PRO
The Design:
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) boasts a slender and sophisticated design style. It looks like two trapezoids put on
top of each other with a thin space in between. The disk slot and USB ports are sneakily tucked away in
this thin space, which allows your eyes to focus on the eye-catching, all-black finish and the light strip
permeating the surface of the console. The light strip also serves the more practical purpose of relaying
the status of the console; white means on, orange is standby, and blue for booting up. The user interface is
also fast and streamlined. Menu layout allows the user to quickly switch from task to task instead of
scrolling through multiple lists and actions, multitasking lets you pause any activity to operate the home
menu, and the presentation of your applications is based on how frequently you use them individually. This
all comes together to create an overall design that showcases the PS4’s new focus: speed and fluidity.
The Controller:
The PS4’s Dualshock 4 controller is impeccable, and the design is sleek and has usability in mind. Its best
feature is how new and foreign it feels without losing the traditional Dualshock components. The
ergonomic shape allows it to fit into your hands more comfortably than previous iterations of the
Dualshock. The analog sticks have been improved, namely with the addition of concave tips and a higher
resistance to movement. The former creates a more natural place for your thumb to rest, and the latter
allows the controller to detect subtler inputs on the user’s part. The touch pad located in the center of the
controller is an interesting addition, as it tracks the movement of your thumbs when they interact with it,
and moving your thumbs into the middle of the controller to use it is surprisingly easy and natural. The
Dualshock 4 is the best gaming controller that I have ever laid hands on.
The Share Button:
The Share button is one of the most forward-thinking additions to the console. Upon pressing the Share
button, a screenshot of whatever is on screen is created, and the last 15 minutes of gameplay are
available as a video. These can then be uploaded to the Internet through multiple outlets like Twitter and
YouTube. You can also live stream whatever you may be doing via streaming services like Twitch by using
the Share button. The Share button is indicative of the fact that Sony is paying attention and staying ahead
of the curve.
The Specifications:
The technical specifications on hand with the PS4 are exceedingly greater than what was available in the
last generation of gaming consoles and even most of its current competitors. The gargantuan amount of
processing power allows the system to generate better graphics, less noticeable load times, and more
complex artificial intelligence while still being able to multi task. The large amount of internal storage
facilitates the installation of huge quantities of games, movies, music, etc. Portable hard drives can also be
installed, which creates a flexible and customizable experience. From a technical standpoint, the PS4 is
largely unmatched.
Packaged-In Accessories:
The PS4 comes standard with several accessories that enhance your experience, including an HDMI cable
and a headset that plugs directly into the controller. The HDMI connects the PS4 to your television, and the
headset allows you to hear voice chat being broadcasted while playing games online with other people.
The PS4 also includes vouchers for a one-month trial of PlayStation Plus, Sony’s flagship online gaming
service, and Music Unlimited, Sony’s music streaming service, as well as a $10 credit to be used on the
PlayStation Store. These accessories are a nice touch to an already impressive package and feel like a
warm “thank you” for buying the product.
CON
The PlayStation Store:
The online PlayStation Store is an utter mess. It pleases the eye, but it operates worse than Windows 98.
Using it is a slow, arduous, and frustrating experience. Load times are insufferable, the menus are
confusing, finding a specific item takes entirely too much effort, and some functions like “search” are
barely usable. Many functions like account management that you would easily find on other online services
are curiously hard to uncover or, even worse, not present at all. However, the truly sad part about this is
that the PlayStation Store has been like this for quite a bit of time. The design used for PS4 is nearly the
same as the one implored by the PS3, so there has been plenty of time to fix this. Oddly enough, some of
Sony’s other devices like PlayStation Vita have a PlayStation Store interface that feels smooth and fluid,
which makes this design hiccup feel even stranger. Despite all of this, there is reason to remain optimistic,
because a new interface is most likely coming in a future firmware update for the console.
The Controller’s Light Bar:
A slightly triangular light bar sits on the back of every Dualshock 4 that changes color based on the status
of the controller. Each player has a different color on the controller, and it glows green while charging. This
sounds neat at first, but it has no practical purpose unless you own a PlayStation Eye, a camera that faces
you and interfaces with the PS4 and the light bar. While PlayStation Eyes are still available, the average
PS4 user does not have one, which means the Dualshock 4’s light bar is largely useless to those people.
This needlessly drives up the cost of controllers and leaves most people wondering what the light bar is for.
It would have been better if the light bar had been scrapped during production.
The Disk Slot:
The disk slot, located in between the console’s two trapezoid shapes, is extremely awkward to use. The
location leaves much to be desired, because unless the system is at eye level, game discs have to be
inserted using cumbersome hand movements. This sounds like a minor gripe, but anyone who tries to
hastily insert a disk into the system may end up dropping their disk or otherwise breaking it. It also makes
unsavory noises when inserting a disk.
Online Requirement for Trophy Viewing:
Trophies are an essential part of the PlayStation experience. They are unlocked by completing specific
feats within a game and have become one of the most iconic parts of using a PlayStation system, so the
fact that the PS4 requires an internet connection to view them is a disappointment. There is a sizable
portion of the PS4 user base that cannot connect to the internet with their system, so this decision
effectively prevents them from enjoying the Trophy feature altogether. This also seems hypocritical since
Sony attacked Microsoft’s since-retracted decision to make the Xbox One always online.
