish MS would give away more titles and have a bigger selection. I already own 99% of what they have given away.

[Magicite]

what else do u expect from software company?
on other hand - if u dont have psn+, how can u even compare then?

[pyramidshead]

that's probably due to a high adoption rate in the EU for the PS3 wheras NA is dominated by the 360, well for most of the gen anyway. I imagine things to start looking for NA+ due to the high adoption rate of the PS4.

[NYC_Gamer]

If i were to pay for a service on console it would be PS+ because of the content it brings

[Trekster_Gamer]

PS+ only has a bigger old free game option. There are less features, the matchmaking is slower and the overall experience is second rate compared to XBL.

[barb_wire]

You mean like Assassins Creed II or Halo 3 old on Free with XBLG?

[jacksons98]

@Trekster
You have no idea what your talking about. The matchmaking is not slower. Infact more people are online with PSN than Live because everyone who owns a PS3 can play. And PS3 has a much larger variety of games online due to it's exclusives.
Does Xbox have anything like Little Big Planet?

[Starbucks_Fan]

It's amazing how much better PSN has gotten in the past few years.

[MotoDot]

PlayStation Plus is GOLD :D can't wait for ps4 !

[GmIsOnPt360]

in terms of giving away games hands down yes, in terms of speed of download, content overall, timed content, stability of service, features playstation plus is a goddamn joke period. I own both and have fios with 50 download/25 upload...and downloading off playstation network is a nightmare. Just look at the mess on how the upgrade plan works for ps4, have to keep you ps3 dics, and download game off playstation network on ps4 and then put ps3 disc into ps4 drive to play digital games. this is just fan boy chatter, they each have their own strengths...

[ZodTheRipper]

Friend of mine has 100mb/s and is complaining about the download speed on XBL as well. In fact, it's depending on when you download with both services. In the evening it's generally a pain.

[Crazay]

My brother who has a 100MB service says the PS download speeds are atrocious. He downloaded full games on XBL in about 30 minutes whereas he can't even get a proper game update in less than an hour from start to finish.

[karl]

Sadly thats true... yesterday i finally bought gta5 digital version on psn.. i have 50mg and it downloaded like 60 percent in a few hours.. but after that it didnt finish during all nigth..

I dont own an xbox but id much rather pay for a service that gives me back my money in games.

[monkey602]

I seriously have to record my general experience with both some time. My ps3 isnt the fastest downloads imaginable but its miles ahead of my 360 for whatever reasons. My 360 just randomly drops connection here and there where my ps3 doesnt. And i hate the dashboard. If im paying for a service i would like to have everything instantly accessable. Not trawl through useless adverts and dumb sub folders to find my sky player.

[Majin-vegeta]

I don't get this whole "PSN downloading is a nightmare"crap.I get 5MBP upload/3MBPS download speed.And i Download my crap easy with no problems.Either your connection sucks or you're downloading as the same time as everyone els which stresses the servers.

[TKCMuzzer]

I keep hearing this, yet I can download the same demo on both machines in a near identical time. In fact I've always been happy with speeds, I'm downloading 1.5 gig in less than 5 min on the PSN, that's quicker than my laptop downloads from the web. Maybe there are few who have issues but for me and people on my friends list their fine.

[xXxSeTTriPxXx]

I dl uncharted3 40gbs in a 1hr 40mins.most of the ppl that complain have shitty internet speed.

[Aceman18]

I have FIOS at 75/35 and I have no problems with downloading as I pick the times I know when everyone isn't going download happy.

And even when I happen to do pick time when everyone is downloading the max for me is an hour.

[My_Name_BTW_Is_Dante]

Only if it's PS3's PS+ over 360s XBL.

Next-gen XBL will be better considering you're actually getting dedicated servers now unlike PS4 (and Sony will still force you to pay if you want to play online).

[n4rc]

And there is no 7 year catalog of games to offer..

It isn't the same service anymore on ps4.

[adventureghost124]

Not only is that a lie, you are talking about The seven year catalog that you can pick up on Amazon or game stop for like several bucks for any of those games and have it shipped out for practically free

[Hicken]

Yep, Drive Club won't be out for seven years. /s

PS+ for the PS4 will be a little different, at least to start with. I'd have thought that would be obvious.

