The future is here – PlayStation 4 Unboxing (PAL)
After the record breaking launch in the United States, today the PlayStation 4 releases in Europe, where it seems to be an instant hit as well. I got a PlayStation 3 when it came out in Europe on March 23rd of 2007, and pre-ordered the PlayStation 4 shortly after Sony’s last E3 conference. Sony’s next generation is about to begin. Here are some pictures as well as my first impressions of the brand new system.
The console comes with a DualShock 4 controller, a couple of booklets, a microphone and a bunch of cables (power cable, HDMI, and USB to mini-USB for connecting the controller).
The design of the system is awesome, and seeing it for myself, it looks even better than I thought. The combination of the matte and shiny surface, the parallelogram shape, the power and eject buttons that are hidden in the design as two small stripes – it all makes for an aesthetically very pleasing design.
The system itself is surprisingly small and compact as well. The color shifting line of light that splits the design in two looks great as well. The front – or top, depending on how you display the console – is very clean, except for a slick PlayStation logo at the upper right, just above the light bar. It looks minimalistic and futuristic.
This just a first impression, but the redesigned DualShock 4 feels great. It fits in your hands very naturally, and the anti-slip surface on the back. The d-pad is probably the best I have ever used, mainly due to their concave shape. I really like the feel of the grid that covers the back of the controller. The color changing light bar on the back is a cool little extra. Something that stood out to me was how compact the controller is. Controls sticks and face buttons are all quite small, smaller than they were at previous DualShocks, but not to the point where I expect it to become problematic. The new buttons at the top (share and options) have a squishy feel to them. The shoulder buttons are much better due to their trigger-shape. The touch pad, which is a button as well, doesn’t get in the way of the traditional controller setup, which is probably a relief for many. It really seems like an extra developers can choose to use or ignore. The rumble is said to be improved as well, but I haven’t tried a game yet myself.
The menu looks nice and clean like on PlayStation 3. All the settings and options were easy to find. Of course, updating and navigating goes a lot faster than before. PlayStation Network seems to be overloaded at the moment though, but that was to be expected.
All in all, it seems like Sony really stepped it up with the design of their new console, which not only packs some impressive power, but looks futuristic as well.
No matter how many times you see it on videos or photos, it’s different when you see it in real life. The redesigned DualShock 4 seems like a good evolution. The future looks good for Sony and for gamers. Bring it on!