RedAl
Distinguished Member
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-hardware-test-playstation-4
We've been chasing the PlayStation 4 story since January and now, finally, the journey is over. In this piece, we'll be focusing on the hardware in particular, where we have spent some time with the system. We'll also be discussing the user interface, but in broader brushstrokes as the system software only came online very recently. Expect further updates on the functionality across the week.
So, at the nuts and bolts level, what is actually left to discuss? After all, across the months, virtually every aspect of the machine's spec has been discussed down to the most minute detail. Well, the remarkable truth is that until a few weeks ago very few people outside of Sony had seen an actual, working PlayStation 4 unit in its final form factor. Trade show code ran on PS4 development kits with a series of empty mock-up shells standing in for final hardware. Even the most recent Battlefield 4 and Killzone Shadow Fall press trips have centred on game code running on PS4 development hardware with no sign of the actual unit we have here for review. Quite why the console was so elusive remains unknown.
With the hardware in hand, any lingering doubts about the quality of the final product can finally be laid to rest. The PlayStation 4 is an impressive, very well-engineered piece of kit, delivering a true generational leap in console performance in a chassis that is actually smaller than the second generation "Slim" PS3 - and, as we'll demonstrate later, it carries out its business in a mostly discreet manner with only the smallest concerns about temperatures and heat dissipation.
The mechanics of the construction are rather ingenious, but externally PlayStation 4's aesthetic is certainly of the love-it-or-hate-it variety. The harsh, wedge-like angular casing is striking, and a radical departure from the curved PS3 chassis, not to mention the more soft, rounded edges we see on many of today's high-end consumer electronics. A deep groove bisects the console around three of its sides, defining its somewhat divisive looks, but at the same time providing further venting in addition to the large exhausts on the rear of the unit. The PS4 can be positioned either vertically or horizontally, and for our money it looks much more striking in the former position (optional stand available, yours for £16/$20).
Hardware configuration and set-up
Setting up the device, we note the complete lack of analogue video outputs - it's HDMI only, with cable supplied in the box - although we are happy about the inclusion of Toslink SPDIF audio for legacy receiver support, along with a LAN port for those who prefer the best possible connection to their router. The PlayStation Camera gets its own bespoke input on the rear, although the AUX labeling perhaps hints at further functionality beyond the use of Sony's stereoscopic Kinect rival.
The new DualShock 4 (one supplied in the box) initially requires charging, connecting via USB just like its predecessor, the difference being that Sony has opted for a smartphone-style micro-USB connection this time around. We've discussed the next-gen joypads before and our opinion hasn't changed: the DualShock 4 is easily the best iteration of the classic Sony pad - reassuringly weighty, with the precision analogue sticks the stand-out element in the package. A headset is also included, but it's very much the most basic iteration you could imagine and probably the lowest quality element of the ensemble, feeling rather like the sort of bundled afterthought you get with a mobile phone.
Actually powering up the machine isn't quite as straightforward as you might imagine. Power and eject buttons are almost hidden - narrow and thin, built into the groove of the console on the front. They're touch-sensitive in nature - providing no actual feedback, very similar to the launch PS3, when we'd have much preferred the high quality physical type of response we saw on the first PS3 Slim. Just like its predecessor, the PS4 can be turned on by pressing the PS button on the DualShock 4.
The similarities to the PlayStation 3 don't end there. The PS4 powers up (and indeed powers down) with the exact same "beep" heard on all PS3 models, a pleasing nod to the past. The new console boots with no flashy animation as such, just a white PlayStation logo on a pure black background, before the new PlayStation Dynamic Menu system manifests. We're in.
Not that there's actually much you can do with your PS4 once you power it up on the basic 1.01 firmware it ships with. There is access to the delightful Playroom app (PlayStation Camera required) but beyond that, a bewildering amount of functionality requires a PSN account - including Vita Remote Play and even the web-browser built into the firmware. Anyone who received a PlayStation 4 unit some time before the 1.5 system update was available was essentially left with a threadbare tour of the settings, the ability to set up an internet connection (where we find no 802.11n 5GHz WiFi support but otherwise a solid set-up) and not much else. What is curious is that firmware updates are no longer downloadable on your PC and flashable via USB storage - they're only available via retail disc and the internet. At the very least though, retail games can be played on the 1.01 firmware - Call of Duty: Ghosts was released to the likes of Amazon weeks before the retail launch, and thanks to this, we were able to get a measure of the hardware's performance even without access to the crucial system update.
