Microsoft: PS4 is not the Xbox One’s only competition

As much as the media attempts to drum it up, it doesn't look like we're going to get the Xbox One vs. PS4 console war that we all want. Well, we might get the war, but it won't be a two console battle.

Gone are the days of the Sosa/McGwire, Xbox One/PS4 race. Well, technically it's been a three-way race this past generation with the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii. Either way, the competition is much broader for Microsoft these days as the company broadens the focus of the Xbox One into an all-in-one entertainment hub that will dominate the living room space. Of course, when your vision expands like that, your list of competitors begins to extend beyond Sony and Nintendo and their simple "gaming machines."

Suddenly, Microsoft is facing a whole other group of competitors — Apple, Google, Samsung, and all the other tech companies vying for a spot in your living room. So excuse Microsoft if they don't go for the headline bait; they won't be commenting on the PS4 anytime soon.

"I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment on Sony's vision," Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business president Don Mattrick told a group of outlets during a roundtable chat. "I think they are one of the competitors inside the space, Nintendo's another… Apple, Google, Samsung. There's multiple people who will bring things into the market.

"What we're trying to do is be the premium, all-in-one device," he explained. "We're starting with the focus on core games, great gaming experiences, great graphical capabilities, and we're tying all those things together to bring innovation that I think will be better than everyone else, all companies – insert whatever company.

"So, it's not just Sony, it's everyone that we're trying to compete with, and ultimately we're trying to bring the best product to market for consumers around the globe," Mattrick concluded.

We kind of got the idea, heading into this first round of reveals, that Microsoft and Sony had very different goals for their next-generation consoles. Microsoft has long been saying it wanted the Xbox to be an entertainment hub. While the Xbox One will still play games (as evident by the $1 billion spent on exclusive), its capabilities and usefulness will extend far beyond video games.