[n4rc]

I would have too.. Yet everyone talks about it like they'll be getting 2 ps4 games a month..

It just isn't happening..not yet

And driveclub is just like KI.. sony ate the development costs to help sell the systrm, just as ms has done..

[black0o]

are u ok from all that spinning!

[TKCMuzzer]

Didn't activision announce that all versions of the next COD will have dedicated servers? If other comapnies follow suit then no one will lose out but you will still get games with PS+ and remember, its all about games.

[Majin-vegeta]

Lel yes along with current gen consoles.
http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

[xXxSeTTriPxXx]

Sorry but sonys been doing dedicated servers for all their first and second party games since the beginning.

Fandoy comfirmed.

[Dorwrath]

incorrect

[5eriously]

Another lying 1 Bubble troll on the loose! Pity you cannot lose that last bubble!

[adventureghost124]

You seriously bought into that pr crap? They had dedicated servers last gen and they will have it again this gen PlayStation will also have this with gaikai, except their servers are made for games unlike azure.and they don't force you with having to play online, all free to play games like deep down, war frame and black light retribution

[Stevino123]

Umm, when did Microsoft announce Dedicated Servers, you must've been dreaming. Many multiplats will have dedicated servers on both consoles . If you're upset, think of Don Mattrick whispering into your ear saying "deal with it" :-)

[Nykamari]

Playstation had dedicated servers from the start of the PS3! Live is coming on that front pretty late buddy. So Xlive getting Dservers is pretty funny since its supposed to be the best! Lol

[Kayant]

Hmmm.... Those dedicated servers are not free for devs you know even if they are cheap devs are still paying for them so there's a slim chance some devs won't pay. Also when is it now the responsible of sony to give dedicated servers for third-party games. As long as their titles support it that's fine because that's their problem. I think you're forgetting MS is doing business with devs with their cloud. MS have an established cloud service(Azure) that's one of the things they do so ofc they are able to give discounts for their service on XB1.

"Most importantly to us, Microsoft priced it so that it’s far more affordable than other hosting options – their goal here is to get more awesome games, not to nickel-and-dime developers. So because of this, dedicated servers are much more of a realistic option for developers who don’t want to make compromises on their player experience, and it opens up a lot more things that we can do in an online game."

http://www.respawn.com/news...

[Irishguy95]

Lol what a flame baiting article.

Still no X game chat - Xbox live is a higher quality service until Ps4 comes out.

I have long since abandoned the Xbox 360 because it has no games. And Ps+ is clearly a gift from God money wise(specially since im EU). Regardless, there is just no argument to say Ps+ is a better service. It's literally the same as Xbox Live except it doesn't have X game chat/Party chat. So it's missing a vital feature that essentially made Xbox live as good as it is.

You can definitely argue it's more bang for your buck, but as a gaming service, it's not as good. Again until Ps4 comes out.

Free games versus Cross game chat.

One is an argument of value, the other directly affects the quality of online gaming.

Edit - Never knew about the download speeds, hope it's fixed by Ps4's release, since Ireland is finally getting some decent ****ing download speeds.

Another thing I find funny is all the high and mighty white knights that considered Mandatory payment to access online gaming a sin, now it's ok that Sony are doing it for next gen right? No one cares anymore.

[black0o]

didnt know cross game chat was that important!

BTW the PSvita has it, and the ps3 could easily had it but split ram -hardware limitation- ''i think u already know that''so it has nothing to do with psn

[iSneak]

As a 360 owner and as mentioned before in the offerings department yeah it does and Microsoft should feel ashamed of them freaking selves but course not lets keep pooping out these free games that aren't too thrilling.

[black0o]

Bleach FTW!

[iSneak]

lol For sure.

[Funantic1]

As far as updates and downloading speeds Xbox Live puts PSN to shame. Everyone knows this. I wonder what free games PS+ and Xbox Live gold will give out when the PS4 and X1 releases. There won't be any next-gen games available to give away other than the launch games.

[thebudgetgamer]

If you have PS+ it updates when you sleep, so that's not a problem.

[pyramidshead]

This ^ & plus download speeds are purely dependent on your internet connection too. Not sure why people keep bringing that up as a point as if it's the network. My internet is shit, but the updates go pretty speedy for the connection I have(if no-one else is using up the bandwidth of course). It's one of those fanboy myths.

