PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds & Fortnite: Battle Royale: 5 Key Differences

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

The long awaited arrival of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on console has finally arrived in the Xbox One version. It may be clunky and less polished than its PC counterpart but it works and it will bring in a whole new audience to the world of battle royale games.

Xbox One owners now have the tough choice of choosing between Fortnite: Battle Royale and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds for their battle royale needs. Fortnite: Battle Royale did make the jump to consoles a few months before PUBG did and it is free-to-play which gives it even more appeal. On the other hand, it’s very hard to ignore the incredible success story that PUBG has had on PC and Bluehole is looking to continue that success on consoles.

Spend some time with us right now as we go through some of the key differences between the games and hopefully help you make a decision as to what the right game is for you.

1. Fortnite: Battle Royale is More Fast Paced

Epic Games

It’s no secret that PUBG encourages looting every building in hopes of finding a higher leveled backpack, weapons, helmets, armor, etc. while Fortnite feels like a much more fast paced version of that.

Fortnite: Battle Royale has chests to loot and has a significantly different looting system in general. When you see an item in Fortnite it is indicated by a glowing object while PUBG will require you to go completely up to it to see what it is. Where Fortnite: Battle Royale doesn’t even require you to go into all of the houses to see what loot lies inside, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will make you search every nook and cranny of the house.

When you kill a person in Fortnite: Battle Royale, the players just hemorrhages all of their gear while PUBG will have everything drop in a crate which will require you to bring up a separate menu to pick and choose through what you want. There’s no auto pickup of loot in PUBG so it’s a lot more stressful while looting a corpse.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds features a giant map that will make finding other players difficult at times. Fortnite: Battle Royale features a map just the fraction of the size which will surely guarantee you’ll run into an enemy within the first few minutes of playing. If you’re a fan of quick matches then Fortnite: Battle Royale might be your game. If you’re a fan of the war of attrition, you might find PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds attractive.

2. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Features Vehicles

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To help with getting across the large map in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, players will have the option to drive vehicles. These vehicles range from motorcycles and boats to dune buggies and jeeps so there’s pretty much an option there for everyone.

Vehicles such as the dune buggies feature very little cover for the player so you can be picked off while driving one around by some expert (or lucky) marksmen out there so that’s something to be aware of while driving.

If you’re caught in the storm while the map is shrinking, a vehicle is usually your best bet since the distance can be daunting to travel on foot. You’ll also have to watch out for the random artillery strikes that will mark your map red while running.

Fortnite: Battle Royale does not feature vehicles of any kind so that’s something to keep in mind if you were hoping to load up a car with all of your buddies. There’s nothing definitive either way as to whether vehicles will be coming to the game but there aren’t any as of right now.

3. Fortnite: Battle Royale Features One Robust Crafting System

Epic Games

One of the key features in Fortnite: Battle Royale that separates it from PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is the ability to craft structures. Throughout the match players will be able to stockpile wood, brick and metal to create their own forts.

Instead of starting a match off with fisticuffs, players will instead have a shovel tool that will allow them to scrap pretty much any object in the world. Players can then use these materials to create walls, stairs and roofs which can then be edited to create doors and other objects.

If you’re being shot from another player, you can put up walls and stairs to possible turn the tide of the fight on your opponent. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds doesn’t have a system like this in place and likely never will so this is one of the biggest differences between the two games.

4. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Has a First-Person Mode

Epic Games

In you’re a fan of first-person shooters then you might be delighted to hear PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has a first-person mode. The mode is still going through testing on PC so you may run into some issues but the option is still there.

In the first-person mode you won’t have to worry about being wall peaked but you also won’t be able to do that to anyone else either. The first-person mode gives an added sense of dread as you clear rooms in a house in hopes of looting it.

Even the third-person mode gives players an option to aim in first-person which is something Fortnite: Battle Royale does not offer. With no damage markers in PUBG, it can be tough to tell if you’re even landing shots on your enemy. This is where it’s important to look through iron sights and see if blood is coming out of your opponent.

5. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Allows Customization

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PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds features a loot crate system that allows players to earn new cosmetics such as clothes that will allow their character to standout on the battlefield. This gives players a reason to keep playing every day so they can get new clothes or even make a quick buck on the Steam marketplace.

Fortnite: Battle Royale recently introduced a cosmetics shop that allows players to buy skins for their character, glider and weapons which will be bought with V-bucks. Fortnite: Battle Royale doesn’t allow players to customize their characters like PUBG does so buying new skins will be the only to confirm who players will be playing as every match.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds gives rewards after each match which will then be used to buy new loot crates and get new gear. The only way to earn currency in Fortnite: Battle Royale is to purchase it or do challenges in the PvE version.