Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can record gameplay, but the next-gen consoles don’t handle it in the exact same way. Microsoft revealed how its GameDVR app works today, and that should give us enough information to compare how the video capturing works on each system.
This isn’t a review because the Xbox One isn’t out and things could change. Instead, it is more of a side-by-side comparison of the known features. Let’s get right into it with how each system records gameplay.
Gameplay recording
PlayStation 4
Sony’s next-gen console is always recording the most recent 15 minutes of gameplay. It’s that simple.
This means that at any time, yplayers can hit the Share button on the controller, which brings up the sharing menu. Here they can send out the most recent 15 minutes of gameplay out to Twitch. It also means that you don’t need to worry about jumping out of a multiplayer match to share something immediately.
If something happens at the beginning of a match in Call of Duty: Ghosts, 15 minutes is probably enough time to share that entire battle or to go back and cut out that specific moment.
Xbox One
Microsoft’s box is always recording the most recent five minutes of gameplay, but it has a convenient shortcut to get the last 30 seconds on the fly without having to stop gameplay or even use your hands.
You can quickly create a clip of the last half-minute of action by saying “Xbox, record that.” The Kinect will pick up that command, and seamlessly make a clip all while you continue to play.
To get longer clips, you need to simply say “Xbox, snap GameDVR.” This will bring up the video-capture app alongside your game. From this menu, players can hit “End Clip,” which will give you an option to create a clip of the last 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, or 5 minutes.
Conclusion
PlayStation 4 can record clips three times the length of Xbox One. That’s a big advantage, especially for people that want to share videos of longer matches. On the other hand, it’s nice that Xbox One can instantly create clips of quick moments without forcing you to stop gameplay. If I get an amazing kill in Battlefield 4, I might not remember to go back and edit that on PS4, but I have no problem telling my Xbox One to make a recording of that.
Editing videos
PlayStation 4
When you want to start cutting together a clip, just tap the Share button on the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller. This will bring up a menu that enables you to trim a video down to the size you want it. The editor is quick and simple, but right now it only enables you to cut a video’s length. Nothing too fancy.
Xbox One
When you save a clip on Xbox One, it will pop up in your notifications. You can then immediately open it up in the Upload Studio app. This is a suite of editing features that enable you to trim down the clip (just like on PS4), but things are a bit more glitzy on Xbox One.
In addition to the cropping, you can add voiceovers, effects, and side-by-side video. You can even stitch together up to five different clips into one video.
Microsoft uploaded a video demonstrating all of these features this morning:
Conclusion
It’s pretty clear that Xbox One is a bit more capable when it comes to editing captured videos. You can add more of a personal touch, which is important to a lot of people.
Sharing videos
PlayStation 4
Right now, PlayStation 4 can only share videos to Facebook. Players cannot upload them directly to YouTube or save them to a USB drive. The Share button on the controller makes it easy for you to actually blast a video out to their friends on the social network, but this is very limiting for people who already have a YouTube channel.
Xbox One
Microsoft’s console doesn’t directly upload videos to Facebook or YouTube. Instead, when you save their clips, the video will go into the your SkyDrive (Microsoft’s cloud storage platform). From there, you can download the clip on your PC and do whatever you want with it. That includes uploading it to YouTube or editing it further with professional software.
It’s easy, too. You can sign in on your PC and find it almost immediately after the Xbox One is done with it.
Conclusion
Again, Xbox One handles this a little bit better. PlayStation 4 enables you to share videos on Facebook with select groups, but who uses Facebook groups? Instead, I’m happy to just take the video that Xbox One gives me in SkyDrive and upload that to YouTube myself.