Sony delivers
many upgrades
for gaming fans
Jonathan Garcia / Reporter
The next generation of gaming is finally here with the Nov. 15 release of Sony’s Playstation 4.
The console was in development since 2008 but was carefully thought out to avoid underwhelming launch-day sales that the Playstation 3 suffered in 2006. When the console was officially announced many gamers were excited to see that Sony was focusing on the games. One million consoles were sold within 24 hours of the launch, making it a success for Sony. And it’s safe to say that although more is yet to come, the Playstation 4 does manage to live up to the hype.
One of the major pluses of the console is the new Dualshock 4 controller. The analog sticks feel more comfortable to hold, making it fit almost like a glove. The “Start” and “Select” buttons have been replaced with “Options” and “Share” buttons. The “Options” button acts as the Pause button for games and to show more information at the home screen. The “Share” button can upload up to 15 minutes of gameplay to share a memorable gaming experience with friends, which is a welcome feature to gamers. And the “Home” button on the controller has been improved, allowing players to go to the home screen without having to quit the game they’re playing or movie they’re watching.
The Playstation Camera is great for online video chatting and playing “The Playroom,” which comes installed on the system where the camera and the controller come into play to make some fun gameplay with friends.
The console’s graphics look beautiful on games such as “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag,” “Call of Duty: Ghosts” and many others, adding more detail to certain environments and making them look more realistic. The games must be installed on the system, but they can be played while the data is being installed.
The home screen can take awhile to get used to as it differs more from the Playstation 3’s home menu but over time gamers will find navigating through the menu to be a piece of cake.
The Playstation 4 is not backward compatible, meaning you won’t be able to play PS3 and older generation games. But Sony is looking into cloud gaming to be able to play digital PS3, PS2 and classic games, which many gamers will definitely welcome with open arms when this feature is announced and available.
If gamers want to play online they will have to purchase a year subscription to Playstation Plus, but games that require an online subscription already, such as “DC Universe Online,” are free to play even without a PS Plus subscription. Even with the PS Plus gamers get their money’s worth, with discounts on the Playstation 4 and even free downloadable games. Online services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus and Crunchy Roll are free to use with or without a PS Plus subscription.
The only complaint so far is the lack of exclusive titles on the Playstation 4. “Killzone: Shadow Fall” and “Knack” are the only Playstation exclusives out right now and haven’t really gotten much great buzz compared with Microsoft’s Xbox One exclusive lineup with games such as “Dead Rising 3,” “Ryse: Son of Rome,” “Forza Motorsport 5” and the return of the classic fighting game “Killer Instinct.” Sony will have to step it up with the exclusive titles and pray that 2014 will be the year of great exclusive titles.
The console requires you to be online for update patches. Those without an Internet connection can download files on a flash drive through the Playstation website and install the files on the Playstation 4.
Overall, the Playstation 4 is a great console capable of being legendary once Sony adds more content and gets backward compatibility through cloud gaming.
