Xbox One Review Roundup: A Possible Revolution With Rough Edges

The Xbox One has had one of the most rocky roads to launch in the history of gaming. It is nearly six months since the console was revealed to vast criticism and one of the most tumultuous introductions of any gaming console ever. That is why it is remarkable that the console is coming to shelves competing with Sony’sPlayStation 4 with an entirely revamped strategy.

A lot of things have changed since that fateful night in Redmond with the console’s awfully handled DRM policy and an always-watching Kinect having been extracted from the console. Despite all of that changing though, the Xbox One has always been able to keep hold of its identity as an all-in-one entertainment hub for games, TV and the internet.

With the console only a day away, hardware reviews have started hitting for the console and it is time to see if the Xbox One really could be the all-in-one entertainment experience.

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Destructoid (Dale North)


“The Xbox One is a powerful PC connected to a cutting-edge sensor array that handles every living-room duty, from television watching to video streaming to web browsing, and it does it all with a multitasking UI that supports voice and motion control. This has to be the most full-featured game console offering ever brought to market. It does so many things that it’s hard to keep track of them all!

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The way we see it, gamers likely have a good all-in-one gaming/media box now with the Xbox 360. If you’re dying to add voice-controlled television channel surfing to the mix, the Xbox One will definitely get you there. The console will also give you access to a couple of decent launch titles, and a fantastic new controller to play them with. But you’re going to have to make the call on whether these things are worth $499 to you. If not, wait. The Xbox One will still be around when you’re ready.”

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Polygon

“But in many ways, the Xbox One’s bold direction for the future is well in place. The integration of voice controls and its media strategy are a boon to everyone, and the ability to run apps while playing games is something we now want on every gaming console we have. That it has a handful of strong, exclusive games at launch only supports its legitimacy as a gaming console and not just an entertainment hub.

The Xbox One is an impressive marriage of software and hardware that raises the bar in terms of what we expect from a living-room machine. Looking forward more than it looks back, the Xbox One feels like it’s from the future.”

Score: 8/10

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CVG (Andy Robinson)

“There are clear improvements that make the new Xbox stand out, just enough, from its predecessor. The controller has been meticulously refined, the visuals are expectantly better and the new multi-tasking interface is surprisingly excellent.

But Xbox One is a console that feels like it’s missing something. Granted, we all know what that is, considering the extraordinary reversals of its more disruptive philosophies. But, as with Sony’s platform, there’s a clear sense that this is a platform that has laid foundations that it can build on for a whole generation.”

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Wired (Chris Kohler)

“We tried out Snap in various configurations and everything seemed to work well. But it again illustrated a problem with Xbox One’s interface. We could not figure out at all how to stop controlling the snapped window and switch back to the main one. We tried everything we could think of until we finally just closed all the windows and stopped using Snap. Finally, I said, “Xbox, help.” This did in fact take me to a remarkably polished help menu, where I could access video tutorials including exactly what I needed. As it turned out, you can say “Xbox, switch” or you can double-tap the Xbox button on the controller — neither of which I would have thought of.

And that pretty much encapsulated my experience with Xbox One: It does a lot of things, and in a way that you may find extremely helpful, but you’ll need to take the time to learn how to do them — and learn by trial and error when it’s best to just stop trying.”

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Kotaku (Kirk Hamilton)

“With great ambition comes a curious sort of precariousness. With so many interlocking parts, it only takes a small misfire to gum up the whole works. The Xbox One will doubtless sell hundreds of thousands of units in its first weeks on the market, and hundreds of thousands of people will plug it into their home entertainment centers. And so a hundred thousand town bowmen will let fly a hundred thousand arrows, and plenty of them will strike the mighty dragon’s weak spots.

I admire what Microsoft is trying to do with the Xbox One, and I’m rooting for them to give their console that final push to get it to where it needs to be. The whole thing is almost there. The Kinect almost works well enough to get me to use it all the time. The TV integration isalmost smooth enough to make me plug it into the heart of my living-room setup. Multitasking almost works well enough to get me checking the internet while I play games.”

