Sony has decided to launch the PS4 in the U.S. tomorrow and in Europe two weeks later.
This means the American public will actually be able to get the Japanese console first, but as they say, being the first does not always mean being the best, particularly in this industry.
Neowin has produced an interesting list of five things Microsoft could do to make things difficult for the PS4, and honestly they’re great ideas. Without further ado, here you have them:
1 – Announce that all Xbox One bought from launch until the end of 2013 will receive three free months of Xbox Live.
This is a great idea that can attract a large number of people who haven’t made up their minds, as offering three free months shouldn’t be too hard for Microsoft.
Nothing has been officially said about this, but given that Sony will offer 30 days of PSN Plus for free, it won’t be surprising if Microsoft decides to do something similar.
2 – Give buyers one free Xbox One game in the United States, Brazil and Canada.
During the official launch of Xbox One, Microsoft announced that buyers from 10 of the 22 countries that will be able to get the Xbox One will receive a coupon to download FIFA 14 or Forza 5.
Since this offer is limited to people in those countries, Microsoft should –and most definitely can- do better than this.
3 – Announce the Xbox One will support external hard drives from day one.
Neither the PS4 nor the Xbox One will initially support external hard drives, but the PS4 gives you the option to change its 500GB HDD for a larger one or even a fast SSD, while the Xbox One does not. With this in mind, it is clear that the announcement of external HDD support could tip the balance in favor of Microsoft.
4 – Show actual game play footage of the new Halo game for Xbox One
A console sells not only for its powerful hardware, but for its games. Halo is undeniably one of the most important franchises from Microsoft and they have to take advantage of it.
5 – Allow using streaming applications without an Xbox Live Gold subscription.
Unlike what happened with the PS3 and PS4, Microsoft does not allow access to streaming applications if you don’t have an Xbox Live Gold subscription, a limitation that should change, as it is clearly playing against them.
So, what do you think? Do you have any other ideas? Let us know in the comment section.