PlayStation 4

This avatar is faster, sleeker and powerful enough to last you till the next version

The first thing that you notice about Sony’s PlayStation 4 is that it does not run any of the older games, so either keep your old console stashed away to play those games or sell it along with all those precious games. Though this may seem to be a downside, PS4 offers more detailed games and much higher resolutions.

The box sits nicely in a cabinet and even looks cool on the shelf. It has a 6-speed Blu-Ray disc, and the front slope hides 2 USB 3.0 ports. The design also makes it easy to press the power and eject buttons by just a feel. At the back of the box is an HDMI, ethernet, optical audio out and a proprietary port for the PlayStation camera. What I like is that Sony has moved the power adapter inside the console, so all it requires now is a direct AC connection.

Inside the PS4 is a custom processor from AMD that has 8 Cores; there is also a next generation Radeon GPU and 500 GB hard disk drive. The PS4 can output full HD graphics at 1080p at 60 frames per second, and the built-in Wi-Fi lets you connect it to various web services. What I do not understand is why Sony missed out on 5GHz wireless and just put in 2.4 GHz, especially since the console is designed to last for a few years.

The home screen is redesigned and makes you get to your games easily; it also shows you where in the game you are, and you can use social connect features too.

Sony has also changed its wireless controller to DualShock 4, which has a number of new features; there is a colourful light bar and a clickable touchpad to navigate the screens.

The DualShock4 controller gives you both enhanced comfort and better control. The controller also features a micro USB port that lets you charge it with any charger lying around the house. The 3.5 mm jack, added to the DualShock 4 controller, lets you use any headphone or mono headset for a voice chat with other gamers.

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