Score (Should you buy?): Not Yet

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The Telegraph (Tom Hoggins)

“Reviewing a video games console at launch is about judging potential and ease of use. Similarly, buying one is buying into that potential. The last generation brought a sea change in that video games console now evolve and improve over their lifetime. The Xbox One seems set up to do just that. And as a starting point, it’s a very good one. The dashboard is dynamic, easy to use and malleable enough that when more content becomes available, you can curate it how you wish. That initial wave of content, while certainly capable enough, doesn’t yet have the power to make the console a must-have, especially considering the chunky price tag. Currently an unessential luxury, then, but one with a bright future.”

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Ars Technica (Kyle Orland)

“As a video game console, the Xbox One offers about what you’d expect from a new Microsoft console: a big, heavy box (though quieter than you might expect), more impressive specs (though less than what you might expect after eight years), an improved controller (though still with a few odd oversights), and some good exclusive games (more reviews are coming but look into Dead Rising 3,Forza 5, Powerstar Golf, and Zoo Tycoon). As the central hub of a living room entertainment complex, though, Microsoft has a much harder sell. The company needs to prove the Xbox really adds enough value to be worthwhile and to justify the extra cost of the included Kinect over its similar competition.

At this point, the voice control and multitasking functions that are meant to really set the Xbox One apart are just shy of being good enough to really push the system over the top. They’re nice conveniences, to be sure, but there are enough kinks in the execution to limit their effectiveness. Even if those are smoothed out with future updates, it’s unclear that these features are worth $100 (though that reason is separate from any compelling exclusive games or visual/computational powerhouses).”

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Complex (Michael Rougeau)

“When all the disparate pieces come together the Xbox one is extremely impressive. You’ll be pleased with the new Kinect when you’re playing a game and want to look something up on the internet and you can snap Internet Explorer to one side while continuing to play, or when you want to check whether a TV show has started yet without interrupting your movie on Netflix.

Even without the snap feature, switching between apps on Xbox One is incredibly easy and painless. That’s one of the things that helps realize Microsoft’s vision for an all-in-one living room machine. With no delays and few hiccups, it’s easy to use the Xbox One for everything. You’ll want to, even.”

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Time (Matt Peckham)

“Let’s talk price, because the Xbox One is $100 more than Sony’s PS4. At $500, no games included, it puts Microsoft in PS3 launch price territory — an unenviable position back in 2006.

But this is 2013, and $500 happens to be the cost of an entry-level iPad, a tablet Apple’s sold 170 million of in less than three years time. That, and $500 buys you more than a souped-up gaming portal: the Xbox One is a content assimilation engine, a vanguard move into a market the competition’s still toying around in by comparison. It’s an immature, somewhat glitchy content assimilation engine at this stage, sure, and it shares the PS4′s launch game weaknesses if you’re coming at it from the gaming side, but if you’re an early adopter or you’re already invested in Xbox Live’s social ecosystem, think of it as the jumping off point for a fascinating experiment. If it’s successful — and I’m not saying it will be; ask me again in four or five years — it has the potential to change everything about TV and streaming media and the living room as we’ve known it for decades.”

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Through browsing the reviews, it is clear to see that Microsoft is trying to create something that is more than its competitors. The console has its sights set higher than either the PlayStation 4 or Wii U. Microsoft is trying to bring together a console that ties together the entire living room. While the PlayStation 4 is endeavoring to be the best games console, Microsoft is trying to create a technological revolution in the ilk of the iPhone.

That isn’t to say that it isn’t a great games console as well. While it varies as to which is better, both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch libraries are comparable. While it seems like the Xbox One certainly has some rough edges that it needs to iron out, it has the potential to be a wonderful device.

Xbox One hits store shelves November 22, 2013.

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Sony’s PS4 Reportedly Costs $381 to Manufacture

As most gamers already know, Sony is selling their new PS4 console at a loss. With the next-gen console war hitting a fever pitch, the console maker thought it better to come in at an “affordable” price point then to focus on profit.

Despite the knowledge that Sony was taking a loss on each PS4 console, however, we still didn’t know the value of the console when looking at the parts, manufacturing, and nothing else. That all has changed now that the console isavailable on store shelves, and any consumer can take the thing apart.

According to research firm IHS (via AllThingsD), each PS4 unit costs about $381 to build. That’s only $18 below the cost of the actual console, which retails for $399 in North America.