[TXIDarkAvenger]

Xbox rewards are terrible. I just got Live again in like 2 years for GTA V and the free games this month are Magic the Gathering and Halo 3...In comparison to when I had PS+, Sony offered so much more freebies. It's amazing how much PSN has improved over the years and how Live has pretty much stayed the same adding nothing much or worth paying $60 a year for.

But ultimately for me, it comes down which console my friends own and Xbox 360 has party chat which is why I prefer their service overall. Although that will change for next-gen considering PS4 has party chat.

[jackanderson1985]

for me it's relatively close as the majority of the free games that hit the PS+ are games i've previously bought (i've an issue i should probably seek counselling)... i've always preferred the online play on the xbox for me it's just better than what i've experienced on the PS3

[chuckyj1]

Yeah...That's why XBL has over 300K servers and PS plus has how many? What a lame article. So know PS plus is better b/c they rent their subscribers better games than XBL gives their gamers. N4G is getting real lame articles they know are trolling... This site is on the downhill fast. Oh, & I'd take 300K servers with far superior online game experience than getting rented better games.

[PFFT]

Yep same here. Ill take faster downloads AND a more stable connection for MP over rented games. I want to see them to try and play those so called "free games" after their PS+ expires. Free games my sack.

[Irishguy95]

Ps+ is the best investment i've made so far. I payed for live because I had too. I pay for Ps+ because I want too

@ Black 0o up there, if you see this, Cross game chat made online gaming as good as it was for me. Without it Online gaming just doesn't match up when you're playing with friends. Party chat changed the game, it's so easy to start your 360, click 2 buttons and be in a party chat with up to 8 friends regardless of what they are doing on the console. I suppose you're right about it not being Ps+'s fault and with the Vita it does have the feature.

[PFFT]

Well come this new gen you will HAVE to pay for PS+ as well. There wont be a choice in the matter. You want to play MP on the POS4 youll have to pay for live.

[black0o]

still on XL games ended up using P2P UNLIKE on PSN most of the games has real dedicated servers

i'll leave this here http://www.internetsociety....

[Brix90]

Bro take aspirin and relax ...Is it bias article? Yes. Is your comment bias? Yes. There will probably be an article up soon stating why Xbox live is better and you can feel free to express your hatred toward PSN til then take your pills an sit quietly.

[Ohlmay]

If Microsoft brings back Games for Gold for Xbox One and starts offering some worthwhile titles, Xbox Gold will be the superior service due to it being overall a much faster service and those dedicated servers, but as it stands, PS+ dominates.

[BattleTorn]

As it stands PS+ does dominate. IMO, that's due to Xbox Live severely lacking in Digital Downloads.

I do still give XBL credit for having much faster downloads.

My PS3 system update just the other day took close to an hour. And I have that 20mbps turbo internet like everyone else...

[Crazay]

Sigh...here we go again.

[MajorAly]

Well PS+ is the best thing that ever happened to Sony amidst its staggering PS3 launch.

PS+ is the best bang for the buck. This + Sony's exclusives = total domination.

[XXIIIceOlator23]

Shame to say that psplus surpasses xboxlive as it does not exist yet.....BS

[colt-of-tipton]

Games for Gold is pretty rubbish the games although fun are either old or cheap arcade titles , Ps Plus offers way better games for the money. But saying its overall a better service is ridiculous in my opinion , its what you get behind the scenes that makes xbox live the benchmark (faster downloads , smoother online play , cross game chat ).

[cell989]

of those 3 advantages you mentioned, only one is fact, and thats crossgame chat. Smoother online play? yeah....no PS has been using dedicated servers on their exclusives since the beginning while MS still relies on P2P more than anything(this will change with Azure). Faster DL is iffy, I have a 20mbs connection and I get very good DL speeds (1MB per second). If youre telling me its worth paying 50-60 per year for cross game chat than I must disagree sir.

You shouldnt just mention PS+ as an advantage over xbox live, youre forgetting that we PSN users dont need to pay a fee to use our apps (netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, FB) while the guys over at xbox do, so how is that an advantage over PSN?

