Cell phone networks are constantly arguing over whose mobile network is the best and/or most reliable, and now it looks like we’re going to see similar battles between console networks. Microsoft fired the first shots earlier today, slapping the above image on their main Xbox website, and then following it up with a report from an “independent study” by IHS Markit.
The marketing firm set out to determine which online multiplayer console has the best network performance between Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.
To measure those experiences, IHS Markit chose to focus on what could be considered an essential component of the online multiplayer gaming experience: the core network performance delivered by each side during full-blown gameplay.
The company used the JND measure, which stands for Just Noticeable Difference.
JND compares the waiting periods between two groups to determine if there is a perceivable difference in waiting times to the gamer, with the JND score representing the minimum amount of difference needed to differentiate between two stimuli. Because the values of the JND are essentially arbitrary, it is more useful to consider the scores as existing on a continuum, where the scores and their confidence intervals are plotted on a single axis.
The gaming networks were tested for Reliability, Speed, and Overall Quality. The test results are as follows:
Reliability
- Login to Network – Xbox Live
- Login to Game Server – Xbox Live
- Matchmaking – PSN
- Uninterrupted Play – Xbox Live
Speed
- Login to Network – Xbox Live
- Login to Game Server – Xbox Live
- Matchmaking – PSN
- Time to Upload – Xbox Live
Overall Quality
- Login to Game Server (Speed/Reliability) – Xbox Live
- Matchmaking (Speed/Reliability) – PSN
- Join Party – Xbox Live
- Voice Chat Quality – Xbox Live
In every category, Xbox Live outperformed the PSN in three out of four tested metrics. As such, Xbox is claiming that Xbox Live is the fastest gaming network, the most reliable gaming network, and the “best in-class social experience on a gaming network.”
Those of you who have played on both networks, what are your thoughts on the performances for these networks?