The report cites the console’s processor and individual memory chips as main contributors to the price, which is typical of these types of devices. AMD’s custom-built PS4 processor comes in at $100, while the 16 memory chips total about $88 of the PS4 cost. As well, the console’s 500GB HDD, made by Seagate, costs $37 and the optical drive $28.

What’s most revealing about the report is the breakdown the DualShock 4, which IHS figures to cost only $28, nearly half of its $60 price tag. Each PS4 unit does come with one DualShock 4 controller, but every additional controller purchase after that puts a little more profit in Sony’s pocket.

It appears that like the Wii U, Sony is counting on game sales for profits and choosing to deliver their PS4 console at the best price point possible. That doesn’t mean the retail price of the console won’t come down in the future, maybe evenwithin the first year of release, but for now Sony is taking a loss on each sale.

That being said, the PS4 hit the ground running last Friday, selling more than 1 million units (to retailers) in its first 24 hours of availability. Since then, the console has been in short supply around North America – save for those exorbitant eBay auctions – but Sony is hopeful the console will be back in stock during the Holiday shopping season.

Do you think it’s a smart move by Sony to keep the retail price of the PS4 as close to the manufacturing cost as possible? Does knowing this make you more apt to purchase a first party game?

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This Is How Sony Hopes To Boost PS Vita Sales

The PS Vita has endured an interesting journey since its debut in early 2012. First touted as a system that would bring AAA gaming experiences on the move, it has slowly changed into something else entirely. The console now sports a ton of popular indie games with many more coming, but not a lot of ‘big meaty’ titles that were initially promised. Maybe due to that identity crisis, the console has never quite been able to live up to that promise and as such, has been left in the dustby Nintendo’s 3DS system.

With the release of the PlayStation 4, Sony is attempting to turn things around and boost the appeal (and therefore sales) of the device. One of the features thatmany reviewers have been impressed with on the PS4 is just how well the system implements Remote Play with the PlayStation Vita. This allows users to play PlayStation 4 games on the Vita screen, freeing up the television for others to use, in the ilk of the Wii U’s tablet controller.

According to Adam Boyes, Sony’s VP of Publisher and Developer Relations, in aKotaku interview, Remote Play is just one of the three prongs that Sony wants to use to get the Vita back on track. The other two are put on the shoulders of AAA and indie games.

Those who invested in the Vita early on the promise of big AAA experiences on the move, may be a little disappointed with the console’s recent output. Boyes tries to reassure those customers that Remote Play is a big part of convincing publishers to output games onto the Vita.


“I do think that the Remote Play aspect of PS4 is going to help the amount of Vitas that are out in the wild, and then that will start informing more publishers to build that bigger, meatier content.”

Finally, Boyes also feels like indies have a really important part to play in the Vita’s success.


“When I play Spelunky or when I play Hotline Miami on my Vita, I play differently than when I play on my PS3, it feels like it’s at home. And that’s why I think you see a lot of focus on getting great content for the Vita. And we had a ton of announcements at Gamescom for great content like that on the Vita. So the reality is, we’re trying to create a bunch of different content for a variety of gamers so they get satiated with a device on the go or within their house.”

Sony seems to be putting a lot of hope on the Remote Play feature of the Vita and PlayStation 4 to save the handheld console. The powerful mobile console is already split between AAA and indie games and its struggle to have a definite identity may have confused gamers about what to expect on the console in the future. Hopefully Sony will outline its plans real soon to clear that very issue up.

Do you think the Vita can be saved? Do you want to pick one up to support your PlayStation 4? If you have one, are you happy with it and have you tried Remote Play yet?

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PS4 Should be in ‘Good Supply’ Through the Holiday

Less than a week has passed since the PS4 ushered in the next generation of gaming consoles and interested parties all around the world are debating whether or not the system is worth the $399 price tag this holiday season. Despite the surprising amount of lackluster reviews for highly-anticipated exclusive launch titles like Killzone: Shadow Fall and Knack, plus a handful of missing features, the new Sony console still delivers a serious amount of potential.

Demand for the PS4 has been incredibly high so far. Over one million units were sold within the first 24 hours to dedicated fans who pre-ordered the console or braved the midnight release lines. Although there are over one million happy customers playing PS4 from the comfort of their own homes, Sony hopes the sales will continue to thrive throughout the holiday season. Longtime Sony fans that remember hunting down a PS3 in the months after the console launched in 2006 may raise a hesitant eyebrow at the company’s optimism concerning console availability this shopping season.

