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PlayStation 4
Box
Description
PlayStation®4: The Best Place to Play™
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The PlayStation®4 system opens the door to an incredible journey through immersive new gaming worlds and a deeply connected gaming community. PS4™ puts gamers first with an astounding launch lineup and over 180 games in development. Play amazing top-tier blockbusters and innovative indie hits on PS4™. Developer Inspired, Gamer Focus. PlayStation®4. Greatness Awaits™
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I couldn't wait, that's just the story of my life.
I was going to wait until Sony update their PlayStation 4 (PS4) to support video playback and DLNA, but when they released Wolfenstein: The New Order, I had to play it on the 'next-gen' console... so I saw it in stores and bought it.
I've had a full 24 hours with the PS4 and I'll address the three biggest disappointment in this new system:
(1) Lack of Games: There aren't any games worth playing on the PS4. Trust me when I tell you that I have downloaded all of Sony's PS4 demos, which I can count the numbers on my hand. I'll have to look closer at the retail stores, I will likely pick up Bound by Flames, but I've read terrible reviews on it... so I'm still on the fence about it.
(2) No Media Support: While the PS3 is pretty awesome about playing back your local video files via USB, CD-Rom, or DLNA, the PS4 does not currently support video file playback. It is not able to read USB, it does not recognize a CD Data disc, and it doesn't know what DLNA is. This is incredibly lame, especially because I know the Xbox and PS3 can easily play back your local media.
(3) No YouTube App: There is no YouTube app on the PS4. To be fair, the YouTube app appeared on the PS3 very late in its life cycle, but that was the one 'killer app' that I love on the PS3. I used the YouTube app all the time, so it felt like the PS4 is missing such a key feature (at least for me). Fortunately, there is a workaround by accessing YouTube via the PS4 Browser using the link: youtube.com/tv.
Yeah, I understand that many of these problems I have will be addressed in future updates, but come on, it's been six months already.
PS4's one saving grace is that it's much faster than its predecessor. It's quite noticeable when you switch application or launch application. Applications like Crackle and the music video Vidzone launches almost instantly and videos look better (at least to my eyes). Plus games runs smoother. Load time seems faster, but not completely gone. Game updates are done in the background (while you play!). This is important because it addressed a problem I had with the old PS3: when I start a game and there is a update, I will have to wait for the system to download and install the update before I play. Sometime the download is so large that I just give up and not start the game.
On Xbox news, Microsoft will be selling a Kinect-less system for the same price as the PS4 ($399) in June. They are also going to allow its users to play YouTube and Netflix without having to pay Microsoft another $80 a year for Gold Membership. That's about time, MS, unfortunately it's too little, too late, in my opinion. Xbox One also need to do something about their games can only play at 720p vs PS4's ability to play games at full 1080p.
However, if PS4 doesn't do anything to update their media playback, then come June when Xbox One's pricing is more competitive (and changing their Xbox Gold structure and working closer with developers to get games at 1080p), it will be hard to recommend the PS4.
If you are looking for a media machine, I still recommend last generation's PS3 - it will do everything that the PS4 cannot... for even less money. If you are just looking for a gaming machine, then the PS4 may be for you (even though there aren't any games for the system at the moment). The PS4 is the number one selling next-gen system, which probably mean that developers will be interested in producing games for this system.
I was going to wait until Sony update their PlayStation 4 (PS4) to support video playback and DLNA, but when they released Wolfenstein: The New Order, I had to play it on the 'next-gen' console... so I saw it in stores and bought it.
I've had a full 24 hours with the PS4 and I'll address the three biggest disappointment in this new system:
(1) Lack of Games: There aren't any games worth playing on the PS4. Trust me when I tell you that I have downloaded all of Sony's PS4 demos, which I can count the numbers on my hand. I'll have to look closer at the retail stores, I will likely pick up Bound by Flames, but I've read terrible reviews on it... so I'm still on the fence about it.
(2) No Media Support: While the PS3 is pretty awesome about playing back your local video files via USB, CD-Rom, or DLNA, the PS4 does not currently support video file playback. It is not able to read USB, it does not recognize a CD Data disc, and it doesn't know what DLNA is. This is incredibly lame, especially because I know the Xbox and PS3 can easily play back your local media.
(3) No YouTube App: There is no YouTube app on the PS4. To be fair, the YouTube app appeared on the PS3 very late in its life cycle, but that was the one 'killer app' that I love on the PS3. I used the YouTube app all the time, so it felt like the PS4 is missing such a key feature (at least for me). Fortunately, there is a workaround by accessing YouTube via the PS4 Browser using the link: youtube.com/tv.
Yeah, I understand that many of these problems I have will be addressed in future updates, but come on, it's been six months already.
PS4's one saving grace is that it's much faster than its predecessor. It's quite noticeable when you switch application or launch application. Applications like Crackle and the music video Vidzone launches almost instantly and videos look better (at least to my eyes). Plus games runs smoother. Load time seems faster, but not completely gone. Game updates are done in the background (while you play!). This is important because it addressed a problem I had with the old PS3: when I start a game and there is a update, I will have to wait for the system to download and install the update before I play. Sometime the download is so large that I just give up and not start the game.
On Xbox news, Microsoft will be selling a Kinect-less system for the same price as the PS4 ($399) in June. They are also going to allow its users to play YouTube and Netflix without having to pay Microsoft another $80 a year for Gold Membership. That's about time, MS, unfortunately it's too little, too late, in my opinion. Xbox One also need to do something about their games can only play at 720p vs PS4's ability to play games at full 1080p.
However, if PS4 doesn't do anything to update their media playback, then come June when Xbox One's pricing is more competitive (and changing their Xbox Gold structure and working closer with developers to get games at 1080p), it will be hard to recommend the PS4.
If you are looking for a media machine, I still recommend last generation's PS3 - it will do everything that the PS4 cannot... for even less money. If you are just looking for a gaming machine, then the PS4 may be for you (even though there aren't any games for the system at the moment). The PS4 is the number one selling next-gen system, which probably mean that developers will be interested in producing games for this system.
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