Xbox One vs. PS4: Everything We Know About the New Xbox Live and Playstation Network

With the upcoming releases of the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, many gamers are curious as to what changes they can expect to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network on the new consoles. We have gathered up all the information available for the updated online components for the next-gen systems.

Xbox Live will be getting a major overhaul when the Xbox One is released, however, what exactly this overhaul will be remains a mystery at this point. Skype support for in-game video chats will be part of the new Xbox Live experience, as gamers will be able to live chat with their friends without interrupting their video game or television program. Microsoft is planning to also massively increase the amount of servers used for Xbox Live and online gaming. About 300,000 servers will be used for the Xbox One, a massive upgrade from the 15,000 currently used, according to Techradar. Additionally, the company has confirmed an expanded friends-list count. 

The PlayStation Network will also be getting some changes when the PlayStation 4 becomes available. The friends list will be expanded past the current limit and users will be able to use their social media accounts to find their friends' accounts and even display their real names if they chose to use it. Their also has been rumors that Sony will start offering subscription plans for the PlayStation Network. This would allow more options between the free service Sony offers and the premium PlayStation Plus currently available on the PlayStation 3. No word if Sony will continue to offer a free online service for the PlayStation 4 like they have for the PlayStation 3. Sony will also allow gamers to capture recent gameplay and share footage with friends through the PSN. 

Hopefully both Microsoft and Sony reveal more information for their online services when E3 begins June 9. We shall see what kind of changes the big two companies have in store for their online services and if fans react positively or negatively to these changes.