As the company acknowledged last week, Sony remembers the flaws surrounding the PS3 launch just as well as the fans do. In addition to making sure the next-gen console had a lower financial barrier of entry, Sony also wants to make sure consumers can actually find the new console on the shelves this winter. Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House addressed the issue of stock shortages in a recent interview with Game Informer.

“We are ensuring that we have the broadest reach to ensure that people are satisfied, especially when they’ve been loyal to brand for so long. On the other hand, we’re not engendering frustration by having a shortage of supply. I think through the holiday season that we’ll be in good supply.”

Assuming the consoles remain available in stores in the coming months, the company’s sales target for the console is five million units sold by March 31, 2014 (the end of Sony’s fiscal year). At this point in the US, availability isn’t quite as abundant as House suggested.

A quick series of calls to local GameStops, Wal-Marts, and Best Buys confirmed that there are no consoles available at any of the major retailers in the surrounding area of this writer. That said, most stores have not had a chance to restock since last Friday’s launch of the consoles and it’s likely we’ll see more units arriving in the coming weeks – especially in the lead-up to the Black Friday shopping frenzy around November 29th.

If all goes according to Sony’s plan, the console should be readily available to holiday shoppers sooner than later. Considering that the cost is a full hundred dollars less than the Xbox One’s $499 price tag, the console is likely to be quite appealing to savvy shoppers. The combination of convenience of availability and (arguably) affordable pricing may make the PS4 a safe bet for best-selling console this winter.

Do you plan on hunting down a PS4 before the new year or are you waiting to see how things shake out? Sound off in the comments.

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The PS4 launched on November 15 and is currently available.

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Can The Xbox One’s Kinect Tell If You Are Aroused?

Today is a bit of a weird one for the Xbox One. After it was revealed that Microsoft had worked on a smell-emitting controller, now we have found out if the console can tell if you are sexually aroused or not. With the Xbox One only a few days away from getting into player’s hands, it is likely this isn’t the kind of coverage that Microsoft thought that it would have on its hands.

In theory, Kinect Fitness is able to read your heart rate from up to ten feet away due to “micro-fluctuations” in your skin. This is one of the aspects of the Kinect 2.0 that Microsoft pushed to try to sell the power of the upgraded camera, even if the capability was just a tinsy bit creepy. That also begged the question, could it read the heart rate for things that weren’t fitness based? Say… whether or not you are turned on?

Thanks to Cara Ellison at the Guardian, we have the hard answer. Talking toRare‘s development director and Kinect specialist, Nick Burton, Ellison asked just how intimate could the Kinect be with its user?


“Kinect for Xbox One cannot detect skin heat – rather it can detect skin colour, using RGB and Active IR, and human blush response from that. Coupled with player movement analysis, you could potentially infer excitement levels, but we could not speak to the accuracy of this data right now.”

Past all the techno-babble, that basically means it is at least possible, even though no one has really tried it. While asked in jest, it does leave open the question of whether this could be used in nefarious or even beneficial ways. The most cynical will deem this a gross invasion of privacy that could be used for advertising reasons. The more optimistic could see this as a strange, but effective tool in game design.

To draw up an example, if there was a game that was heavily dependent on your relationship with certain characters, the Kinect could read your emotional reaction to each character, be it positive, negative or even physical attraction. Hoping for that kind of fidelity in the bundled Kinect may be hopeful, but you can at least see the future potential in this kind of hardware.

What do you think? Would you be freaked out if the Kinect could tell if you were aroused? Is it crossing a line?

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The Kinect 2.0 comes bundled with the Xbox One, which is released on 22 November, 2013.

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The Game Rant Guide: November 2013 Edition

It’s been a long time coming, but the next generation of gaming is about to arrive. November is arguably the most important month in quite a while, with plenty ofXbox One and PS4 launch titles ready to take the industry to the next level. Let’s take a look at what’s coming out this month!