[BattleTorn]

He did say the paywall was an advantage.....

[cell989]

ooohhh how the tables have turned...

PS:crossgame chat is cool, but a little over rated

[user9597082]

Why do so few people understand that you're not paying for the same service on the different platforms. When you buy ps plus you are paying for a discount service that you can enjoy on an archaic online networking system. When you buy Xbox live you are paying for a solid online network service instead of game discounts.
The only thing wrong with Xbox live is that you have to have it to access features like netflix that you've already paid for.

They're different services.

[cell989]

overall this is network vs network, which one offers more bang for your bucks? even if you dont have PS+ you can use all your apps at no cost, why do people never see this as an advantage?

[user9597082]

Like I said, that is indeed a thing.
It's just foolish for people to keep comparing the services because on the current gen they serve different purposes. Now if it turns out that the next gen will continue to give free games with ps plus and the revamped ps network is on par with Xbox, then it'll be rationale to compare and criticize.

[Goku781]

A lot of people are used to hearing Xbox Live is better so they think it is when it's not really.

[BattleTorn]

Xbox Live has been stagnent for the few years. Ugh, Game of Demand is terrible compared to PSN Day1 offerings.

Microsoft loses my respect when they blantantly say "it's better" when they haven't kept up with PSN for years now.

[Mikelarry]

Lol some comments on here get really emotional. If a service you pay for caters to what you like then you should be happy. No service is perfect and one service will always offer something to one up the competition

[bigboirock]

omm lame psn+ on ps4 will be better than xbox live on the 360 but no one took into consideration tha xbox live on the one most likely be a hole lot better too lol

[GirlOnFire]

I got on Xbox 360 after 2 years of no use I looked what games people getting free. I laughed my ass off. Sorry that's rude of me.

[xboned_you]

PSN is by far inferior to LIVE! why do you think ALL major tournaments are played on LIVE? Look at the biggest MULTIPLAYER games and look who they have deals with.. LIVE!!! PlayStation plus was intended for free and discounted content was it not? Lol fanboys are funny! If PSN was better I wouldn't be watching call of duty tournaments exclusively on XBOX platforms LONG LIVE LIVE

[FITgamer]

Im pretty sure $ is the reason, not the quality of XBL. It must be nice to be so delusional.

[xboned_you]

Yup and Microsoft will continue to pay for exclusives!! $60 buck a year for the best multiplayer action and games!! Sign me up!! Oh wait already am

[FITgamer]

Spending more money than your competition so you can still be beaten by them seems like a pretty legit business strategy.

[xboned_you]

Yup ur right it worked for the 360 and it will in the long run again!! Look how bad the ps3 is doing! Sony always disappoints! $$$ makes the world go round! So yea Microsoft strategy of paying for exclusives is going to ensure a console win again this Gen... Unless you can prove other wise! "BETTER EXECUTIVES AND FEATURES SELL CONSOLES! NOT A GPU!" SORRY if that were the case the PS3 would be doing numbers likes the PS4 wont either after the initial hype "no good AAA executives" pre orders only count for like small % of the overall console sales! Microsoft will continue to pay for exclusives like I said! Just to Xbone the hell outta PlayStation

[ZodTheRipper]

You must have been xboned pretty hard to write so much nonsense.

[pyramidshead]

PS+ gives you more bang for your buck without a doubt. You could buy no games, and spend £12 for 3months to play a possible £100+ worth of game. Auto patching and cloud synching while you slumber if you choose to. Slow downloads are a myths.

lol @ the whole "yeah but it's renting!". Yeah, who cares? you can keep your crappy ancient titles, meanwhile subscribers of PS+ are happily tucking into very recent games that they may not have had time for or have't got around to buying yet. Each month there COULD be at least one game you haven't tried or simply want to try the game again because you traded it in so PS+ eventually pays for itself in spades.

The games are also tied to your account so you'll only need to update the subscription to play them again even if they've left the IGC. It's a vicious circle service because you'll end up with such an immense backlog that you'll never think about not paying for it.

If you're purely into online gaming via console, like 100%, then I guess you may see it a different way.

[MightyNoX]

"The Xbox Live rewards scheme is a poorly thought-out last minute attempt to try and justify the value of Xbox Live to gamers."

