Customer Reviews

Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4)

Be wary of fake reviews, listen to "Amazon Verified Purchases" and "Top 500 Reviewers"

To start I'd like to say how sad it is for me to see people bombing the product page of these consoles with fake 1/5 stars AND fake 5/5 stars. The human mind is a curious thing and for some people the success of the console they chose is, for some inexplicable reason, linked to their perception of their own self worth. They are so focused on this that they throw their allegiance in with huge multinational companies whose main goals are to, at the end of the day, make money - instead of throwing their allegiance in with other consumers/gamers.

To those people - shame on you.

As for the PS4, I will be brief and concise as the review by MrE is already a great read (go check it out).

1) The PS4 is small and light - surprisingly so for a "next-gen" console, especially next to the, comparatively, gargantuan Xbox One (yes I have one of those too). Both run relatively quite and cool, which is reassuring after the Xbox360s overheating issues last gen.

2) The PS4's shape looks nice but can make changing wires at the back difficult if it is already in place and you are viewing it from a top-down view. The two tone is pleasing enough and the blue light is... a blue light, also pleasing enough.

3) The PS4 includes the following ports: Ethernet, HDMI out, PlayStation camera port (proprietary), 2x USB 3.0 ports and a optical audio out. For those concerned this optical audio out port does output in surround sound (unlike the XB1, although Microsoft has said they will patch this in).

4) 3rd party headsets are supported, via USB, optical out or even through the 3.5mm jack in the controller itself (which is very cool). I plugged in my MDR-1R headphones into the controller and was pleasantly surprised at the audio quality.

5) PS4 supports upgrading it's hard drive, which can be done with any 2.5" SATA drive - I placed a 1TB hard drive in under 10 minutes which may be a requirement eventually for both consoles as games are so large now. Note that said drive needs to be no bigger than 9.5mm thick (deep).

6) It does support external hard drives BUT not for installing game data, only for other files - which is baffling as currently there is no support for MP3s or certain video types (Sony has stated they will patch this in due to consumer demand). This differs from the XB1 as they do not support replacing your internal harddrive but have stated they plan to patch in the ability to install to external harddrives (note that currently the XB1 doesn't support external drives, that support will be patch din shortly).

7) The controller (DualShock4) is a marked improvement on the DualShock3. The shoulder buttons (L2/R2) are a very big improvement on previous iterations and fingers should no longer slip off easily during intense gaming. The 3.5mm jack is welcome, so if you have a favourite pair of 3.5mm jack headphones you won't have to run them all the way to the TV. Some features are still to be proven useful, i.e. Lightbar is fine and not distracting but IMO should only light up if it's a specific game mechanic or if you're using the PlaystationCamera, the minispeaker in the controller is interesting in KillZone Shadow Fall (used for audio logs) but that's it so far and the touch pad, again, has an interesting use in KillZone Shadow Fall. Battery is built-in and this poses two things, 1 it's easy to recharge (even when the console is off/in standby) BUT you can replace them which isn't great as the battery life is average.

8) The UI a large improvement on the XMB from the PS3. Quick and sleek it's no longer laborious to navigate. Suspending to it and resuming gaming is fast with the PS button.

9) Download speed is no longer capped, thank god. I have fibre-optic and when I went to download games off of the PSN the PS3 would only ever hit a peak of 1MB a sec, which was utterly frustrating. That is no longer the case with the PS4 and this pleases me greatly.

10) Setup was fast and updates download in the background, which is nice. One thing I noticed was the HUGE difference in install times between the PS4 and XB1, under a minute typically for PS4 (till playable point), sometimes upwards of 5 minutes on the XB1 (till playable point).

11) PS+ is no required for online play - for me this is fine as I already have it and can't tell you how much value for money it is. Every month I get a new set of games and thanks to PS+ I already filled the 500GB hard drive of my PS3 with them.

12) PlaystationCamera - can't comment as I didn't get it, though I do appreciate the fact that I can choose to adopt it when it's functionality rather than be forced to before it's proven as viable tech.

13) Headset is very basic, fine in a pinch but I plan on ditching it asap.

14) Current games are fine, on par with the XB1, difference is focus but different strokes for different folks and all that.

tl;dr

POSITIVE:
Looks good, both externally and UI
Controller is much better, has some good and some unproven features, charges while console is "asleep"
Updates and installs are fast and don't hinder you getting to gaming
Suspending and resuming gaming is easy - I switched from Killzone to Netflix and back again with no problem
Easy to swap hard drive and increase storage space

NEGATIVE:
Headset is basic
PS+ required for multiplayer (but free games so, eh)
Low multimedia support

VERDICT:
The PS4 is a good console, far better than the PS3 at launch, but it's not quite 5 stars yet - it is 4 stars, the last star being held back until multimedia functions are included. For gaming, I would definitely recommend it.