Wii Fit U kicks off the month, arriving November 1st on the Wii U. Up next is Call of Duty: Ghosts, blasting its way onto all major systems November 5th. On the 15th of November, the next iteration of Sony’s PlayStation console finally hits shelves. Along with it, anticipated titles like Battlefield 4, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, and Killzone: Shadow Fall will appear front and centre. On the 19th, Need for Speed: Rivals races onto PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows. Hot on the tails of the PS4 release comes the Xbox One, Microsoft’s next console which makes its debut on November 22nd. Various launch titles for the system include Dead Rising 3, Forza Motorsport 5, and Ryse: Son of Rome. Nintendo also boldly chooses the 22nd for the release of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for its 3DS handheld system.

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November 2013 Release List

(Note: Based Off North American Release Dates; All Information Is Subject To Change)

Week of November 1st, 2013
Wii Fit U (Wii U; November 1st)
Call of Duty: Ghosts (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows; November 5th)
State of Decay (Windows; November 5th)
The Guided Fate Paradox (PS3; November 5th)
Rayman Fiesta Run (iOS, Android; November 7th)

Week of November 8th, 2013

• Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U; November 8th)
• Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Vita; November 12th)
• Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus (PS3; November 12th)
• World of Warplanes (Windows; November 12th)

Week of November 15th, 2013

• Angry Birds Star Wars (PS4; November 15th)
• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (PS4; November 15th)
• Battlefield 4 (PS4; November 15th)
• Call of Duty: Ghosts (PS4; November 15th)
• Contrast (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Windows; November 15th)
• DC Universe Online (PS4; November 15th)
• FIFA 14 (PS4; November 15th)
• Flower (PS4; November 15th)
• Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition (PS4; November 15th)
• Just Dance 2014 (PS4; November 15th)
• Killzone: Shadow Fall (PS4; November 15th)
• Knack (PS4; November 15th)
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (PS4; November 15th)
• Madden NFL 25 (PS4; November 15th)
• Minecraft (PSN; November 15th)
• NBA 2K14 (PS4; November 15th)
• NBA Live 14 (PS4; November 15th)
• Resogun (PSN; November 15th)
• Skylanders: Swap Force (PSN; November 15th)
• Sound Shapes (PSN; November 15th)
• The Pinball Arcade (PSN; November 15th)
• Warframe (PSN; November 15th)
• War Thunder (PSN; November 15th)
• X Rebirth (Windows; November 15th)
• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Windows; November 19th)
• Eve Online: Rubicon (Windows; November 19th)
• Need for Speed: Rivals (PS3, Xbox 360, Windows; November 19th)
• Young Justice: Legacy (PS3, Xbox 360, Windows, 3DS; November 19th)

Week of November 22nd, 2013

• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Battlefield 4 (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Call of Duty: Ghosts (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Crimson Dragon (XBLA; November 22nd)
• Dead Rising 3 (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• FIFA 14 (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Fighter Within (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Forza Motorsport 5 (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Just Dance 2014 (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Madden NFL 25 (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Mario Party: Island Tour (3DS; November 22nd)
• NBA 2K14 (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• NBA Live 14 (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Need for Speed: Rivals (PS4, Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Peggle 2 (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Powerstar Golf (XBLA; November 22nd)
• Ryse: Son of Rome (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Skylanders: Swap Force (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Super Mario 3D World (Wii U; November 22nd)
• Tearaway (Vita; November 22nd)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS; November 22nd)
• Zoo Tycoon (Xbox One; November 22nd)
• Zumba Fitness: World Party (Xbox 360, Wii U, Wii; November 22nd)

There’s so much happening this month, it’s hard to settle on a favorite upcoming release! Ranters: Is there anything you are looking forward to over the coming weeks? Let us know in the comments section below! As for me, I’ll be playing A Link Between Worlds!

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PlayStation 4 Review

November 15, 2013 marks the true beginning of the 8th generation of home video consoles with the release of Sony’s PlayStation 4. Announced earlier this year, alongside its primary competitor in Microsoft’s Xbox One a few months later, The PS4 is first out the gate a full seven years after its predecessor.

The PS4 promises to deliver a platform that’s developer-friendly and gamer-focused, on that’s as powerful as it is social. In our lengthy review of the system, we’ll touch on the setup process, the new interface, social and sharing features. We’ll also review the DualShock 4 controller and non-gaming applications the system delivers on day one.


