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Survey finds PS4 owners buy for resolution, Xbox One for brand

Why'd you buy your new-gen system? Besides "to play new-gen games", I mean? That was one of the questions asked by Nielsen in its recently released 360 Degree Gaming Report, and it reveals some surprising differences between big three buyers.

One of the survey questions asked consumers "which of the following are the main reasons why you purchased/own your …?" Survey respondents then rated a variety of factors based on how they impacted their buying decision. But enough set up! Who said they bought what and why? Take a look for yourself:

Well, it turns out all those relatively minor graphical discrepancies really do make a difference, because PS4 owners were primarily concerned with having better resolution. Xbox One owners were most dedicated to the brand itself, and those happy-go-lucky Wii U owners rated 'fun-factor' as their primary concern.

Secondary factors included PS4's Blu-ray player, Xbox One's 'innovative features' (they like you, Kinect!), and Wii U being 'better for kids'. It's also interesting to note that, although Xbox One owners were the only ones to cite 'brand' in their top five deciding factors, only 76 percent of them said they owned an Xbox 360, while 86 percent of Wii U owners had a Wii.

I wouldn't have expected the driving factors to be that different between systems, particularly PS4 and Xbox One. Very interesting to see!

Connor Sheridan