On the Verge of Xbox One and PS4 Release Dates, How Will the Face of Digital Downloads Change

The Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 are expected to launch by the end of the year, and E3 is the most likely time Sony and Microsoft will announce official release dates. With this next generation of titles comes an even greater focus on digital downloads. While many games are available as digital downloads or have day-one DLC, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will have the capacity to really bring forward this technology to the forefront of the gaming experience.

One of the big features that Sony is developing that Microsoft figures to emulate is the fact that the PlayStation 4 will allow gamers to start playing a game after only partially downloading a game onto the game's hard drive. Sony is experimenting with the technology already with the PlayStation 3, as The Last of Us will be playable after downloading a little over half of the game onto the hard drive. The PlayStation 4 will be even quicker at letting gamers start playing their digital downloads. Killzone: Shadow Fall will be playable after players download the menu for the game and the first level. The game will also be a day one digital download, meaning that players can buy the game soon after midnight of the day of release and start downloading it, and soon start playing. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt also will be playable after a certain amount of downloading, however, being that it is an open-world RPG much more will have to download before it is playable in comparison to the linear Killzone.

Though Microsoft has yet to discuss the issue, instead focusing on the console's ability to live stream television and have Skype video chat while playing video games. However, given that the Xbox One has the technology to do all these things, Microsoft will most likely have a similar setup for digital downloads as well.

While not much is known about how prevalent digital downloads, day-one DLC, and other types of digital distribution will be in the future, it appears Sony and Microsoft are investing heavily in the technology.