Setting Up The Console

Plugging in and setting up the PlayStation 4 console is thankfully quick and easy. The basics are the same as its predecessor and the package comes with all of the necessary parts to get Sony’s next-gen game system up and running. As we discussed in our PS4 demo and preview impressions, the console itself is slanted and flat in design for two reasons. On the front, the tilted shape makes it a tad easier for users to hit the power button and on the back, the overlap conceals some of the cords that plug into the back. There’s also a break along the front which will conceal the two USB ports.

A built-in power bar prevents the need for a large brick on the power cord and is again appreciated. The slanted design and the light line down the top and front are more for aesthetic than practicality but it looks good and it looks different than its rounded predecessors.

Turning on the system for the first time will require a one-time-only setup process to set the system’s internet and networking settings and to create or login with a Sony account. There’s of course, a Day One (1.5) update as well to enable many of the console’s features but it downloads rather quickly in the background while users can play disc-based games offline.

If users purchase the $60 PlayStation 4 Eye camera peripheral, the system can sign them in via facial recognition. To login this way, you’ll need to hold the controller up so the camera can see the light bar to prevent accidentally turning the system on when in standby. The facial recognition works fairly well under most lighting conditions but takes longer than simply selecting a player profile.

New to the PS4 is the guest sign-in feature which lets any user sign-in on another person’s console. It’s a way to prevent issues with having to delete accounts when leaving a friend’s house and it lets you access digital content on any other system while signed in. It’s another welcome addition and the console allows up to four users sign in at the same time.
PlayStation 4′s New Interface

PS3 users upgrading to its next-gen successor will immediately notice that the outdated XMB (XrossMediaBar) has been replaced with a new interfaced dubbed the PlayStation Dynamic Menu which embraces larger, easier to read Microsoft-esque tiles. Sony claims its new GUI is designed on the five pillars of being Simple, Immediate, Social, Integrated, and Personalized.

At launch, we can safely say it’s at least three of those things. The PS4 menu system is very fast and much more user-friendly than the PS3′s XMB. On the main menu there’s a ‘What’s New‘ screen which is essentially a social wall and of course, there’s social media and sharing integration with Twitter and Facebook. The interface still isn’t as intuitive as the Xbox 360′s home screen but once learning where everything is, users will quickly be able to access all of its features.

Players can use the mic that ships with the PS4 or the Eye peripheral (or any working third-party headset) to access screens and various functions with voice commands as well. There’s also the official PlayStation app, available on iOS and Android devices, which users can connect to the PlayStation 4 system for more second screen features.

Outside of accessing the PlayStation store remotely and adding friends and sending messages over Sony’s network to other users, the main features currently available let users control what’s on the screen with their mobile device by sliding around. It’s a little difficult to use and we quickly gave up on it in favor of using the primary DualShock 4 controller to navigate the screens. The other more useful feature is the ability to type via the app in text boxes on screen since going from one character to another to write a message is tedious and inefficient.

Even here the app is still not as user-friendly as it should be since it requires going back and forth between the DualShock 4 controller and a mobile device to input and submit text in each separate field. There’s also a few extra unnecessary steps involved in adding friends, so it and the interface have room for improvement.

We were not impressed by the system forcefully requiring us to enter credit card information after redeeming a code for the PlayStation Plus subscription in order to “use this product.” A credit card is required to redeem any voucher code and by default, it’s set to auto-renew from said card so the system is designed to get money from you.

That obstacle aside, the design of the PlayStation store and how it’s integrated into the social wall is smart. It’s easy to read and developers have a place to highlight news and updates for their own games. The system supports free-to-play games and the store makes it easy to sort by various categories. Some titles offer the choice of downloading one component before the other so if you wanted to play multiplayer and download the single player in the background, you can do that. If you’re going to be downloading a lot of full retail titles in the future, be weary of what you want to keep installed since the PS4 harddrive is only 500gb and some games like Killzone: Shadow Fall are upwards of 40gb in filesize.

As a digitally-focused system, the PS4 also has a standby mode which allows it to download updates in the background when not fully “on.” By default the console will check for updates late at night but it can turn on remotely and download purchases made on the PlayStation App or Vita while out and about as well. In this state, the console can also charge plugged-in controllers which make standby mode – and its pretty orange light across the top of the console – a welcome addition.
The DualShock 4 Controller

The DualShock 4 controller embraces the same traditional PlayStation button layout as its predecessors, but adds a few new features and important tweaks. The mold of the controller however, sees the biggest and most long overdue change, dropping the old school DualShock design from 1997 (when it was first introduced on the original PlayStation in Japan) and embracing an ergonomic, more rounded design with better grips. It’s light weight, smooth and slick.