VS XB1:
As for how it stacks up against the XB1, does it really matter? In theory if you like multiplayer get whichever console your multiplayer partners play. If XB1 features speak to you more as a consumer get it, if the PS4 does then get that - don't get caught up in, what is quite frankly, the stupid console war between two multinationals and their rabid fans.

I will say this though; the PS4 is more powerful than the XB1 (sorry it is a fact so don't get angry) now whether or not this is a big deal is entirely down to you, 1080p vs 720p is only as important as you think it is. Also you should note that the XB1's TV functions ARE NOT available in the UK yet, if that is one of the deciding features of picking one over the other you should wait off getting either and decide when both are more complete packages. Also the idea of remote play, playing the PS4 on a Vita while my wife watches movies/etc, is more enticing (for me) than Microsoft's SmartGlass integration.

I picked my PS4 up at my local GAME store launch party a good few hours ago, the unboxing took all of two minutes when i got home (smiley face). First thing to say is it looks and feels quality and has a good weighty feel to it for something so small. A lot smaller than i thought it would be but by and large on a par with the PS3 slim. The two tone look really suits it with the blue light in between as an indicator as to the status of the console. Port wise at the back you have Power, Gigabit Ethernet, optical audio, HDMI out and an AUX proprietary port for the PlayStation Camera. At the front is the slot loading bluray drive on/off and eject buttons (which are touch sensitive) and 2x USB 3.0 ports which are ideal for charging your controller from and if you so wish a 3rd party headset. At this point i will note that Sony have made the PS4 so that you can upgrade the hard drive without voiding warranty... the specs if you want to know are that it be greater than 160GB and no thicker than 9.5mm. Although it doesn't mention the spin speed the one that comes in the console runs at 5400RPM to reduce heat so i would advise you stick to that for good measure.

Finally onto what you get, the controller is a vast improvement, it now actually feels like a proper controller and the textured back of it feels very nice to hold. The trigger buttons now feel like proper triggers and have been positioned in such a way so your fingers rest on them perfectly. L1 and R1 buttons have been redesigned too and feel better. The thumb-sticks are perhaps the biggest improvement along with the trigger buttons and i can confirm that your fingers won't be slipping off due to the shape. Having tried the Xbox One controller i have to say i prefer the thumb-sticks on the duelshock 4 as they seem slightly bigger and hence you can rest a larger part of your thumb on it. There is a built-in mini speaker as well as a touch pad which game developers can use however they see fit, in a game by game basis. Select and Start buttons have been replaces with "share" and "options" buttons. The share button allows you to either capture past game-play footage (up to 15 minutes, a screenshot or even live stream footage to either twitch or ustream). The Options button kind of doubles as a start button. There is the inclusion of an in ear mono headset which simply plugs into the controller and i have to say it does feel cheap and basic but at least everyone will be catered for and won't have an excuse about not being able to talk to other players. If anything it will tide you over till you get something better after a few days/weeks and indeed would be good as backup so you can't really complain (at least they included one in the box). You also get a HDMI cable and mini usb to usb 3.0 cable to charge the controller. The battery is built in so no need for disposable batteries! (smiley face)

Setup was very quick and easy and i was up and running within 5 minutes, i include redeeming my current PlayStation account in that time too. Please note that there is a mandatory update when you first connect to the internet which did take a while but after that i was already at the dynamic menu and oh what an improvement it truly is compared to PS3! The menu system is easy to navigate, intuitive and fast to operate. Everything is where you yourself would think it is and there are no loading screens between menus. You can tell that Sony really wanted to push the social side of this console as everything from friends latest trophies, notifications, news and video uploads are available right from the off. Everything is also laid out in order of what you were doing last with the very last thing being the nearest to where you start. Above all this there is a kind of "cross media bar" where all the system info and settings can be found, again all very easy to get to and it's fast so those days of waiting around with the ps3 are long gone. Similarly the PlayStation store has been redesigned so it's even easier to navigate and also fast to operate, (ps3 owners will know how painfully slow accessing the store was on ps3, well that's a thing of the past).

