PlayStation Phwoar: [Almost] First Impressions

Sony hit the nail on the head with their approach to the next generation of gaming. A console made by gamers for gamers. A purist gaming beast. Exactly what they needed to do.

My first experience was at the PlayStation 4 Lounge in Covent Garden one day after work. Having heard about it through PlayStation Access on Facebook, I was sceptical I’d be able to fight through the crowds and get a play. In reality, it was surprisingly well set up and while it was very popular, I eventually managed to play everything there. It gave anybody who came along hands-on experience with several launch (and non-launch) titles on the new console, including Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, Battlefield 4 and Knack. Unfortunately, my abismal lap times on Driveclub didn’t land me a t-shirt in their tournament.

Having owned a PlayStation, PS2, PSP, PS3, PS Vita and now PS4 and never an Xbox doesn’t make me a PS fanboy. Okay it does. But the PS4’s recent success made my extremely eager pre-order feel much more justified.

On November 29th, it finally arrived and although I happened to be the final delivery on the truck my anticipation hadn’t dropped.

In fact, my excitement was felt across the country…

The OXO tower ushered in the PS4’s UK release by marking the side with PS controller buttons.

A new age of gaming has dawned and this is what it looks like for Sony.

Hardware

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Is it though? Is it really? The PS4 is jet black; it looks sharp and sleek. It also has a nice LED light running across, separating the glossy and matte sides. It’s around the same size as the later PS3 models and a little smaller than Xbox One.

The PS4 is generously stocked with USB 3.0 ports, which is a nice bonus. This would be more useful if it supported external HD storage like the more versatile (in terms of music and movies) PS3 did. Although, I imagine this will be added in a future update. It has probably been excluded for to keep it in line with the #4theplayers ethos, in opposition of Xbox One’s media focus.

Turning on my PS4 for the first time took a bit longer than I had expected because of the ninja power and eject buttons. I had to resort to searching the Google. However, when I found them, I thought they looked pretty damn cool.

Software

We all know PC gamers can get a tad snooty towards console gaming. However, consoles have finally reached a point that pars with PC’s. The hardware of a gaming PC combined with everything we love about consoles. The leap in graphics from PS3 to PS4 offers such proof.

The XMB, or rather the PlayStation Dynamic Menu has been dramatically improved. It’s much nicer to look at and navigation feels more intuitive. What is immediately noticeable is how it has been designed to feed users live information. Hovering on the What’s New panel will present a live feed of what friends have been up to recently and updates from PSN.

Who knew standby mode could be so useful! Not only does it allow you to still charge your controller, it performs all the preparations necessary for the next time you play. That means loading times are virtually non-existent. That was a big promise made at the PlayStation conference earlier this year which I had difficulties believing. But they delivered.

PlayStation Plus

As the PS3 matured, PS+ became increasingly better, hitting its stride in the last couple of years. Entire games available to download and play for free, at at very reasonable £39.99 per year - that’s the price of just one PS3 game! In return, subscribers get a significant number of freebies. A PS+ subscription is now mandatory for PS4 online users (so, pretty much everyone). The point I am trying to make is that the price is completely justifiable and you will not be disappointed with the benefits of having a PS+ account. Especially in the years to come.

The PS4 Controller

Concave trigger buttons and ridged analogue sticks stop my sweaty fingers slipping off the controller during critical moments.

This is the first time we’ve seen such a substantial redesign in the PS controller since the addition of analogues sticks.

The R2 and L2 buttons are now convex which has a couple of nice benefits. Firstly, they feel more like triggers which is great for any game involving shooting. And secondly, it feels more comfortable and allows for a better grip in any game.

The analogue sticks also now have a better grip as a result of their new ridged design.

First time the controller’s speaker made noise my heart skipped a beat. I knew it was there but it caught me off guard nonetheless because I couldn’t anticipate what it would be used for. I have seen it used mostly for audio logs and radio transmissions in Killzone: Shadow Fall so far as it adds an authenticity to those sounds. I expect the way in which it’s incorporated into games will become more innovative in future and hopefully won’t be used just for the sake of it. I would like to see it used for reloading sounds, ricochet bullets and perhaps as an ear piece for an in-game character receiving instructions, personally.

Another great feature is the headphone jack. Now, players can listen to their game without having to turn down the mayhem as their friends goes to sleep. The hardcore gamer can now fuel their Gulf War syndrome into the early hours without disturbing anybody.

The touchpad offers an array of possibilities for future gameplay. It’s basically a whole additional set of directional buttons to do with as gamers desire.

The rear of the controller houses a bright light which glows as one of four button colours. It looks pretty but it’s the attention to the little things that catches my eye. For instance, you can now charge the controller while the PS4 is in standby mode. But what’s cool is that the controller glows the same colour as the LED running across the console. And what’s more, the light pulsates slower the more charged it becomes. Not to mention, you can charge the controller while the PS4 is in standby mode, conveniently.

It has also been reshaped to feel more ergonomic, arguably morphing more towards the Xbox controller’s design. Albeit, still completely individual and a lot more comfortable to hold and use.

And last but not least, the share button. As much as people complain about dedicating an entire button to sharing, when it could just be accessed through the start menu, there are millions of people who think the opposite. In fact, in the first couple of weeks alone, a wildfire of more than 7 million shares had been uploaded. It speaks volumes about the success of the social side of gaming Sony have endeavoured to promote this generation.

Remote Play

Remote play gives the PS4 a substantial edge over the Xbox, introducing something new and exciting to next generation gaming.

The Vita handles the PS4’s graphics mind bendingly well

The PS4 and the PS Vita is a match made in gaming heaven. It’s time to dust off that Vita you’ve neglected and fire up remote play. You now have the ability to play next generation games anywhere in the house.

PS4 games look incredible on the Vita’s “beautiful OLED screen” - better than any current Vita game. It makes good use of the Vita’s rear touchpad in mapping PS4 controller buttons.

Android users are in luck because they (and me) can even use their 4G smartphones for seamless remote play!

You did it, Sony