Nawww...you mean a paywall-laden system that charges you to shove ads in your face has lesser value than the treasure trove of PS Plus? I'm shocked, I tell you! Shocked.

[jamsam360]

Opinion piece flamebait! Xbox Live Smoother! But hey if you want free shit stick with PS+.

[Hakoom]

everything sony does puts xbox to shame

[monkey602]

I recently put a tv in my bedroom and moved the 360 in there and i am soooo annoyed i need live to watch netflix. Thats ridiculous. Im silver now and thinking of buying 3 months live. When that expires ill have finished the witcher 2 and halo 4. Seriously think ill sell my xbox then because i will have the ps4 and i can move the ps3 into the bedroom. As i see it microsoft have just left the 360 to rot this last year and a half in order to push games forward to the xboxone and that doesnt seem to be changing in the near future so i see no need for it.

[thrust]

Go to simplycdkeys £27 a year xbox live

[alexkoepp]

Xbox Live has cross game chat, PS+ doesn't, enough said...

[thrust]

And you can not hear people that well online and hardly anyone talks! You may aswell play off line against bots most of the time.

[monkey602]

That is the one thing that i wish the network had all this time. The best features of live are parties and cross chat. Myself and friends resorted to using skype quite often. As for actual connections ive always had more ease with the psn surprisingly

[DigitalRaptor]

Xbox Live has cross game chat.

PS+ doesn't have it cause it's not hidden behind a paywall. PS Vita even has it, as will PS4.... for FREE.

[thrust]

Hahahaha good one anyone who has playing online with both knows how much better the xbox live network is compared to psn!

The free games on psn are good tho but the network is just meh.

[alexkoepp]

It is so true, I have both and they aren't even close, Live is years ahead of PSN.

[supes_24]

It depends what you're comparing it to. For MP, yes. For value, such as the free games, it's PSN. depends what your liking is ya know? As for me, Im not that much of a MP gamer. I prefer the story. I'll play MP for a little bit and get tired of it so I prefer PSN.

[turgore]

I I only wisht that european ps+ would be the same as north american ps+.

[LEOPARD1030]

Plus is amazing.

[H0RSE]

The vibe I get is this:

Those who prefer PS+ seem to do so for the free content and incentives that comes with it. They not only offer a ton of games to users for their subscription, but a ton of new released titles as well.This aspect tends to be the big draw for PS+ fans, vs the paywall structure of XBL, but I propose a question:

What if the intensives weren't there for either console? What if we were basing each service on their core functionality, which is social interactions with other players and MP gaming. In this regard, I see XBL as the clear winner. As far as an online gaming service goes, XBL has been and continues to be king. Without the incentives that comes from PS+, PSN as a gaming service is lackluster at best, whereas XBL excels as a gaming service, and their incentives are lackluster at best.

I really don't care about any of the free incentives on either console - Games with Gold, PS+, Netflix, twitch.tv, etc. my experience isn't any more complete or justified with these features. I have a PC, Gamefly and a job. Any features I want I will access otherwise and any games I want I will rent or buy. I concerned with interacting with friends and playing games online, and in that aspect I will always side with XBL, and with Azure's 300,000 servers, the experience looks to be as good or better with XBL on Xbox One.

[Hicken]

Core functionality of PSPlus IS the discounts and free games.

You're thinking PSN, whose core purpose is to be online. But PSN is free. And even next gen, PSN will still be much more usable than XBL without paying anything.

If you talk about paid services, then you HAVE to include the incentives you want to so readily dismiss. They're the things that really set the two apart; without them, all you really have is cross-game chat on 360, which is matched by the Vita for no cost(relevant, since we're talking PSN, and not specific consoles).

And that's the ONLY advantage the PAID XBLG has over the FREE PSN. Meaning all that talk about a "clear winner" is inflated. If there's something else that's a quantifiable, proven difference, feel free to give fact-based examples. If you're gonna use the claims that XBL is faster, then either give it credence with some evidence, or expect it to be disregarded.

You can use the 300,000 servers to bolster your claim, but those haven't been specifically stated to be reserved for the XB1; Azure is used for ALL of Microsoft's services, and is built for businesses, not games. On the other hand, we don't know exactly how big Sony's offering will be, only that it's multi-fold: Gaikai and Rackspace/OpenStack.