To play online you will require PlayStation plus membership but because of all the included stuff that it brings you will never complain about what it offers. Everything from free games each month, updates that happen in the background, cloud saves and discounted games and DLCs are offered to PS+ members and i would argue you actually get your money back over the course of the year. For example in 2014 "Driveclub" will be free to all PS+ members, well that's a �50 game right there that they are including, and you get to keep the game once that month has gone! Indeed you can keep playing those games for as long as you want, so long as you remain a PS+ subscriber.

As i said earlier updates happen in the background while you are gaming and also when the system is in sleep mode, the controller can also be charged through the console while it sleeps too. Now there are mandatory game installations just like the ps3 but this time around they are much larger although i do need to point out that installation is extremely quick (under a minute per game). As for noise wise, the console runs very quiet most of the time although the main fan can be quite loud at certain points particularly when a game loads or when the console has been running for a good few hours. As for games, i have only managed to play Killzone: shadow fall for a limited time but have to say the graphics are stunningly beautiful, everything looks crisp and sharp! Game-play feels smooth and i like how they have used the touch-pad to control "OWL" a drone. Other things i wish to note are that the console has WIFI connectivity (which seems faster than the ps3) and the controller runs off Bluetooth technology so uses very little power. However, it's worth noting that the battery in the controller doesn't last as long as the DuelShock 3 did, i'm managing to get around 9-10 hours out of a full charge.

PROS: The Console looks beautiful and the User Interface is clean and crisp to look at * Controller is VASTLY improved * At long last we have cross game party chat * Background updates * quick install times * games i have played so far like black-light retribution (free to play for PS+ members) and Killzone are fantastic * you can get back to the main menu at any point mid game and it holds the game in suspension rather than quitting so you can instantly rejoin (double pressing the PS button takes you straight back to the game) * recharge controller while the console sleeps * for what you get i would argue the console is very good value

CONS: Party chat could sound clearer * included headset feels cheap to look at and use * PlayStation network needs to be made more stable especially as we are now mandated to pay for it if we want to play online * Sony need to reduce the amount of "maintenance" sessions it does and shorten their length or at the very least do them during the early hours of the morning rather than prime time during the day or evening.

VERDICT: I now have both of the next generation consoles and have to say that although I've only spent a relatively short period of time with the PS4 so far i'm very impressed at it's speed and ease of use along with it's potential gaming ability. The controller is a big plus this time around and feels like they actually listened to what gamers want. Will the inclusion of a touch-pad and speaker set the world alight? Probably not but it does open up possibilities for developers to get creative. I'm glad Sony didn't go down the Voice control path that Microsoft did, using a controller will always be faster and more reliable and i'm glad they put extra effort into the basics of the system rather than getting cocky. They've priced it right and it feels well put together, you feel like you're getting a quality package and from one gamer to another i can fully recommend this to you.

I hope you enjoy many happy years of gaming with this, it's a great time to be a gamer. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

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UPDATE 27th December 2013: It is only fair to point out that my review is of my own personal experience using the PS4 and i have to say i'm still enjoying the experience and still fully recommend this console to you. However, it is also fair to point out that a relatively small number of people have bought a PS4 and suffered a hardware failure of some kind, this is unfortunate and obviously must be aggravating for the people concerned, more so if it was intended as a Christmas present, i can only hope that Sony or Amazon (or whichever retailer you got it from) can help you out in a reasonable time frame. I will finish by saying every console launch over the past 10 years has had problems, the Xbox 360 for example was plagued with hardware malfunctions back in 2005 when it first came out with failure rates as high as 12%. It is worth pointing out that the official failure rate of the PS4 based on official figures so far is around 0.4%, which is on a par with any consumer electronics device.

UPDATE 2nd April 2014: There have been more software updates to the console to improve how the system works over the past few weeks and months and also to improve stability online although they still need to find better ways of implementing them rather than shutting everything down for the whole day. Besides that I'm very much enjoying the experience and still very much recommend it to you, inFAMOUS: Second Son is the latest game I've been playing and is great fun!

Really impressive console, looks very slick and stylish and looks fantastic as it sits next to my T.V. I will start with the graphics. They are truly amazing, much better than my PS3 and anything that I have ever played before. What amazed me is how even the smallest of things look good and overall the quality is superb, I have no complaints about the graphics. Assassins Creed IV shows them off in a fantastic fashion and these graphics really do create a great gaming experience.