In addition to altering the spacing of the dual analog sticks and face buttons, the sticks themselves see an important change, with Sony moving from the rounded dome top of the DualShock 3 and predecessors to grip-friendly concave sticks with an outer ring on the DualShock 4. This change makes using the sticks for lengthier periods of time feel more comfortable while also making it feel more precise. Unfortunately, the sticks are still placed low and far from where human hands naturally place their thumbs so it’s possible to get hand cramps in extended periods of play.

As for the next-gen DualShock 4 features, the center of the controller now hosts a capacitive touchpad that also clicks in. Some of the PS4 launch titles, including Killzone: Shadow Fall and Warframe use the touchpad as a secondary D-Pad of sorts where users can swipe in any of the four main directions to access special abilities. To the left and right of the touchpad are the ‘Share’ and ‘Options’ buttons which replace the ‘Select’ and ‘Start’ of old, respectively. ‘Options’ serves the same purpose as ‘Start’ previously did but the ‘Share’ button opens up one of the most important features supported by both next-generation consoles: social media and screenshot/video sharing. But more on that later!

The PS button (featuring the PlayStation logo) has been moved to the bottom of the controller to make room for the touchpad. It functions the same way it did on the PS3, bringing up the dashboard upon pressing. Double-tapping it lets users switch between any two apps, or a game and an app on the fly which is handy for checking notifications, social feeds or even the browser while gaming.

The DualShock 4 controller also embraces the PlayStation move tech of the PS3 and has a light bar built into it which not only makes it extremely precise – enhanced with an improved three-axis gyroscope & accelerometer – but can also serve as a extra layer of immersion. The color of the light bar for instance, can change color as an extra form of game feedback and in The Playroom suite pre-installed on the console, holding one’s hand in front of it simulates darkness for the little robots on screen. We can think of a few ideas already of how some games can use that in conjunction with the improved motion controls that still let you have the rest of the controls in your hands. At launch, there are not many games/apps available that take advantage of the controller’s features.
Social Media Integration

The PlayStation 4′s friends list builds upon and shares the same friends lists as PS3 and Vita, except users can now link their Sony account with Facebook and Twitter. These accounts are required if users plan to share screenshots or video. Facebook is currently the only way to grab a real-world photo to use as a profile Avatar. Otherwise, you’re stuck with the weak library of default image choices.

It’s also in these social feeds where users can post videos, screenshots and links to livestreams. Users of course can customize settings so they don’t flood their personal walls with PS4-related content and for Facebooking videos, the system lets users select specific predefined groups of friends from their Facebook lists or from their friends who are playing that same game or have a PS4.

An important step in the process that helps protect privacy is that when associating a Sony account to Facebook, users can choose to grab their real name and display it, making their gamer account much more personal. They don’t have to if they don’t want to, and even if they do, your real name won’t display to friends unless they send a “Name Request,” but it just goes to show how far gaming has come in the world of personal social media. Users can similarly choose what posts show up on the PS4′s ‘What’s New’ social wall.
Sharing Screenshots & Video

The sharing ability built into the PlayStation 4 operating system works super slick and is very easy to setup and use, even for newbies to the world of live broadcasting. At any time during gameplay, simply pressing the ‘Share’ button on the DualShock 4 controller brings up the sharing menu with three options: upload video, upload a screenshot or broadcast video.

The PS4 records the last 15 minutes of gameplay at all times and choosing to upload a video lets the user trim it down into short intervals or upload the entire 15 minute clip to Facebook. All video is maxed out at 720p. Unfortunately there are quite a few limitations when it comes to straight-up video uploading that make it a half-baked feature. The 15-minute cap for instance, is too short, especially considering that multiplayer matches in Battlefield 4 can easily go much, much longer, and that players who do let’s plays and walkthroughs of campaigns, often post lengthier clips. There’s inexplicably no way to retrieve the video outside of uploading to Facebook and the biggest shocker of all, YouTube is not supported (yet).

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