With the PS4 release date in North America coming in a week before the Xbox One, two of its biggest problems to date, the limited hard drive and overheating issues, have been speculated and addressed.

Best to see where the PS4 one-ups the Xbox One, and where Microsoft's next-gen console has the upper hand over Sony's gaming device, beginning with the debate on space for games.

Hard drive issues have been a sensitive topic for both PS4 and Xbox One gamers, particularly when it was announced that the PS4 will no longer support external hard drives. Considering the sheer volume and size of upcoming games, it's not hard to see the memory of both consoles' hard drives being full at around 12 games.

GameRant points out that the PS4 may have a slight upper hand for this one. Quoting the PlayStation Blog's FAQs, there is a reminder that, even though there's no external support for extra space, there is a way to replace the original 500GB hard drive of the PS4.

"PS4 owners will be able to replace PS4's standard hard drive. PS4 is equipped with a 5400 RPM SATA II hard drive. Users can choose to install a new hard drive so long as it complies with these standards, is no thicker than 9.5mm, and is larger than 160GB.

There have not been any updates of the process of changing the hard drives as of yet. But hopefully, the process will be an easy one, otherwise, it will still be more of a hassle than a good feature for the PS4.

On the other hand, the report mentions that the Xbox One does not allow replacing hard drives at all. But then again, Major Nelson has already announced support for external storage for the Xbox One post-launch via an update. So perhaps this round goes to the Xbox One.

Check out the leaked UI of the Xbox One via a video: Read more and watch it here.

Overheating issues

After the pictures of the supposed Red Line of Death for the PS4, developers have whipped out their comments to disprove of the supported overheating rumours.

Dualshockers.com has compiled a number of developer responses to the issue. For instance, Yousuf Mapara of Switchblade Monkeys has stated that, "We've been using a bunch of dev kits. They've been on almost all the time, sometimes even overnight. They've always stayed cool, never even gotten warm so it has never suggested the threat of a problem. We have had no problems with any of the dev kits throughout development."

There are a number of other developers as well as Sony personnel who have attested to the issue, and have denied any truth to the overheating issues.

As for the Xbox One, the main push of the console is that it's smart enough to detect when it's already overheating and self-adjusts to avoid any problems. An earlier report from Gizmodo states that the Xbox One is capable of adjusting its power usage, but with the trade off in performance.

In terms of the PS4's cooling system, the most that is known about it is reported by SegmentNext, wherein the cooling fan is said to have a low noise level as well as a "stepless speed control" for a more seamless increase in the speed to avoid any jumps in pace like the PS3.

The other rival for the PS4 and Xbox One: Read more here.

PS4 and Xbox One events

There's still some time to try both the PS4 and Xbox One consoles before you get them on the launch date--or before you decide to place your order later on, if you haven't yet.

According to CBC News, there are still a number of hands-on events that you can catch so you can play the PS4 and Xbox One ahead of time.

Since October 1, Microsoft has been holding the Xbox One tour all over North America, with Xbox One trucks providing the public access to play games like Forza 5, Battlefield 4, and Dead Rising 3 on the Xbox One. Retail stores have also started their own hands-on and demo activities, with Best Buy and Future Shop stores being some of those that you can check out.

As for Sony, the PS4 is still available for a hands-on demo at three locations, namely Southcentre Mall in Calgary, Scarborough Town Centre in Toronto, and Complex Les Ailes in Montreal, if you are near those places. These demo sites are up until January 5, and you can play games like Knack, AC4, and Killzone: Shadow Fall.

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