The controller is everything I could have wished for. I wanted something different (next-gen) and this is exactly that. The controller itself feels very well made and crafted. The touch pad is something new and it is always fun when you have use it. The triggers are improved and really have a great feel to them and the analog sticks are shaped in a way that my thumbs do not slip off and they feel very comfortable.

As far as games are concerned, there may not be that many at the moment, but come February when things like Watchdog is released then the games will not be a problem. I find that at the moment I could do with a few more games but Assassins Creed IV is giving me plenty of game time with its beautiful graphics, along with Knack and Call of Duty Ghosts.

Overall I really love this console and I really do recommend it. The interface is fast and simple but looks neat and the controller is a treat to use, the games are great and the graphics are a dream. This is the ultimate gaming experience and it passed my high expectations by a mile.

After owning the console for a couple of months my impressions are generally positive, but it's yet to 'blow' me away with what I would consider a 'next gen' experience. The bottom line is that I'm sure great things are to come, but they're still a little while off.

My advice would be to hold out on buying this console, at least until some better games are released or the price has dropped - as at the moment you're really not missing out on much!

DESIGN
Compared to the juggernaut Xbox 360 (which I previously owned and loved), the PS4 is small, discrete and most pleasingly quiet! As seems to be the standard with modern consoles, it can be positioned horizontally or vertically. The only niggle about the design is the angled front and back of the machine, which may make it awkward for positioning in tight spaces.

GAMEPAD
Moving from the Xbox 360 gamepad to the PS4's was a bit of a challenge and took about a week or so to get accustomed to. I still think the Xbox 360 gamepad is superior, but the redesigned PS4 gamepad is a great step up from its previous iteration. What I love the most about the PS4 gamepad is the inclusion of the headphone port. It's just one of those small design details that makes a big difference. I often prefer playing games on headphones and therefore having to continually plug headphones in and out of a TV is a bit of a nuisance. There doesn't seem to be any degradation in the sound quality either when streaming from the gamepad.

However it's let down slightly by the battery life, you'll probably get around 6-8 hours on a standard charge (via standard mini usb cable). The touchpad is an interesting addition but is under utilised in applications and current games. To be honest I don't have much desire to use the 'Share' button, but I'm sure offers will enjoy this. The 'options' button is a bit awkwardly positioned, making it difficult to press quickly or accurately.

INTERFACE
The operating system and homescreen are slick and fast, presented with a soothing blue wash of colour and ambient music (I like this, but it'll probably annoy people). However the organisation of the homescreen could do with some improvements, settings and options are often hidden away in less than intuitive places. The ability to seamlessly jump in and out of games via the Playstation button on the gamepad is convenient, but I'd prefer the ability to quickly jump from one game into another - this isn't possible as applications must be closed before starting another.

Having to install games, even after purchasing it on a disc is frustrating and something I believe the console experience should eliminate. Those who prefer to purchase their games on a disc seem to be at a disadvantage, as you must still insert the disc when playing a game, whereas those who download can simply browse titles and launch through the homescreen. No doubt this is to encourage a shift to digital distribution.

Playing DVD's and Blu Rays is hassle free as would be expected. At launch the console supports, Netflix, Love Film and iPlayer (amongst others). However it's still missing apps for 4oD and iTVPlayer.

In regards to the social features, you can can watch live video streams broadcast from other people's cameras (sold sep) or watch others play games live - not something I'm particularly interested to be honest.

SETUP
The initial setup was a little frustrating, requiring a number of registration steps (pretty irritating inputting details on a gamepad) followed by gigabytes of system and game updates. Don't be fooled into thinking you'll be up and playing right away, it'll take you the best part of an hour (that's with a fast internet connection) to get things up and running. *Unlike the PS3, you'll have to subscribe to Playstation Plus in order to access the multiplayer elements of your games - a year's subscription will set you back around �40! I don't appreciate having to pay additional fees to play games I've already paid for - but the Playstation Plus does offer some nice discounts and 'free' access to games (which have been pretty good so far) - so this does soften the blow.*

GAMES
Overall I was pretty underwhelmed by the offering of games at launch and this is why I've rated the console with three stars. Some people may disagree with this, but as an early adopter this has significantly tainted my experience of the console. I remember when I first got my PS2 or my Xbox 360 - there were those classic 'wow' moments where I first experience what the console could offer. However I've not really experienced that with the PS4.

I purchased the system with Battlefield 4 and later purchased COD: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed 4 and Killzone: Shadow Fall.

