The PS3 came out roughly seven years ago and had a stumbling start. The main thing that scared off many consumers was its insane price. The system cost $599 (or $NZD1200) which was too high for most people. The PS3 remained on store shelves for many months until Sony released new models that were cheaper. Since that time, the PS3 improved over time and has slowly become one of my favorite consoles to use.
Fast forward to 2013 and the PS4 has arrived. As of time of writing, the PS4’s release is opposite of that of the PS3. The system costs an affordable $399 (or $649NZD) and the system is selling out worldwide. Here in New Zealand, the PS4 was sold out months even before its official launch on November 29th. Yes, the PS4 is one great system, but does it really offer everything you want from a video game console?
Size and Design
One of the things I disliked about the original PS3 was that it was huge and very heavy. Being a skinny guy, I struggled to even carry the thing. Not to mention the original PS3 took up a lot of space that it was hard to find space for in my living room. Sony of course listened to the feedback and made the PS3 slimmer.
The PS4 on the other hand is already quite slim and sexy looking. It is exactly the same size as the Slim PS3 model that Sony released in 2009. I have both consoles sitting under my TV and they are around the same width, height and weight. I really liked the fact that the PS4 weighed a lot less than the original PS3, because I was able to carry the PS4 more easily with my skinny arms.
Another great thing about the PS4 is that it doesn’t require a power brick. Even though my Nintendo Wii is small, it uses a heavy power brick that you need to situate somewhere. The same can be said about the Xbox 360 and Xbox One as well. The fact that the PS4 has no power brick means all of the power is built inside.
Even though the PS4’s power is built inside, Sony smartly built many ventilation shafts in order to keep the console’s temperature cool. I left on the PS4 for a few hours and I have to say, it doesn’t get that hot which is a good thing. I remember my original Xbox 360 console got really hot every time I turned it on.
It’s worth mentioning that the PS4 includes an HDMI cable right out of the box. This will save some people money since they never supplied a free HDMI cable to any of their PS3 models. With that being said, you will need an HDTV in order to play on the PS4. If you have an old TV that only has AV outputs, you are out of luck because the PS4 doesn’t have those connections in place. Component AV output is not supported either. At the front of the console are two USB ports and the power and eject buttons. The power and eject buttons are touch sensitive so they’re not really “buttons” per-se.
DUALSHOCK 4 Controller
The DUALSHOCK 4 controller has been redesigned slightly to add more features than ever before. It still has somewhat of the same design as previous DUALSHOCK controllers, but the subtle changes make is arguably the best DUALSHOCK controller ever made.
First off, the DUALSHOCK 4 feels better to hold than the DUALSHOCK 3 controller. This is because it weighs a bit more and feels sturdier. It is also far better to hold than the light and useless SIXAXIS controllers Sony released before the DUALSHOCK 3 came out. One thing to note is that the controller has more grip too. This is better for those playing games during the Summer because it makes the controller less slippery when your hands would be sweatier.
Another redesign that has occurred are the analogue sticks. They now have a concave design so your thumbs won’t slip of so easily. Again, this is a great thing because I always felt my thumbs would slip off from time-to-time using the older DUALSHOCK controllers.
The L2 and R2 buttons have been altered and they feel more like triggers this time around. They are better to press than the L2 and R2 buttons from the DUALSHOCK 3. The face and directional buttons have been left unchanged, but this doesn’t bother me at all because they were fine in the first place.
The biggest changes that have been made lie in the middle of the controller. The Start and Select buttons have been replaced with the Options and Share buttons respectively. PlayStation fans now need to press Options to pause their game. This is something I had to learn because I had been pressing Start for many years. The Share button is used to upload videos and screenshots of gameplay.
The touch pad is the biggest thing on the controller and it acts like a mousepad on a laptop computer. It’s very responsive and fun to use, but only The Playroom and Killzone: Shadow Fall have used it so far. I look forward for future games using it because it adds a wealth of interesting possibilities. There is also a headphone jack so you can listen to your PS4 games using any headphones you have lying at home. There is also a speaker on the controller too that will add additional sounds to your games.
Another great thing about the DUALSHOCK 4 controller is that it has a built-in rechargable battery. Much like with the PS3, you don’t have to pay extra for a “play-and-charge” kit or other batteries. Just plug in the controller into the PS4’s USB port and it will be charged.
