So here we are at the end of 2013, and the next generation of games is upon us! I don’t know about you, but I’m very excited to see what this new era of gaming holds in store for us. With advancements in hardware and new technologies being rolled out, this is definitely the most exciting update in gaming history.

I’ve been debating which system I’d like to have as my new centerpiece, so I decided to break down the differences between the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. Looking at the specs for both systems, you probably won’t notice a significant difference. between the two. Both systems feature 8-core processors and high-end graphics capabilities. Both systems have 8GB of RAM, although the Xbox One uses DDR3 while the PlayStation 4 uses GDDR5, which is a faster type of memory. The PlayStation 4 appears to be faster, but that does not mean that the quality of the images is necessarily superior.

Xbox One cloud-based games are really intriguing. By using remote servers in the “cloud”, gaming experiences can change dramatically as the next generation advances. Possibilities include outsourcing processing tasks, allowing for large, expansive worlds to load seamlessly, and realistic simulations and animations.

Xbox One ships with Kinect, and I personally enjoyed the great features of the Xbox 360 version of Kinect. Moving screens with “Dswiping” my hand felt futuristic and really satisfied my inner nerd. Giving commands to my Xbox and swiping felt like we were finally starting to see the next generation of games coming upon us. The new Kinect is said to be more sensitive and even capable of detecting heartbeats. Interesting, I know. The PlayStation 4 also has a camera accessory that is sold separately and that is capable of doing some of the same things, many believe that it will not be at the level of the Kinect.

As far as games go, both systems have titles in the works that I’m interested in playing. Some of the new PS4 games that I have seen, like Killzone: Shadow Fall and Dying Lights, are great examples of the difference between the current generation of games and the new one that we are now entering. The new Xbox One has some good games too. Dead Rising 3 seems incredibly fun to play and Fighter Within seems like a gem that many may be surprised by.

All in all, after comparing the two new systems, I’m still not sure which one to choose. Either way, I’ll have a good time getting into the next generation of games.