The bad: Triple-A titles are lacking at launch, and the PS4 won't come close to matching its predecessor's gaming or software library for months -- or possibly years. PS3 games aren't compatible, though Sony is hinting that its Gaikai game-streaming service will open the door to retro gaming in 2014. The PS4 also has no DLNA compatibility or media playback support which made its predecessor such a great all-around content player.
The bottom line: The PlayStation 4's beautiful graphics, blazing interface, and near-perfect controller make it a worthy successor to the PS3, but it would be wise to wait for more titles and features before you buy.
The hardware
Despite its smallish size -- at least compared with an Xbox One -- the PS4 packs a lot of power under the hood. The box is 2 inches high by 11 inches wide by 12 inches deep, weighs about 9 pounds, and packs in 8GB of DDR5 RAM. The CPU is a low-power x86-64 "Jaguar" eight-core chip, and the graphics are powered by a 1.84 TFLOP AMD Radeon "next engine." The fine print may not impress the layperson, but suffice it to say, the PS4's innards are in line with a mid- to high-end gaming PC.
Like previous PlayStations before it, the PS4's 500GB hard-disk drive is user replaceable (a standard SATA laptop hard drive or SSD will work), something I'm thrilled Sony has decided to keep intact. That 500GB may seem like more than enough storage, but with game sizes beginning to flirt with 50GB apiece, that might not cut it a few years down the road.
The PS4 boasts a striking angular design with a modestly low profile. The front end angles toward the user, sleekly hiding two USB 3.0 slots to the right and a slot-loading 6x Blu-ray drive to the left. Between these two ports are touch-sensitive power and eject buttons that give off familiar PS3 beeps when activated.
Specifications
Hardware
Main processor:
- Single-chip custom processor
- CPU: low power x86-64 AMD “Jaguar”, 8 cores
- GPU: 1.84 TFLOPS, AMD Radeon™ Graphics Core Next engine
Memory: GDDR5 8GB
Hard Disk Drive: Built-in
Optical Drive (Read only):
- BD 6xCAV
- DVD 8xCAV
I/O: Super-Speed USB (USB 3.0), AUX
Communication:
- Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
- IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth® 2.1 (EDR)
AV output:
- HDMI
- Digital Output (optical)
DUALSHOCK®4
External Dimensions: Approx. 162mm x 52mm x 98mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
Weight: Approx. 210g (tentative)
Key Switches:
- PS button, Share button, OPTIONS button,
- Directional buttons(Up/Down/Left/Right),
- Action buttons(Triangle/Circle/Cross/Square),
- R1/L1/R2/L2, Right stick, Left stick, Touch Pad button
Touch Pad: 2 Point Touch Pad, Click Mechanism, Capacitive type
Motion Sensor: Six-axis motion sensing systems(three axis gyroscope, three axis accelerometer)
Other Features: Light Bar, Vibration, Built-in Mono Speaker
Ports: USB (Micro B), Extension Port, Stereo Headset Jack
Wireless Communication: Bluetooth® Ver 2.1 + EDR
Battery:
- Type: Buit-in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery
- Voltage: DC3.7V(tentative)
- Capacity: 1000mAh(tentative)
Camera
External Dimensions: Approx. 186mm x 27mm x 27mm (width x height x depth) (tentative)
Weight: Approx. 183g (tentative)
Video Pixel: (Maximum) 1280 x 800 pixel x 2
Video Frame Rate:
- 1280x800 pixel @ 60fps
- 640x400 pixel @ 120fps
- 320x192 pixel @ 240fps
Video Format: RAW YUV (uncompressed)
Lens: Dual Lenses, F value/F2.0 fixed focus
Capture Range: 30cm~∞
Field-of-View: 85°
Microphone: 4 Channel Microphone Array
Connection Type: PS4™ dedicated connector (AUX connector)
Cable Length: Approx. 2m (tentative)
