PlayStation 4

2/20/14I'm really pleased with the performance of the PS4 so far. I was really worried about the infamous blue-light of death I've heard many people talk about, but I've used the PS4 multiple times in the few hours I've had it, and it always responds well. I hope it continues to do so. The mechanics are great, but I've yet to experience the gaming greatness.I don't have any games for it so far. The only thing I've done so far is link my Amazon Video to it, but I intend on getting some games soon. My main interests are in Assassin's Creed Four and Battlefield Four. The latter is particularly exciting for me. I'm going to get PS Plus so I can play the multiplayer. The 64-man madness is something I've been anticipating for a while, and it is simply too good an opportunity to pass up. However, I am going to attempt to be patient and wait a little longer to get BF4 since I understand there are a lot of updates needed to make the game a better experience. So, I plan on getting started on Assassin's Creed in the meantime. I understand people are upset with the dearth supply of games, but it's been only three months since the launch. Building a diverse shelf will take some time, but I'm not really worried about it.Some great games are just around the corner. Watch Dogs is a game I anticipate when June arrives. Another game I'm really looking forward to is Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. It does not have a release date yet, so I cannot honestly say this will come out any time soon. However, the AI for the game sounds fantastically challenging. Murdered Soul Suspect, Evolve, and Final Fantasy XV are all games I also really want to try. Another tentative yet awesome announcement is Red Dead Redemption 2 (or RDR three to those who've played Red Dead Revolver). I just recently learned it is being made, but I imagine it won't be released for another year. Anyway, these are just a few of my personal in-the-waiting favorites. I'm sure the PS4 will definitely grow a diverse selection of games.In the end, I am really looking forward to testing the PS4's full power. It's going to be an exciting new chapter for Playstation. I can't help but express my bias by giving this a five-star rating. I really enjoyed the Xbox 360, and I'm sure the Xbox One is also a great product. Yet, I wanted to stick to a platform I'm really familiar with, and the Playstation has been my life-long companion.2/22/14I've ordered Assassin's Creed Four and I anticipate it will arrive very soon. I've still only been able to use PS4 for simple things like Amazon Video and Crackle, but it's still handling well. It remains problem free, and I've explored most of the console's features.I like the continued use of the main task bar. I'm used to the theme-oriented backgrounds made available on the PS3, so the lack of customization and personalization is somewhat depressing. However, even if this isn't changed in the future, I'll be fine with it (although I suspect some changes will be made).I should mention to prospective buyers that you cannot add music from an MP3 player or CD to the PS4. I find this to be a significant loss. I had thought this sort of thing would transfer over to PS4 since it would reinforce the versatility of Playstation consoles, but I am hopeful this will change. According to an article on Eurogamer.net, this will likely be modified in the not-so distant future. I imagine other sort of personalizing features and apps will be added to the PS4 over time. If these are things you look for in a gaming console, you may not want to buy it right now. The lack of UI customization is linked to Sony's primary efforts to create a platform oriented primarily for gaming, so we'll see what will become of the UI in the future.This is probably the most notable deficiency I've noticed for the PS4, but I still think the quality of the PS4 UI at this time is really good, even if it isn't entirely optimized. Overall, I am still very pleased with the PS4. I anticipate it will be a permanent item on my TV stand.3/01/14I got Assassin's Creed Four a few days ago, and I love it. The look and feel of it on the PS4 is nothing short of fantastic. The processing power of the Playstation Four really pulls out the minute graphic details and creates a smooth image. I really don't have much else to say until I've played it a bit more. I also decided to get BF4 given the price reduction and the player appreciation for the entire month of February. It is also runs well on the PS4 and looks absolutely stunning. Check out my review on it if you wish. The PS4 is still running well and I am extremely pleased with it. This is all really have to say for now.

I purchased a launch edition of both the Xbox One and the PS4, and find them both to be great consoles. This review is for those trying to decide between the two.After two weeks with the PS4 and a week with the Xbox, I love them both. There are pros and cons to each console. The positive for the PS4 is that it is the finished product. You can clearly see what Sony wanted to do and they executed on it. If you had a PS3 and enjoyed it then you’ll probably love the PS4. It is a game console first and foremost. They’ve made the interface much more user friendly, they’ve sped it up exponentially, and really made it a joy to use. The controller has been much improved to the point I now prefer the PS controller over the Xbox controller, which wasn’t the case last generation. The console itself is sleek and really can disappear on the entertainment system because it is so small and quiet. Also, as a service, PS+ beats Xbox Live hands down, giving away free games with the system the day of launch with the promise of more to come.All that said, the Xbox One has gotten more use than the PS4 to this point. Microsoft went for the full entertainment experience over trying to box itself into simply being a gaming console. With the HDMI input my cable box is connected to my Xbox and it gets turned on every time I walk into the living room. It is set to turn on my receiver and my television for me when I say “Xbox On”. It is a very forward looking system, but while you can see exactly what Sony envisioned when you get the PS4, Microsoft is more about the potential of what is to come. The ideas are exciting, but the execution isn’t fully realized. The idea of controlling my television experience with the Xbox is great, and at times it works great, but things like stations that sound alike when translated by a computer can hinder the user experience. Also, all the channels on my cable network aren’t currently appearing on the Xbox. For instance I have young children that watch Sprout and currently that doesn’t appear on the Xbox One Guide in my area. Another hindrance is the lack of ability to control what is on the DVR, so you’ll still end up having to use that remote from time to time. Still while saying that to have your 5 year old be able to walk in a room, say “Xbox On”, “Watch TV”, and be able to watch his cartoons without me fearing what will happen if he gets hold of the remote is great. The wife and kids love using it even with its current drawbacks. The snap feature is great, and being able to play a game while having a sporting event snapped over to the side was a great experience I wasn’t expecting to have.Just like the drawbacks I mentioned with the Xbox, the Playstation has a few things you should be aware of… When I got the system, I got download happy, wanting to get all my stuff set up. I had multiple things downloading in the background, I expected the system to be smart enough to properly manage the resources to make things continue to run smooth. Well, that wasn’t the case. Not sure if they’ve patched this at this point because I’ve just avoided doing it since, but while playing games with a bunch of things downloading in the background things got clunky real quick. Now I set up my downloads and let them go over night while the system is in Standby mode rather than downloading things while using the system. It would’ve been nice if the system would pause a download if it interfered with current activities, which even my 360 would give a message that a download has stopped when a game I was playing would access the internet or something, but this is a minor gripe to me that hasn’t drastically impacted my experience.In my opinion the choice comes down to what you want out of a console and what games you like the most. Sony made a great console, but it won’t reinvent your entertainment center it will just add to it, which is perfectly fine. If you don’t like the idea of talking to do things, then the user interface is actually better on the PS4, because it is much easier to navigate with a controller than the Xbox One. If you love role playing games then the future looks to be on PS4 with games like Infamous, Uncharted, and even Last of Us somewhere down the line exclusive on Playstation. If first person shooters are your thing, then Microsoft is the future with Titanfall, Halo, and a new IP that will turn into this generation’s version of Gears of War.