Microsoft has been making waves recently concerning how gamers will communicate with one another on the Xbox One.
Recently, Microsoft confirmed that they would not be including a headset with the Xbox One, saying that they expect gamers to communicate with friends through the Kinect. In addition, all of Microsoft's Xbox 360 accessories will not work with the Xbox One, leaving gamers with few options but to buy new ones. We look at how the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 differ in terms of headsets.
Though a headset will not be included as a pack-in for the Xbox One, headsets for the device will be available. In addition, Microsoft has stated on Twitter that they will be developing an adapter for Xbox 360 headsets for the Xbox One, though did not have any details about this adapter. It will be interesting to see if the adapter proves to be more cost effective than buying a brand new Xbox One headset. Meanwhile, a mono headset will be included with the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 also comes with a standard headset jack, while the Xbox One does not, limiting options for the Xbox One for third-party headsets that can be used.
However, this does not mean that third party manufacturers are not planning to release their own specially designed headsets for gamers. Turtle Beach and Polk are both planning to release high-end gaming headsets that will function on multiple consoles. This may end up being the best options for gamers planning to own multiple consoles, especially if the only free headset given to gamers is from Sony.
So far it remains to be seen how much individual headsets will cost gamers across all systems and manufacturers. It will be interesting to see if Sony's traditional approach will win out, or if enough gamers choose the Kinect and that becomes the standard for the industry.