PS4 - Thoughts? Comments?

[JD]

So I got my PS4 today (my first PlayStation ever) and right after I plugged it in, I began questioning their design choices. The buttons and slot-load disc drive didn't strike me as intuitive at all. I actually struggled to turn the system on the first time and to put in Killzone. The buttons are way too thin and offer no tactile feedback, only hapatic feedback if you touch it in the proper place. Likewise, the slot for the disc drive is recessed in the blackness of the gap that runs across the front of the console. I feel as though it should of been lighted or done in a non-black colour to help identify where it is. I just kept pushing the disc in around the console until it went in.

Likewise the whole on-screen menu setup doesn't seem too friendly either, however from what I gather, PS3 was basically the same. It also seems to largely revolve around Facebook too, which I don't have or use.

That being said, the 1.50 firmware update went really fast, actually about a minute after plugging it in and booting it up it was ready to install. The installation was a bit slow, but that's to be expected I suppose.

The LED light bar on the top of the console seems like it could be annoying for some. It glows orange constantly when powered off (guess it's in standby actually), and white when it's powered on. It seems to only be blue when it's booting up. The light on the controller too is annoying (especially with a fairly reflective TV while playing a dark part of Killzone), I can see the green/red light reflection in my TV.

The console design as a whole seems very "old". Angular front/back? Why? I struggled to blindly plug in my HDMI cable due to the overhangs in the back. I can't see this design looking "good" in 5-10yr for its expected lifespan. Already it looks out of place with any other HT device.

The controller itself feels better than I expected. Never liked PS controllers in the past, this one is usable. The touchpad/swipe actions seem like a gimmick, but perhaps other games will use it better.

The graphics in Killzone look pretty good actually. I would put it somewhere between Crysis 2 and 3 on the PC graphically, primarily missing out on the AA to smooth out everything. Frame rate seems solid, haven't noticed any hiccups. The install of Killzone only took about a minute and it downloaded the update in the background while I played SP.

Since it's in my TV cabinet/bench thing, it did get pretty hot and quite noisy (after an hour of playing), on par with the original design XBOX360. I'll definitely need to keep the fans in my cabinet running while playing that I put in for the 360.

Anyways, I haven't done anything beyond playing Killzone on it thus far. Probably mess around with it some more tomorrow and see what the OS features all are.


Did anyone else get a PS4 today? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

 

[samhell44]

i already got a vita and all i got to say is remote play is awesome : killzone in bed is realy nice!

 

[Eluder]

Got mine on Friday as well, I think the new controller is a vast improvement over the previous dualshocks, but still have a strong preference towards Xbox controllers, especially the One since the new trigger feedback is fantastic in racing games. The console is bigger than I was expecting considering they were saying it's small, but I find it looks bigger than the slim PS3 which I still have until I sell it next week (360 sold already as Xbox One is arriving next week). I found the system to be quiet, but mine is in an open TV stand, so it has lots of room to breathe. I wasn't able to get on PSN all night yesterday, so couldn't really experience the new online world of PSN, hopefully it's better than the old one, cause it sucked in comparison to XBL. You're right about the buttons, there's virtually no feedback and they are far too recessed, makes it difficult to press at times. And I always hated slot loading drives, I prefer trays, but both consoles are using slot loading trays this gen.

 

[YukonTrooper]

There are adapters available that allow use of the 360 controller on the PS3 and vice versa. Certainly something similar will be designed for next-gen, even if it takes a 1-2 years. I think Sony should just swallow a bit of their pride and design an official pad with offset joysticks. Instant cash cow right there.

 

[Eluder]

Well their pres or whatever said that they considered doing the offset joystick controller this time around, but they said the way things are now is the Sony way.
Foolish if you ask me, because the Xbox controller has been superior for years now if you ask me and it's not like there's a patent on that layout.
No biggie I guess, at least they did improve it this time around, but racing games will be purchased on Xbox One as the controllers are far better for that genre of game.

