Who would have thought that come Christmas 2016, you'll have three brand new consoles to choose from – Xbox One S, PS4 Pro and the revamped PS4 Slim.
The Xbox One S is the new, skinnier and improved version of the Xbox One, focused on bringing 4K entertainment to the masses – but not for games.
The PS4 Pro is the slightly chunkier, but more powerful version of the PS4 and is aimed at those looking to be on the cutting edge of technology, but don't quite have the budget for a PC setup.
Don't know which console to spend your money on? We're here to guide you, and put the Xbox One S vs the PS4 Neo, to find out which of 2016's new consoles you need to own.
XBOX ONE S VS PS4 PRO – RELEASE DATE
The Xbox One S is technically already available, but it's a little complicated.
When Microsoft first announced the Xbox One S, it revealed that there would be three versions of the slimline console, each with a different hard drive: 2TB, 1TB and 500GB.
Well it turns out the 2TB Xbox One S was a limited edition console and has already sold out.
The 1TB and 500GB models, priced at £299 and £249 respectively, haven't had a concrete release date yet, but there are limited edition FIFA 17 and Gears of War 4 bundles available with the 1TB model.
The PS4 Pro is coming November 10, which is a lot sooner than most expected and just in time to make the most of that shiny new PS VR.
XBOX ONE S VS PS4 PRO – PRICE
The Xbox One S is technically already available, but it's a little complicated.
When Microsoft first announced the Xbox One S, it revealed that there would be three versions of the slimline console, each with a different hard drive: 2TB, 1TB and 500GB.
Well it turns out the 2TB Xbox One S was a limited edition console and has already sold out.
The 1TB and 500GB models, priced at £299 and £249 respectively, haven't had a concrete release date yet, but there are limited edition FIFA 17 and Gears of War 4 bundles available with the 1TB model.
The PS4 Pro is coming November 10, which is a lot sooner than most expected and just in time to make the most of that shiny new PS VR.
The three Xbox One S models are priced at £349 for the now sold-out 2TB, £299 for the 1TB and £249 for the 500GB model.
As I have read in various forums, the 1TB and 500GB models are coming later this year, at an unannounced date.
The PS4 Pro will launch with a price tag of £349.99, which is exactly the same as the original PS4 launch price. That's for a 1TB hard drive too.
XBOX ONE S VS PS4 PRO – SPECS
The big difference between the Xbox One S and the PS4 Neo will be the specs.
Sony's PS4 Pro features an eight-core x86-64 AMD "Jaguar" CPU with unknown clock speed, 4.2 teraflops AMD Radeon-based graphics card and 8GB GDDR5 RAM and 1TB storage.
That's quite the graphics and speed upgrade for the PS4 Pro compared to the standard PS4, making it more powerful and able to offer much better graphics. It'll be capable of supporting 4K output for Blu-rays, streaming services like Amazon and Netflix, but also native 4K gaming and 4K upscaling for full HD titles.
The Xbox One S on the other hand retains the graphics of the original Xbox One, albeit with a slight graphics boost.
When it comes to games PS4 Pro is significantly more powerful than the Xbox One S – even though both consoles have support for HDR in games, which makes them much more realistically coloured than normal games.
But you will need an ultra expensive HDR-compatible TV to reap the benefits.
Microsoft's newest console does support 4K output for Blu-rays and streaming services, it just won't run games in 4K. It also has a 4K Blu-Ray player – something that the PS4 Pro is lacking.
XBOX ONE S VS PS4 PRO – DESIGN
One of the best features of the Xbox One S is its design. It's 40% smaller than the original Xbox One and despite its size, it's finally got an integrated power brick. Comparatively, the Xbox One S is also smaller than the PS4 by a hair.
The Xbox One S isn't just smaller all round, it's also capable of standing vertically. Sadly, the vertical stand is only included with the 2TB model, so if you buy the 1TB or 500GB version, you'll need to buy the stand separately.
Both the PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim have revamped designs, with much more rounded corners and a matte finish.
The PS4 Pro is actually bigger than the PS4 in terms of height because it's got an additional layer on the top to help make space for the more powerful internal hardware – think Big Mac vs Cheeseburger for a handy comparison.
XBOX ONE S VS PS4 PRO – GAMES
Both the Xbox One S and PS4 Pro still play all the games available on the PS4 and Xbox One. The idea is that they're both an iterative step along the console timeline, so all your existing games will be compatible if you choose to upgrade, and anyone who's looking to buy the Xbox One S or PS4 Pro will still be able to catch up on the existing library of games.
You'll also be able to play multiplayer with Xbox One gamers if you're on the Xbox One S and PS4 players if you're on the PS4 Pro.
The only difference for Xbox One S owners is that you'll be able to utilise the HDR functionality on games that support it – such as Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3 – if you've got an HDR TV.
If you've got the PS4 Pro, there's a few differences for games. They include higher and more stable frame rates, but also the ability to run HDR resolutions and in native 4K and upscaled 4K.
There is one caveat to that though, in that Sony has admitted the "majority" of PS4 Pro games will be upscaled to 4K rather than natively.
"I would say the majority will be upscaled - at least based on the game portfolio I have seen to date," said Sony's Andrew House to David Hackett.
XBOX ONE S VS PS4 PRO – VIRTUAL REALITY
The PS4 Pro is much better equipped for the PS VR than the current PS4 thanks to its improved processing and graphical grunt.
The original PS4 will still be able to run the PS VR and its associated games, but the PS4 Pro will give you a much better and more comfortable gameplay experience.
The Xbox One S however doesn't support any kind of virtual reality headset at present. That's because Microsoft is designing the forthcoming Xbox Project Scorpio with 4K gaming and virtual reality in mind.
So you'll have to wait until 2017 to play VR titles on Xbox One.
VERDICT
If you want 4K gaming then you're going to have to get the PS4 Pro or wait until 2017 for the Project Scorpio.
However, if you're looking for the best 4K entertainment system – Blu-Ray included – the Xbox One S is the one to go for. You still get HDR after all.