If you're going to make an objective comparison, then you can't pick and choose what to allow and what to disregard. You include everything, undesired incentives and all.

[corvusmd]

Poor Delusional PS Fanboys

[ZHZ90]

So as well Poor Delusional Xbox Fanboys

[GoodnessGreatness]

lol we get smooth online gameplay without any fee. You must be an idiot to pay $60 just to play online. We pay $50 a year to get free games every month, discounts and Xbox live gives you ability to chat. Wow, who's delusional here?

[osprey19]

Its difficult to throw free games at people then claim theirs is the better choice, its been happening for a while on xbl.

[BallsEye]

how this piece of shit article gets approoved? O right...n4g...

[yarbie1000]

So the entire argument is based off of free games - which there is a lot more to each service than that.

But xbox did give free games - ps plus is renting games. Just saying

[MasterCornholio]

I'm going to play Far Cry 3 now what games did you get with gold this month?

P.S I rent the games and are able to play them as long as I have my subscription which is the same thing with multiplayer on Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PS4. Once I'm finished with the game I rarely play them again. Oh and I have a collection of over 81 games from plus that I can access at any moment. How many games does gold give you?

P.S I own a PS3 and a Vita.

Nexus 7 2013

[yarbie1000]

I usually play the newer games anyways - so 'free' games don't really get my blood going anyways. I already played and beat Far Cry 3 - have fun with that. Great game.

XBL did just announce Halo 3 free - meaning - you keep it if you stop paying for XBL. Anyways - i've already beat that so I won't download that either.

XBL hasn't gone down for weeks at a time.

Smart matchmaking - Reputation system built into online multiplayer

Snap features - 4 apps running at same time

Dedicated servers (Killzone still using 1 player as host)

I want both a PS4 & Xbox One - but to say XBL doesn't have its advantages is pretty silly. That is why 46 million pay for Live - and more sign up every day. It is also cheaper than PSN if you buy it online. I have 3 12 month cards that I got for $30.

[noctis_lumia]

everyone knows that lol except xbox fangirls

[Derajcan2]

so ps+ wins because of the free games? xbox live is so much better, as well as ps + members are so few compared to live members.

[Stevino123]

Gozer is a joke, they already said that You don't have to pay for party chat or any of the features in the console, you only pay for Multiplayer only. PS+ gives you two free games monthly, auto updates, Many GB of cloud storage, and a whole lot more, XBL is only for Multiplayer, You may say" well we get free games!" Those games are so outdated, plus it's only until Xbox One Launch.
We get games for Vita, PS4, PS3, PSP. XBL is crushed, done. My friends at school say Xbox One is better, but are sad and say " yeah, it sucks that we can't play used games" They usually play CoD that's why they don't know much.

[Stevino123]

How about we look at it like this, PS4 is popular demand, Xbox is ehh. PS+ is a great service, and comes with many things, if you didn't know, Sony pays these companies for the games, as they get older and older. Xbox Live is a service for Multiplayer only, and since this is the "largest" console launch ever, PS+ Will grow into a great service, and the sacrifices that Sony make are probably the best. Can we judge these services when they come out? Obvious fanboy is obvious

[arbitor365]

if xbots got thousands of dollars in free games and discounts, we would never hear the end of it from them. that would be all they talked about. but since sony does it, they just want to ignore it.

[theFLeXy]

yes, yes it does.

[larrysdirtydrawss]

great games every month,cheaper to play online,but hey,the xone has that smoother thing going for it and stuff

[Deltaohio]

Ppls argument about X1 - MS doesn't care about games.
Ppls argument about live - I have to pay for non-gaming features.

Hmmm who the fuck cares?
If I buy a playstation it will be because I want to play games. If I buy an X1 it for the fucking games. And for either I will pay for the MP services just like MOST GAMERS!
Ppl need to stop bitching about pay-wall bullshit. I thought all Sony fanboys cared about was games but yet they are bitching about things like Netflix or hulu.

[josephayal]

psn is much betta

[gamer2013]

I laughed when I seen this article.

[GoPanthers999]

Even as an MS lover, i cannot deny the truth of this story. Sadly!