We've been chasing the PlayStation 4 story since January and now, finally, the journey is over. In this piece, we'll be focusing on the hardware in particular, where we have spent some time with the system. We'll also be discussing the user interface, but in broader brushstrokes as the system software only came online very recently. Expect further updates on the functionality across the week.
So, at the nuts and bolts level, what is actually left to discuss? After all, across the months, virtually every aspect of the machine's spec has been discussed down to the most minute detail. Well, the remarkable truth is that until a few weeks ago very few people outside of Sony had seen an actual, working PlayStation 4 unit in its final form factor. Trade show code ran on PS4 development kits with a series of empty mock-up shells standing in for final hardware. Even the most recent Battlefield 4 and Killzone Shadow Fall press trips have centred on game code running on PS4 development hardware with no sign of the actual unit we have here for review. Quite why the console was so elusive remains unknown.
With the hardware in hand, any lingering doubts about the quality of the final product can finally be laid to rest. The PlayStation 4 is an impressive, very well-engineered piece of kit, delivering a true generational leap in console performance in a chassis that is actually smaller than the second generation "Slim" PS3 - and, as we'll demonstrate later, it carries out its business in a mostly discreet manner with only the smallest concerns about temperatures and heat dissipation.
The mechanics of the construction are rather ingenious, but externally PlayStation 4's aesthetic is certainly of the love-it-or-hate-it variety. The harsh, wedge-like angular casing is striking, and a radical departure from the curved PS3 chassis, not to mention the more soft, rounded edges we see on many of today's high-end consumer electronics. A deep groove bisects the console around three of its sides, defining its somewhat divisive looks, but at the same time providing further venting in addition to the large exhausts on the rear of the unit. The PS4 can be positioned either vertically or horizontally, and for our money it looks much more striking in the former position (optional stand available, yours for £16/$20).
Hardware configuration and set-up
Setting up the device, we note the complete lack of analogue video outputs - it's HDMI only, with cable supplied in the box - although we are happy about the inclusion of Toslink SPDIF audio for legacy receiver support, along with a LAN port for those who prefer the best possible connection to their router. The PlayStation Camera gets its own bespoke input on the rear, although the AUX labeling perhaps hints at further functionality beyond the use of Sony's stereoscopic Kinect rival.
The new DualShock 4 (one supplied in the box) initially requires charging, connecting via USB just like its predecessor, the difference being that Sony has opted for a smartphone-style micro-USB connection this time around. We've discussed the next-gen joypads before and our opinion hasn't changed: the DualShock 4 is easily the best iteration of the classic Sony pad - reassuringly weighty, with the precision analogue sticks the stand-out element in the package. A headset is also included, but it's very much the most basic iteration you could imagine and probably the lowest quality element of the ensemble, feeling rather like the sort of bundled afterthought you get with a mobile phone.
Actually powering up the machine isn't quite as straightforward as you might imagine. Power and eject buttons are almost hidden - narrow and thin, built into the groove of the console on the front. They're touch-sensitive in nature - providing no actual feedback, very similar to the launch PS3, when we'd have much preferred the high quality physical type of response we saw on the first PS3 Slim. Just like its predecessor, the PS4 can be turned on by pressing the PS button on the DualShock 4.
The similarities to the PlayStation 3 don't end there. The PS4 powers up (and indeed powers down) with the exact same "beep" heard on all PS3 models, a pleasing nod to the past. The new console boots with no flashy animation as such, just a white PlayStation logo on a pure black background, before the new PlayStation Dynamic Menu system manifests. We're in.
Not that there's actually much you can do with your PS4 once you power it up on the basic 1.01 firmware it ships with. There is access to the delightful Playroom app (PlayStation Camera required) but beyond that, a bewildering amount of functionality requires a PSN account - including Vita Remote Play and even the web-browser built into the firmware. Anyone who received a PlayStation 4 unit some time before the 1.5 system update was available was essentially left with a threadbare tour of the settings, the ability to set up an internet connection (where we find no 802.11n 5GHz WiFi support but otherwise a solid set-up) and not much else. What is curious is that firmware updates are no longer downloadable on your PC and flashable via USB storage - they're only available via retail disc and the internet. At the very least though, retail games can be played on the 1.01 firmware - Call of Duty: Ghosts was released to the likes of Amazon weeks before the retail launch, and thanks to this, we were able to get a measure of the hardware's performance even without access to the crucial system update.