ALEXANDER QUON

The newest generation of consoles has arrived just in time for the Christmas season and the newest offering by Sony, the PlayStation 4, hit stores on Nov. 15.

Right out of the box the PS4 appears sleeker and more refined than its predecessor, or even the re-release ‘slim’ version of the PlayStation 3. The PS4’s oblong boxy shape is a little wider than previous machines, but it is also a tad shorter.

Under the hood Sony has replaced the custom built cell architecture found in the PS3 with an x86-based chip that is similar to those found in Windows computers and the soon to be released Xbox One. The PS4 runs fairly quiet even after hours of gameplay —  though this slight sound is noticeable in a smaller room.

Sony has claimed that the PS4 is ten times more powerful than the PS3. Experience with the PS4 so far has seemed to lend credence to the claim of it being a much more powerful machine, though not necessarily as powerful as Sony claims. With most systems it’s be years before we can see developers use the full power behind the system.

Along with the redesign, Sony introduces the brand new DualShock 4 controller. Other than the traditional button configuration that has become Sony’s signature stamp on gaming, the DualShock 4 has very little in common with Sony’s previous controllers.

Larger and heavier than its siblings from past generations, the new controller sports a touchpad above dual analogue sticks that are now concave instead of their traditionally rounded design.

The touchpad, while unique, seems to be underutilized in the games available at launch and for the short term looks like it may just be a gimmick until developers can find a useful implementation for it. The directional pad is much larger than previous iterations and the start and select buttons have been replaced with share and options button, with the option function being similar to the pause while share lets the player easily stream and make videos of their game.

The shape of the controller has been redesigned as well, with a light up motion sensor built into the rear. The light is distracting if in a dark room, but it functions in tandem with the tracking software built into the PS4 to allow it to function as a proper motion controller rather than a gyroscope like the DualShock 3.

The best feature of the controller is the ability to plug any standard headphones into the bottom, feeding all noise through the headphones. If the headphones happen to have an in-line microphone then you’ll also have the ability to chat in games.

Overall, the complete redesign of the controller feels like some of Sony’s best work in years.

In terms of games, the PS4 does not possess a broad library at launch. I was able to play the PS4 exclusive Killzone: Shadow Fall, which proved to be a good if not necessarily great shooter. However, the amazing graphics make Killzone look and feel like a next generation game.

Through the online service I was also able to digitally upgrade my PS3 version of Battlefield 4 to a PS4 copy and the game is noticeably improved. The online functions are currently spotty due to server issues, but the  single player campaign runs considerably faster and the textures look much better.

Another feature new to the PS4 is the implementation of the PlayStation Plus subscription service. While it was available for the PS3, PlayStation Plus on the PS4 allows subscribers to access exclusive content, free games and — most importantly — the ability to access any online multiplayer features. One year’s subscription to PlayStation Plus costs $50.

One such game available to Playstation Plus subscribers is Resogun, an old-school scrolling shooter with crazy lighting effects and addictive, hard to put down gameplay akin to arcade classics like Defender.

Not everything is positive though. Playstation Online now requires a fee as there is no free option to play games online. However, the added benefits of free games and more content certainly helps to remedy that. There are also bugs being reported of some games crashing or losing saved data, and technical issues rendering a small amount of PS4’s completely unusable, though Sony has released a statement that this only affects under one percent of systems.

With a price tag of $399, the PS4 offers a cheaper alternative to the soon to be released Xbox One — which will set you back $499.

The PS4 holds a lot of promise, but with the limited selection of games currently available it may be worthwhile for you to hold off on buying the console until its library is more fleshed out.

—
Photo: Supplied