The PlayStation 4 was released in North America after months of anticipation to largely positive reviews, thanks to a sexy, smaller and whisper-quiet new console and controller design. But that doesn’t mean the launch was a smooth one.
Citing issues with the system’s hard drive and HDMI port, some gamers who purchased the system have yet to experience the breathtaking graphics and all-in-one entertainment experience they were promised.
Here’s what to expect if you haven’t picked up Sony’s next generation console yet.
The Good:
Leading video game website Kotaku.com loved the new slim design of the console:
U.S. & World
“The PS4 is a surprisingly small box. It is so sleek that it might as well be the 2015 PS4 Slim tossed back to us 2013ers via a time machine. It is lighter, thinner and quieter than the original 2006 PlayStation 3. Some game machines, such as the first fat PS3 or the original Nintendo DS, arrive with an imperfect design that predicts their own looming displacement. Not this one. The PS4 shapes up as a box in need of no space-saving or cosmetic improvement.”
IGN.com absolutely raved about the new DualShock 4 controller:
“The DualShock 4 controller is the best controller Sony has ever produced. It's not perfect, but the bigger, more ergonomic handles feel great in your hands and the thumbsticks are tight and responsive. The concave thumbsticks have a nice bit of surface area so you can really hook your index fingers on them. The lightbar is distracting at times — like when you're playing in a dark room, for example — and use of the touchpad is so infrequent amongst launch titles that it's easy to forget it's even there. That said, there's untapped potential in both that we'll see greater use of in 2014 and throughout the system's lifespan.”
The Bad:
Gamers who received the console early experienced problems with the system’s hard drive and HDMI port.
PlayStation 4 news site PS4Daily, says the hard drive problem is only a small one, however. Out of the 5,000 pre-launch consoles, only six had problems, the site said.
Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida said on Twitter yesterday that the company was working hard to understand the issues with the console.
Be assured we are investigating reported PS4 issues. The number is very small compared to shipped, we believe they are isolated incidents. — Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) November 14, 2013
There are no reports of how widespread the HDMI problem is, but it is known to be caused by the HDMI pins bending and not going into the HDMI port. Once the pins are straightened and reinserted into the system, the console comes back to life.
Away from the technical blips, some critics weren’t fans of some of Sony’s exclusive launch titles. While the new Assassin’s Creed and “NBA 2K14,” which will also be available for Microsoft’s Xbox One console later this month, received top honors from critics all over the web, Sony’s “Knack,” and “Killzone: Shadow Fall” were lauded by the media.
“Knack's few attempts at diversity are merely competent,” Gamespot’s Tom Mc Shea, wrote in his review of "Knack." “The occasional platforming scenario lacks the joy of movement so necessary for jumping to be engaging, and the platform placement doesn't require any cleverness to surpass. There's not one element of Knack to rally around, to excite you. And without that special something, Knack crumbles just like its piecemeal protagonist.”
Now that you know what to expect from the console, will you purchase the PlayStation 4? Sound off in our comments section below.
