Greatness was awaiting and now greatness has offically arrived. The Playstation 4 is Sony's refreshing entry into the console world and it's one that has been carefully pieced together. With it's core being games, performance and social networking, the PS4 delivers on adapting to the direction gamers are going. I won't be getting into specs because that can be easily looked up but this review will be about the extensive hands on experience I had with the console itself.
Hardware: The PS4 is thin, trendy and futuristic looking to say the least. It's angling is really creative and overall gives it a really nice original look. In all black with the blue line running through the top (white when it's officially running and orange when in standby mode) it really is a cool console to have sitting somewhere by your tv.
The BEST part about the PS4's hardware without a doubt is the Dual Shock 4. YES, the DS4 is a huge improvement over its predecessors. It finds a way of balancing what has always been playstation with more comfort and innovation. The thumb sticks have an indentation in them for less slipping, the triggers have a nice carving for your finger to feel like an actual gun trigger, the handles are longer and the controller is bigger in a good way. The DS4 also has a microphone input jack, a touch pad which is proving to be pretty handy if you play games like Killzone Shadow Fall and the DS4 even outputs sound. Games like Killzone and RESOGUN use this cool little feature. The only issue with the DS4 is that it will require charging after around 4-6 hours, but hey, it beats worrying about batteries any day of the week.
Another feature I would like to mention is the voice commands. You do not need the Playstation Camera to do this. You can use either the camera or a microphone. The voice commands are simple but work very well. I never had to repeat myself to be heard. I didn't even need to be completely specific. I could just say "Killzone" instead of "Killzone Shadow Fall."
Software: This is where Sony shines in listening to the consumer gripes. PS3 had quite a bit of issues with it. The original rendition of the PS3 UI is laughable for us all now. Sony really sat down, studied PS3 and eliminated those issues in PS4, Just like they did from PSP to PS Vita. The PS4 UI is fast, user-friendly and delivers. Yes, you can chat and play games with whoever you would like to, without a problem. "What's New" is basically a Playstation 4 time line incorporated to keep up with what you and your friends are doing when it comes to games they are playing, achievements they got and whatever else those particular games they are playing wants to post on the time line. Your apps, games and other things are displayed on one long line which is fine for now but I can see this changing over the corse of the PS4's lifetime. Above that you will have your playstation store, social integrated playstation apps like notifications and the friends list, your own profile, trophies and the settings. Simple and workable which is good. Only issues but fixable issues is that you can't customize anything. You can't put in you own backgrounds or customize what order you would like your icons in. This display is similar to the PS Vita minus customized backgrounds.
The main part where the PS4 really shines in opening up new possibilities is it's ability to share your gaming experience with the world. A little button labeled "share" on you DS4 is an awesome feature that will only get better. As of right now you can stream your live gaming content on Ustream and Twitch. While preparing to steam you can make PS4 post invites to this stream on both Facebook and Twitter. Cool right? You can also post videos of your game play on Facebook and post pictures of gameplay on both Facebook and Twitter. Definitely cool. Sony is looking into the possibility of YouTube and other things so we're hoping for this new ability to reach the sky and even further.
Games: Sony has made it clear that games are the main drive for PS4. Games look and play great generally on the PS4. There's so much texture to clothing and faces. The little details are really noticeable in the PS4 whereas the PS3 the small details are kind of blurred. You can go to the Playstation menu without having to exit out of you game.
Developers are very happy to know that developing games for the PS4 is a piece of cake compared to the PS3 so lets hope that will bring a lot of awesome developers Sony's way now and in the future. Sony has 14 or 15 first party developers that I am sure want to take a crack at this new system so expect A LOT of exclusive good games for this console in the future. This is just the beginning of PS4. The beginning of PS3 and the end of PS3 are completely different when you look at The Last of Us and once developers really get the hang of this console we will be seeing some really great things coming together.
PSN: Playstation Network has always been an issue with Sony. It gets hacked really badly, It seems weak in general and it has been an issue with the PS4 launch. Launch night was a bit of a pain not being able to sign into PSN for a couple of hours. There has been a lot of maintainence on Sony's part and it is just lacking. We now have to buy Playstation Plus in order to game online. This is a bummer for some people but if Sony is putting that money towards PSN like they say they are then I think that in a year or two PSN is going to be so much more for everyone but as of right now it isn't to the platform's standard.
