The next generation of gaming is here, is the PlayStation 4 you?

By Chris Mailloux

Sony’s latest gaming console has been released but is it truly a next generation experience?

As soon as I took the PlayStation 4 out of the box I was impressed with the design of the console. The slanted design helps keep the console from looking like a standard box. Also, the disc drive and USB 3.0 slots are cleverly hidden in the design.

One small issue is the location of the power and eject buttons. When you look at the console for the first time their location can be easy to miss. The buttons are very skinny and this could cause issues for someone who just purchased the system.

With every new system comes a new controller and the DUALSHOCK 4 is by far one of the best controllers I’ve ever used. The new and improved analog sticks finally have a concave thumb rest for better mobility. Another huge improvement is the addition of a more curved trigger for the R2 and L2 buttons.

In the previous generation one of the biggest complaints about the DUALSHOCK 3 was the design of the back triggers. The new, improved trigger makes the controller perfect for playing games such as first person shooters. The controller also features a touch pad on the front in the centre. Most of the launch games only use the pad as an extra button but the potential it has for future games is promising.

The grip texture on the back of the controller makes it feel extremely comfortable. Gamers who usually play for long periods of time will appreciate how comfortable the new device is. Another addition is the light bar located on the controller.

The inspiration for this latest feature obviously comes from the PlayStation Move controllers that were released for the PS3. The light bar, while almost useless without the new PlayStation Eye that has to be bought separately, still has one interesting feature. When playing split-screen on a console the first controller will have a blue light while the second controller has a red light. The benefit of this is if you and a friend walk away from the system and come back you’ll know immediately which controller was yours because of the light.

The software for the PS4 runs smoothly and has a great look. The interface looks like a combination of the PS3 Cross Media Bar and Xbox 360’s dashboard. Navigating through the interface is really fast and easy to adjust to, even while you’re still in a game.

One problem I have is no compatibility with external hard drives, so you can’t save additional games onto a bigger drive. However this isn’t a major issue since you can still change the internal hard drive and upgrade for more space.

Another interesting feature is the combination of the share button and the sharing software. If you press the share button while in a game, it will pause the game and take you to a menu. In the menu you can choose to create a clip, take a screen shot or activate a twitch screen which is basically streaming your gameplay on the internet.

The editing program the PS4 features is actually really easy and simple to use. I edited and posted my first clip from my PS4 to Facebook within 10 minutes. The addition of this new feature allows gamers to share their tips and tricks immediately to their friends on the PlayStation Network.

Another feature is Remote Play. During the lifetime of the PS3 Remote Play was really underutilized, with the PS4 Sony wants to make it the face of the next generation. By having your PS4 and PlayStation Vita connected to the same Wi-Fi you can actually stream the game that is in your PS4 to your PS Vita. So no matter where you are in the house you can still play your games on the Vita.

After trying out Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Call of Duty: Ghosts I can tell that Sony put a lot of effort into making this a standard for all future games. While the controls are different due to the number of buttons on the Vita, the games play extremely well with the occasional bug or two.

The games themselves play wonderfully on the PS4. There are still the occasional small glitches but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed through future updates. From what I experienced playing AC: IV and Ghosts, the games look stunning. While an improvement over past generation console graphics they still don’t scream “next generation” while playing.

This is expected though since both of those games are ports from Xbox 360 and PS3 games. For a real next generation graphic experience, a game like Knack or Killzone Shadow Fall appears to be the better choices to play first.

Overall, the newest system from Sony is simply incredible. The remote play feature is a true next generation experience. The console does have some problems like features that haven’t been fully utilized, being unable to use an external drive and an okay launch line up of games. Even with those small issues the console is an amazing gaming machine and the future for the system is looking exciting.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5