Overall the launch offering of games is nothing short but dire. BF4 and COD do not provide the graphical jump in performance that I was expecting from a next generation console, looking at best like slightly tarted up versions of the previous gen iterations. The single player on both of these games is very poor, predictable and offers nothing new to the stagnating FPS genre. COD has become nothing more than a shooting gallery and BF4 has some of the worst writing I've ever experienced in a single player game.

Multiplayer is slightly more fun, but doesn't live up to the hype generated, particularly by BF4 and the mammoth PR machine it deployed. They'll keep you amused, but those who've played these sorts of games for years will probably tire quickly, overall these games feel like uninspired franchise rehashes rushed out to meet the release of the consoles (no doubt the reasons behind the countless BF4 glitches and COD framerate issues).

Initially Killzone does provide some hope, it looks absolutely beautiful and if you want something to show off the capability of the console then have a look at this game. It comes close to achieving that 'wow' factor but just falls short. It has a strong opening but unfortunately is unable to maintain this throughout the game. I'd say the single player is slightly more interesting than the previously mentioned games, but the multiplayer offers nothing new.

Assassin's Creed 4 is perhaps the only game (out of the 4 mentioned) that has any depth to it. I'm still playing the single player and getting lots of fun out of it. This was my first AC experience, so I can't comment on what it's like compared to previous versions, but it has a lot to offer in terms of side missions and challenges. At times the game looks stunning, but overall I wouldn't say I was blown away by what I was seeing on screen. Some of the dialogue and audio can sound a bit dodgy as well.

The surprise performer here is actually a game called Resogun (free download on PSN) - it's a very addictive, but simple side scrolling shooter with some crazy and stunning particle effects. It is a LOT of fun and well worth checking out.

SUMMARY
Yes, the PS4 holds lots of promise, recent announcements such as Playstation Now (allowing you to stream a back catalogue of classic games) suggest great things are to come - they're just not here yet! if you're sitting on the fence about whether to take the plunge, I'd say that there's no harm in waiting. The price is only going to fall and as of yet there are no games that really justify the move to this console. Don't be pulled in by the hype, although the PS4 is a lovely console, it just hasn't done anything interesting yet!

LIKE
Compact, pleasing design and quiet
Controller - especially the provision of a headphone port
Being able to instantly jump in and out of games
What is coming in the future

DISLIKE
Poor range of games at launch
Not convinced it offers a 'next gen' experience yet
Installing updates and games is a pain
Homescreen and settings could be better organised.

*EDIT* -10/02/14 - I confused PSN with Playstation Plus - this has been corrected.

no problems for me, runs fast and smooth has a bright future ahead of it
if your looking to buy one wait until late 2014, it will have a very good library then

Before I start, let me say this review applies equally to the new Xbox one.
Having received a decent Christmas bonus I bought both consoles. Family tragedies meant ive only been able to sit down and unpack them today having had them since mid December.

Ive had mixed feelings on both machines. Initially I was put off by the sheer weight and size of the xbox and when I unpacked the PS4 it was so much simpler. The xbox took ages to set up where the PS4 was so simple. Two cables and done compared to faffing with the power supply, hdmi in, hdmi out, Kinect etc.

Its a mixed bag. The xbox whilst ugly as sin has a better quality feel to it all where the PS4 seems understated but the xbox is also less impressive in the visual department. The PS4 on the other hand has a such a minimalist approach that I struggled to find settings that were in abundance on the ps3.

Eventually I fired up my first game which was Battlefield 4. Now I know this has had problems, most notably with the online but there was simply no wow factor. it didn't feel like a massive leap forward and I may as well have been playing on PS3. To quote the south park episode where they are on the xbox one "yeah its totslly seamless and the graphics are like 10% better than xbox 360". That sums up how I felt. Nothing to blow my socks off like the last gen move from PS2.

Im sure there are great things to come but if im honest, there is nothing out on either console to warrant your money and I would just stick to last gen for at least another six months! BTW if anyone is in anyway doubting I have these machines and am just trolling I am happy to send you pictures!

So many kids who are fans are leaving 1 star reviews so take no notice of them the console is amazing.
Amazon really need to change the review process whereby people who payed and took delivery of the console can only review it.

I'm amazed I'm taking the time to write this review when I could be playing Killzone. This is the best next-gen console.

Excellent console! Great controller and looking forward to some ps4 exclusives. However, my headset became faulty within about a week of use and had to send off for replacement. It still doesn't bring down the quality of the console itself though.

Love it; OS is great, performance is great, games are good and really looking forward to those still to be released.