With the next-gen looming the "console war" is being reignited. Now, plenty of people are fully aware that it's a silly term, one that is largely meaningless, especially when you consider how much money games make in general.
However, it's a key point in this cycle because a lot of people are trying to decide which of the next-gen machines to purchase.
Sony certainly has a large buzz around the PS5 now, with plenty of exciting games and hardware features already out in full view.
However, Microsoft seems to be playing a completely different game.
The next-gen is going to be expensive
When it comes down to it, money isn't exactly free-flowing at the moment. That means that our next console purchase is going to feel more expensive than ever.
Sony seems to be embracing that fact, with a hard line between the current and next-gen, and even stating that while PS4 controllers will work on PS5, they won't work with PS5 games. That means buying new controllers if you want to do multiplayer, not to mention everything else Sony wants to sell you.
Microsoft, in retaliation to this particular bit of information, has stated that all of the Xbox One controllers will work with the Xbox Series X. That means that you've already got a lot of peripherals. They've even stated that their Adaptive Controller will work with it too, which shows a bit of love to those of us who can't game with normal controllers.
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Microsoft isn't all-in on the next-gen
Microsoft seems far more interested in appealing to the fact that we don't all have loads of cash lying around. A lot of their next-gen games, at least initially, will also be on the current-gen.
On top of that, you don't need to buy those games twice thanks to Smart Delivery.
Then there's the fact that everything they release comes to Game Pass. Not to mention the fact that there are rumours of them stopping Xbox Live, which means it'll likely be free to game online, especially as the Halo multiplayer will be free too.
Sony is playing the same game it always has, and Microsoft isn't out of their league, they're just not interested in competing with them at all. Instead, nearly every decision they've made recently is impressively pro-consumer. In a time when we all need to be a little more aware of our finances, this can only be a good thing.