 

[JD]

I looked around the OS yesterday, and really couldn't find anything to it. There doesn't seem to be much outside of gaming. Sure, there's a web browser and Netflix, but my TV already does that. Granted I don't have the camera accessory, so that leaves Playroom out entirely. Game streaming (or watching people play games) has never interested me. Likewise the whole "getting help from your friends" doesn't interest me either, what's the point of having your friend finish the mission for you?

I did download Resogun though, simple yet challenging game.

And it seems the reports of hardware failures are increasing. Some claim the workers of Foxconn sabotaged units due to poor working conditions (wouldn't blame them), other's claim is due to plugging in the power before the HDMI (which I did). So far no issues here...

I think my thoughts were correct in that I'll likely use the XBOX One far more than the PS4. We'll see once it arrives on Friday (hopefully!). If all of MS's PR is accurate, it seems like a far more cohesive console, making itself the primary device plugged into your TV. I don't feel like the PS4 is going to be my "go to" device.

...but anyways, I solve console wars by buying them all :haha: PC will always be my preferred choice though!

 

[Eluder]

Totally agree with you, the PS4 is simply put a gaming console and nothing more, and that's not what I want out of current gen gaming anymore. I want a complete package, and that's why I think the Xbox One experience is going to be far far more complete.
Also, PSN still blows, I couldn't get online until yesterday, it's clear that Sony still doesn't have their online platform together, don't think I'll bother subbing to PSN+ any time soon, unless it goes on sale. On the other hand, I have XBL Gold for the next 3-4 years already and have been a member since it launched on the original Xbox.
With you on the PC part too, I have BF4 and Ghosts on PC, consoles can't beat my SLI GTX 780 setup on a Dell U2711! :biggrin:

 

[muse108dc]

Honestly if your racing and using a gamepad your doing it wrong and in the past the PS3 has had better support for 3rd party wheels.

As for the "full package" it really surprised me that not only was mp3 left out at launch but also DLNA support, just as that stuff seems so basic. But what really surprises me is people complaining about a gaming console not doing not gaming stuff, my TV does most of that stuff already so I sort of miss the point.of doubling up on it. Quick question though, from my perspective as a PC gamer it seemed to me like Sony had the better game line up in the previous gen.

As for these subscriptions for being able to play your games online, they will always blow my mind as a PC gamer, as draconian as some of the attempts at DRM on our games have been if Steam/Valve/EA had attempted that.....

 

[JD]

But what really surprises me is people complaining about a gaming console not doing not gaming stuff, my TV does most of that stuff already so I sort of miss the point.of doubling up on it.

Not sure what TV you have, but on my Sony, the "smart" features built in a incredibly slow and clunky to use. And regardless, it still means "switching" inputs to use.

Again, it seems like the XB1 will aggregate everything into a single output. Whether or not this holds true is yet to be seen. To me, being able to watch cable TV, stream a movie, and then pickup a game all without leaving the same interface is what I've been looking for since the days of Media Center PCs. HTPCs do all this but it isn't as seamless as it could be.

I still haven't hopped on PSN yet, maybe tomorrow. I did activate the 30 day trial of PS Plus though but it seems like it'll auto-charge me when it expires unless I cancel as it required me to enter my credit card. I think I'll subscribe for a year (mainly for the "free" games) and decide next year whether to continue or not.

And really, I would say "subscriptions" do exist on PC too. Maybe not directly, but surely indirectly. You have to buy new hardware, maintain the OS/software, usually you end up having to buy DLCs/Season Passes, etc. I suspect very few of us on here go without doing SOMETHING to our PCs at least once a year, costing well over $60

 

[Desiato]

But what really surprises me is people complaining about a gaming console not doing not gaming stuff, my TV does most of that stuff already so I sort of miss the point.

Because consoles have been more than gaming devices for a large percentage of users since the launch of the 360. For many others, since xbox media player on the original xbox.

The Xbox One OS should be interesting to all tech enthusiasts, regardless of whether you intend to own one. It's pretty cool.