[SoulSercher620]

PS+ is better than Xbox Live! FACT!!! Anyone that think otherwise is delusional or an xbox fanboy/drone.

[supes_24]

Fact? Actually it's an opinion and it's your opinion. PSN is better to you, that's why it seems like a fact to you. Learn the difference or pay more attention in school and put down the games. That's a FACT! See what I did there or maybe you didn't catch it.

[SoulSercher620]

LOL PSN has more value and benefits than Xbox Live FACT!!! Maybe you should put down the games, go back to school and go learn what the words value and benefits mean.

See I can throw smart remarks out there too.

[GoodnessGreatness]

I get free games, discounts, automatic updates and more value while having a smooth multipayer gameplay. Xbox fanboys are just delusional about this "better online" bullshit about Live..

[supes_24]

Lol! It's so funny to read all the childish arguing on here over an online service. I mean, why are people arguing? Trying to prove a point to someone else who obviously prefers the other service? What's the point? It's all subjective. It's only better to you because that's what you prefer! I just don't get all this heated crap such as " Live is better!" "No, PSN is better" blah, blah, blah. Keep up the comedy for me fellas. I'll enjoy my games on both consoles and come here for laughs between gaming breaks.

[Max-Zorin]

Sony and MS fanboys are the Sororities of the gaming community. They will argue about anything.

[Max-Zorin]

And we all wish Canada had good weed. We know this already.

[LaidBakLazyHippo]

I've owned both the ps3 and xbox 360.. I've heard people say xbox live is better. But honestly I saw no difference. On my ps3 I could use netflix for free while my xbox i had to have a gold account. I never really got lag online on my ps3. The only good things about Xbox live was party chat and the xbox user interface.

[horndog]

Don't think so but everybody is entitled to their opinions. Live is just a much smoother experience it seems to me and it also seems like there are more people onlive making it easier to find a match even with older games. It doesn't offer as much free content as psn but its old stuff that has been played or just wasn't interested to begin with. Live is way ahead of psn in terms of game experience.

[Orionsangel]

I will say one thing about Xbox Live FREE games. You actually get to keep them forever. It's not a rent a service like PSN Plus. That being said, the free Plus games are better. Although not lately. Seems Sony favors Europe over the US. Since Europe gets all the amazing free Plus games and the US gets the shaft. Anyway, XBL needs to give away more recent games. They keep giving us ancient Xbox 360 titles.

[Stuart81]

Thought this was gonna talk about the Xbox live rewards scheme but is actually talking about Games with Gold. Which yes is shit compared to PS Plus.

[N8]

Putting it to shame is a little extreme. I admit I pretty much only play my ps3 because its not worth having Xbox live anymore. Its such a ripoff compared to PS plus

[windblowsagain]

Still arguing over psn and live,lol.

It's 2013 with newer things coming.

PS4/XBOXONE are the new thing now.

They will most likely have the same types of things.

PS4 will just have more free to play games.

[Torgul]

I use xbox live to play MPlayer and not for free games..... But that is true that free games are cool offer

[AceBlazer13]

denial everywhere.

[DOOMZ]

Nope! Thats just funny... I have both systems & I only buy online games for my XBOX. PSN is good, but its no Live...

[Clarence]

Pretty much

[Rageanitus]

how about PC multiplayer puts both of them to shame ;)

[cityboy100]

Yea septic just put tank in front of your name and that's what u are full of, get a life

[kingPoS]

Forget UI's forget OS's

Question is what do you get when you pay for PS+/Live.
What kind of content and services do you have access to.
I don't own an Xbox and neither do my friends, so I don't honestly don't know how Xbox Live would fare against PS+.

What do know I that is that since February I've only bought three games since Tekken Tag 2 came out. The Last of Us, Dragons Crown & Grand Theft Auto 5.

As a 2010 PS+ & Netflix subscriber, I can see some definite parallels between the two. Why would I want stop paying for either service when I can access multitudes of content with a $8/$9 a month subscription.

[Thomaticus]

I'm not here to convince anyone of anything. I'm going to enjoy the ps plus services and that's it. My only advice is look at the competition see what they are doing and if that appeals to you try it out. Don't just pay money to a company...out of habit. I had no interest in ps plus, but I tried it via a 1 month trial and it was great.