Best PlayStation 4 Console

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I purchased the launch version at 12:15 Friday night of the 15th. I'm glad I did. Got up the next morning and looked online and they were already sold out.



With prime shipping it arrived Monday afternoon. I was worried that I was going to get a bad unit like a lot of other reviewers on here. Got everything hooked up and hit the power button... It flashed blue... I was worried for a second, then the light turn white and the PS logo appeared on the screen. Sigh of relief. First thing I did was run the latest firmware update. It updated without any issues.



Once you're at the home screen you're welcomed by soothing music and a clean feeling menu. After a couple of days I got tired of the menu background music so all I had to do was go to the settings and turn that off. Everything seems very snappy. My first real impression was how fast the PS store opened. On the PS3 it seemed to take forever, but on the PS4 it was almost instant.



Installed my first game (Battlefield 4) and once I inserted the disc the game immediately started to install itself. Within seconds it was ready to play. When I first entered the game I was told that to access the games network features I would have to install an update for the game. But for offline campaign mode I could immediately jump into it. I played the campaign for a few minutes then backed out so I could run the update and use the network stuff. The PS4 alerted me that it had started the download of the update and once complete that it was ready to install. It installed without a hitch and I was able to get into the game and access the multiplayer features.



Went ahead and installed the other two games I had purchased (COD Ghost and Need for Speed) both installed without issue. Got notified that they too needed updates so I went ahead and ran them. This being a launch system and as new as the games are I wasn't too surprised with all the updates.



It was getting late so I didn't get to get into much game play that night. Fast forward to now and I must say i'm quite impressed so far. I've been playing battlefield mostly and the graphics are phenomenal. Compared to the PS3 its a great improvement. I would have to say it give the PC a run for its money.



One thing I was really impressed was this. A friend was watching a movie on netflix. I came into the room and he wanted to show me something on COD. In a matter of seconds he went from netflix to game play. You hit the PS button and your back a the main menu... He had already played the game earlier so it was on standby. He selects the game, hits enter and the game came up almost immediately and he was back to where he left off. After watching him play a bit I was impressed with the quality of this game as well. Found a few glitches in the game, but I expect those will be fixed over time. I know Battlefield was having issues with some of its multiplayer maps. I guess thats what you get when you buy launch day consols.



Overall I'm liking it so far. But knowing Sony and the PS3 more is to come. I was disappointed in them not including the DLNA features because that was one of the main things I used on the PS3. I have a feeling that Sony will add this soon.



Those of you who are thinking about buying one this holiday. Wait till amazon or the stores get them back in stock. Don't buy one for $600-$1000 its not worth that cost. Plus by the time there back in stock the should have more of the bugs worked out.



I hope my review was helpful. To those who got bad units and are hating on Sony: Don't disqualify the PS4 yet. Get your replacement and give it another shot. I think you'll be glad you did.



--- Update 12-24-2013 --



Haven't got to play as many games as I would like to recently. I have been using apps and features though and thought I'd share what I think.



- Playstation Store.

I hated the PS store on the PS3. It was slow to load and annoying to get around. The PS4 has improved it some... To access the store all you have to do is go to the top row menu, then far left. It takes about 3-8ish seconds to load. Once you access it once it loads faster the next time.

Once you in the store it is familiar to the same layout as the PS3. I'm not really a fan of how you have to bypass all the current popular titles to get to the "all" button that all the way to the right. Once you get the hang of where everything is it makes it easier. I would say the only thing that I like better is that fact that it loads quicker.



- DualShock 4 Controller

LOVE IT. I'm a guy with big hands. I like the longer grips. I don't feel like im going to lose the controller while in a heated battle in BF4.

The sticks are smoother and more accurate, really helps when trying to be a sniper were precision is key.

Some games have changed how the buttons are mapped. This took some getting used to but I'm liking it still.

The front light can become annoying at times, as well as I wounder how much battery life I'm losing with it. I hoping they release a patch that allows you to turn it off if you're not in a game that requires it.

Battery life could be better. One awesome thing is that the DS4's use micro-usb now. That means most your android smartphone chargers and cables can charge the controller. I have an old motorola USB wall-wart and a standard micro-usb cable and can charge the controller next to my chair instead of having to get up and plug it into the PS4.

Earpiece port. The PS4 comes with a mono earpiece/mic. All you have to do is plug in in the DS4 controller. It will work with any headset that has that size jack.

Haven't found a game or app that uses the touch pad yet. But the pad also works as a button, which has a clean easy feel when pressed.



- Netflix, Amazon Instant

Netflix. not much different here. I Haven't been using it as much because I'm on comcast and between comcast and netflix I can't get a stream thats better than 240 SD. I can stream HD just fine in amazon. This isn't a PS4 problem cause my PS3 was doing this as well. For those of you who like to see what quality you're getting on the PS3 you'd hit the 'Select' button, well the DS4 no longer has that button so it is now mapped to the right stick button.

Amazon. Also not much different. It works well, had no crashes. Plays in HD and full surround.



- Twitch, Ustream

This is a cool feature. On the main row go over to "Live from Playstation". Here you can hop in a watch other people play games, even games you don't own or have installed. A typical stream will have the person hosting the stream on a webcam or just audio. You can interact with comments and if you have the game installed you can start that games from the stream. You also have the ability to stream your own games. Just hit the share button while playing a game.



- Gameplay

Battlefield 4: After many patches the online play is getting better, fewer crashes, pretty awesome. As for the offline campaign mode. IT SUCKS. Not sure if the lastest patch fixed anything but you would get half way through the campaign and it crash. And if you weren't so lucky it corrupted the profile and when you restarted that game it started you back at the beginning. I've given up on the campaign and just play online multiplayer (Which BF4 was made for anyways)



COD Ghosts: Few campaign glitches, few crashes. I've seen some updates pop up recently so most of those should be getting fixed.



Need for Speed: Just a fun racing game. I like it better than the hot pursuit version on the PS3. Graphics are good. Smooth game play. Never cared for the in game menu structure of need for speed.



Resogun: Got it for free via PS Plus membership. Cool 3D side shooter. First games I've played that uses the built in controller speaker.



- Extra Stuff

I am using a logitech wireless keyboard w/touchpad. Keyboard is detected by the PS4. I can use it in most applications for typing.



Thats all for now. I'll post any updates if I find anything new or cool.