Playstation Plus is great for those who have it. Just at Launch PS Plus users got RESOGUN and Contrast free which are fun games to play and that a lot of people are enjoying. Every month you get something free which is a great reason to get it aside from needing it to play video games online. Personally I would tell you that you should definitely get it.
Apps & Entertainment: Before we get into this lets set the perspective. Sony is strictly about gaming. If you want or need A LOT more than that then perhaps the the PS4 just isn't for you. But if you are ok with the basic entertainment services but your core is gaming then PS4 is your console. PS4 as of right now has 11 apps in it which include Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, Crunchyroll and others. More will be coming over time but don't expect everything you can imagine. The PS4 also plays Blu-Rays no problem but will not play 3D Blu-Ray. The Playstation Store also will have plenty of movies and tv shows for you to rent or purchase if you would like. Some people love the basics of Games, Netflix and Blu-Ray and if that is you then this console is definitely up your alley. I wouldn't say PS4 lacks at all in this department because this isn't what the console is concentrating on doing but they are putting options out there for you.
Final Thoughts: Overall The PS4 is a worthy upgrade from the PS3. Should you get it right now? I would say if you are comfortable with your PS3 then don't sweat it so much. The most ideal time to get a PS4 if you haven't got it at launch and aren't getting it for the holidays would be in March for InFAMOUS Second Son and some other third party games I am personally interested in. If you like your PS3 then there's no doubt in my mind that you will love your PS4 and use it every chance you get. I personally give PS4 a 8.5 out of 10 because there's room for improvement in the software that I think Sony will come through on and PSN needs a serious revamp. I don't hold PSN against PS4 but it does affect the experience a bit at times. Other than that the PS4 is certainly a welcomed experience. With it selling over 1 million consoles in the US and Canada on the first night alone we can assume PS4 has a great future ahead of it. It's a overhaul of the PS3 plus a lot of new functionality. With that, I hope you got something out of this review.
Reviewer: Cassie Fox
Twitter: @AdventureBMO
PSN: AdvengerTime
Hardware: The PS4 is thin, trendy and futuristic looking to say the least. It's angling is really creative and overall gives it a really nice original look. In all black with the blue line running through the top (white when it's officially running and orange when in standby mode) it really is a cool console to have sitting somewhere by your tv.
The BEST part about the PS4's hardware without a doubt is the Dual Shock 4. YES, the DS4 is a huge improvement over its predecessors. It finds a way of balancing what has always been playstation with more comfort and innovation. The thumb sticks have an indentation in them for less slipping, the triggers have a nice carving for your finger to feel like an actual gun trigger, the handles are longer and the controller is bigger in a good way. The DS4 also has a microphone input jack, a touch pad which is proving to be pretty handy if you play games like Killzone Shadow Fall and the DS4 even outputs sound. Games like Killzone and RESOGUN use this cool little feature. The only issue with the DS4 is that it will require charging after around 4-6 hours, but hey, it beats worrying about batteries any day of the week.
Another feature I would like to mention is the voice commands. You do not need the Playstation Camera to do this. You can use either the camera or a microphone. The voice commands are simple but work very well. I never had to repeat myself to be heard. I didn't even need to be completely specific. I could just say "Killzone" instead of "Killzone Shadow Fall."
Software: This is where Sony shines in listening to the consumer gripes. PS3 had quite a bit of issues with it. The original rendition of the PS3 UI is laughable for us all now. Sony really sat down, studied PS3 and eliminated those issues in PS4, Just like they did from PSP to PS Vita. The PS4 UI is fast, user-friendly and delivers. Yes, you can chat and play games with whoever you would like to, without a problem. "What's New" is basically a Playstation 4 time line incorporated to keep up with what you and your friends are doing when it comes to games they are playing, achievements they got and whatever else those particular games they are playing wants to post on the time line. Your apps, games and other things are displayed on one long line which is fine for now but I can see this changing over the corse of the PS4's lifetime. Above that you will have your playstation store, social integrated playstation apps like notifications and the friends list, your own profile, trophies and the settings. Simple and workable which is good. Only issues but fixable issues is that you can't customize anything. You can't put in you own backgrounds or customize what order you would like your icons in. This display is similar to the PS Vita minus customized backgrounds.
