After a long wait came the new video-game console from Sony. 7 years after the PlayStation 3, Sony and changes everything back to focus primarily on one thing: the experience of the game.
It’s been seven years since the launch of the PS3 in technology a long period in which many things have changed. The Playstation 3 not only had to pick up the legacy of the PS2, one of the most successful console of all time, but was also born under the shadow of the format war that was between HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc, the symbol of an era in which the physical media still counted.
The PS3 had many ambitious goals, starting with the then innovative Cell processor – then proved rather complicated for game developers – up to the intention to act as the ultimate multimedia entertainment powerhouse.
Seven years later, the distribution of content via the Internet begins to take over, smartphones and tablets are often used for TV, and the console must above all do one thing well: give the best gaming experience possible. These seem to be the guidelines that led to the birth of the new PlayStation 4.
Sony said good-bye and decided to adopt the Cell architecture x86, much more developers friendly, and has put the gaming center in both functionalities trivially that the user interface. Made a clean sweep of most of the ” frills ” multimedia, Sony has adapted to the times of the hardware features, improved controller, infused a major component of social gaming experience and has created a simple console, powerful and aggressive design.
PlayStation 4 – From the Curves at the Corners
Sony has always tried to impart to his console, a futuristic design and history repeat itself definitely with the PlayStation 4 in which everything can be said except that it looks trivial. If the first version of the PlayStation 3 was the insignia of the curves, here we are faced with sharp edges and vivid.
We describe the PlayStation 4 trivially as a cuboid, given that, this is, but Sony has managed to give a good dose of aggression without overdoing it, creating a beautiful object to see whether you have horizontal or vertical.
The PlayStation 4 is much smaller than it looked from the first rendering with dimensions very close to that of the PS3 Slim. The front is clean and not turned off by switches, and you can see the same drive slot is barely visible in the ” dimple ” that breaks profile.
The quality of materials is not very different from that of the last two versions of the PS3, and the console appears robust. On top, at the junction between the matte and glossy surface, plastic guide lights up when you turn different colors depending on the state of operation, creating an elegant effect.
Essential links
On the front, we find two USB 3.0 ports for connecting peripherals. These can be set to remain powered even with the console on standby, thus finally to recharge the PlayStation controller also turned off. All connections are placed as usual on the back, where we do not find some kind of surprises: HDMI (only 1.4), Ethernet, optical digital output connector and auxiliary owner are all that we have been available.
The connectors are ” stuck ” in the slots that distinguish the rear panel, a provision which creates a problem of visibility at the links if you look at the console from top to bottom. The auxiliary connector allows you to connect your camcorder PlayStation Chamber that, to contain the list price.
Sony has decided not to include along with the console. Prior to the European market has been talked about a problem with the HDMI connector, but frankly, we have not noticed anything abnormal.
Generational leap
As for what is hidden inside the console has now been told all this and more in the months that have led to the release of the new PlayStation, especially from the perspective of comparison with the Microsoft Xbox One. As it is well known, Sony has decided to abandon the Cell architecture that has done so many toil developers PS3, at least in the early years, opting for the more traditional technology 64-bit x86.
The heart of computational PS4 is signed and consists of AMD APU which integrates in a single ” package ” a dual quad core CPU Jaguar for a total of eight cores, coupled with a custom Radeon GPU computing capabilities with theoretical peak until 1.83 Tera FLOPS, all assisted by 8 GB of GDDR5 RAM memory at 2.75 GHz How touchstone, think that the PlayStation 3 has just 512 MB of RAM, of which only 256 dedicated graphics card.
Even the PS4 is equipped with Blu-ray Disc, with reading skills up to 6x and this first version integrates a hard disk of 500 GB. In terms of connectivity, the PS4 supports 802.11n WiFi, and Bluetooth stop at version 2.1.
Controller more complete
The new DualShock Controller 4 may seem superficially not too dissimilar from that of the PS3, but even here there are several new features. The most obvious, at the hardware level, the touchpad is naturally placed in the center, and that allows developers to integrate also the multi-touch gesture controls within the new games.
The new Dualshock is slightly more ” full ” than the previous version, thus offering improved ergonomics. Another new feature is the mono audio jack for the headset supplied, but the DualShock 4 also incorporates a small speaker that performs exactly the same function. It is an additional audio channel that can be exploited by developers: Killzone 4 is used for example, to play the audio logs that are retrieved during the game.
Compare then the new command ” share ” in a game that allows you to share a few clicks and screen’s footage of their game. The buttons ” select ” and ” start ” were finally replaced by a single command ” option. ”
On the ” face ” of the DualShock is also a big LED that is designed primarily for tracking via the PlayStation room, so do not differ from PlayStation Move. Otherwise, it remains connected to the console via Bluetooth, and integration of accelerometer, gyroscope and vibration system.
Interface simpler, but rich
The interface of the XrossMediaBar, for a time used as the basis of a wide range of Sony products, the time was definitely something original and never seen before, but most had the console, not as a machine specifically dedicated to video games but also as a complete multimedia system.
The first thing that catches the eye starting for the first time the PS4 is just how this approach has been largely abandoned and is not an exaggeration to say that the media component has been reduced significantly in the second floor.
If it is true that the ” squares ” dedicated audio and video to still have the same weight as the others, the focus is here for all the games, well in a foreground as soon as we access with our user.
Moreover, the PS4 is practically a true media player: Reads DVD and Blu-ray Disc for sure, but not the audio CD, there is the DLNA client and the only way to play content consists of services and Music Sony Video Unlimited, as well as the service Infinity Mediaset app available to download from PlayStation Store.
The interface has been simplified to the maximum in the navigation, but at the same time made more dynamic with the activity feed us and our friends to the game, and the game data installed on our system.
In general, the new menu is inspired by the redesign of the PlayStation Store, with large square icons look and a post Windows 8. All sub-menus, such as settings, your profile, trophies and so on, have been ” hidden ” in the second set of icons, which creates a smaller bar on the main menu. The setting’s menu has been radically simplified and rationalized.
We noticed a change in behavior for the HDMI output of the PS3, with the inability to force the output to 1080p 24Hz for playback of Blu-ray Disc, an option that was useful in some configurations (especially between the console, and TV is there any other HDMI component). For the rest of the audio / video settings have not undergone major changes.
Conclusions
It will still take a bit of time before a decree if the PlayStation 4 is the next-generation console that was expected really, but the premises are all there. It’s a grand beautiful object to look at the controller has been improved, and the first titles give a glimpse of what may be the potential of the new hardware. In future revisions could improve some aspects of construction such as noise, while the new interface is nice and simple in the XrossMediaBar.
- Incredible games; Endless entertainment
- All new lighter slimmer PS4
- 1TB hard drive
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Our Opinion
At the moment, it is a console designed to do one thing well: play. Those expecting an evolution in the sense of the PS3 media will be very disappointed indeed, with a machine with Blu-ray Disc is the right homework and in the case of the DVD is well below the sufficiency. But we are now in the era of streaming and video on demand and maybe Sony we're just doing it to understand.
- Design
- Quality
- Easy to Use
- Value of Money