Xbox One vs. PS4 spec difference is "fairly marginal" Microsoft says

In terms of system specifications, the difference between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 is "fairly marginal," Microsoft has said. Speaking with Australia's GamePlanet, Microsoft's Australasian vice president of sales and marketing Alan Bowman said it's not the power of the Xbox One or PS4 that will make the difference, but rather the games.

"We're optimistic about this generation as well. We've got a unique value proposition, and from just a pure specs perspective it's always gonna be fairly marginal difference," Bowman said. "The purists are gonna argue the toss, but I think it comes down to the games. You're gonna see great exclusive games on Xbox One, and when you look at the cross-platform games, and there's gonna be exclusive content on Xbox One."

Sony has time and again referred to the PS4 as the "most powerful video game console ever created." Check out a graphic here comparing the specifications for the Xbox One and PS4 to decide for yourself.

Also in the interview, Bowman addressed the Xbox One's worldwide availability. Microsoft's system is currently sold in 13 markets, while the PS4 is now available in more than 50 countries around the globe.

"We’d like to be in more markets--this is a global business--but it’s also a long-term business, and we’ll progressively launch in more markets over the coming year," he said.

Finally, Bowman and Xbox New Zealand lead Steven Blackburn spoke to how Microsoft expects the demographic for the Xbox One to change over time. Right now, Blackburn said the Xbox One is "absolutely as male and core-skewed as you can imagine," but he anticipates that this will change.

"We need to have the ability to be that broad church," he said.

Part of the way in which Microsoft hopes to add more players to the mix, Blackburn said, is by making the Xbox One experience easier and more intuitive. "Gamers are willing to spend time configuring things, but someone who just wants to watch TV is not," he said.

Bowman added: "We can't let the tech be a barrier."

It is not clear how Microsoft plans to address this, and neither Bowman nor Blackburn provided any specific plans. The Xbox One sold over 3 million units worldwide as of December 31, 2013.