The main part where the PS4 really shines in opening up new possibilities is it's ability to share your gaming experience with the world. A little button labeled "share" on you DS4 is an awesome feature that will only get better. As of right now you can stream your live gaming content on Ustream and Twitch. While preparing to steam you can make PS4 post invites to this stream on both Facebook and Twitter. Cool right? You can also post videos of your game play on Facebook and post pictures of gameplay on both Facebook and Twitter. Definitely cool. Sony is looking into the possibility of YouTube and other things so we're hoping for this new ability to reach the sky and even further.
Games: Sony has made it clear that games are the main drive for PS4. Games look and play great generally on the PS4. There's so much texture to clothing and faces. The little details are really noticeable in the PS4 whereas the PS3 the small details are kind of blurred. You can go to the Playstation menu without having to exit out of you game.
Developers are very happy to know that developing games for the PS4 is a piece of cake compared to the PS3 so lets hope that will bring a lot of awesome developers Sony's way now and in the future. Sony has 14 or 15 first party developers that I am sure want to take a crack at this new system so expect A LOT of exclusive good games for this console in the future. This is just the beginning of PS4. The beginning of PS3 and the end of PS3 are completely different when you look at The Last of Us and once developers really get the hang of this console we will be seeing some really great things coming together.
PSN: Playstation Network has always been an issue with Sony. It gets hacked really badly, It seems weak in general and it has been an issue with the PS4 launch. Launch night was a bit of a pain not being able to sign into PSN for a couple of hours. There has been a lot of maintainence on Sony's part and it is just lacking. We now have to buy Playstation Plus in order to game online. This is a bummer for some people but if Sony is putting that money towards PSN like they say they are then I think that in a year or two PSN is going to be so much more for everyone but as of right now it isn't to the platform's standard.
Playstation Plus is great for those who have it. Just at Launch PS Plus users got RESOGUN and Contrast free which are fun games to play and that a lot of people are enjoying. Every month you get something free which is a great reason to get it aside from needing it to play video games online. Personally I would tell you that you should definitely get it.
Apps & Entertainment: Before we get into this lets set the perspective. Sony is strictly about gaming. If you want or need A LOT more than that then perhaps the the PS4 just isn't for you. But if you are ok with the basic entertainment services but your core is gaming then PS4 is your console. PS4 as of right now has 11 apps in it which include Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, Crunchyroll and others. More will be coming over time but don't expect everything you can imagine. The PS4 also plays Blu-Rays no problem but will not play 3D Blu-Ray. The Playstation Store also will have plenty of movies and tv shows for you to rent or purchase if you would like. Some people love the basics of Games, Netflix and Blu-Ray and if that is you then this console is definitely up your alley. I wouldn't say PS4 lacks at all in this department because this isn't what the console is concentrating on doing but they are putting options out there for you.
Final Thoughts: Overall The PS4 is a worthy upgrade from the PS3. Should you get it right now? I would say if you are comfortable with your PS3 then don't sweat it so much. The most ideal time to get a PS4 if you haven't got it at launch and aren't getting it for the holidays would be in March for InFAMOUS Second Son and some other third party games I am personally interested in. If you like your PS3 then there's no doubt in my mind that you will love your PS4 and use it every chance you get. I personally give PS4 a 8.5 out of 10 because there's room for improvement in the software that I think Sony will come through on and PSN needs a serious revamp. I don't hold PSN against PS4 but it does affect the experience a bit at times. Other than that the PS4 is certainly a welcomed experience. With it selling over 1 million consoles in the US and Canada on the first night alone we can assume PS4 has a great future ahead of it. It's a overhaul of the PS3 plus a lot of new functionality. With that, I hope you got something out of this review.
Reviewer: Cassie Fox
Twitter: @AdventureBMO
PSN: AdvengerTime
Tags:
Video Games
