Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Sony hasn't made the transition to a PS4 particularly easy for PS3 owners. As everyone reading this knows, the software is incompatible between the two machines because of the radically different architecture, and it sounded as if there were some initial issues concerning the PS4 game and video controllers. Sony was also pushing the PS4 as a "hard-core gamer" platform, as opposed to the one-box media player the PS3 and XBox One were positioned as. But the form factor of the new Slim model, accompanied by the price drop and inclusion of Uncharted 4 here, pushed me over the edge. I traded in all my PS3 stuff to GameStop (for pennies on the dollar -- GRRR), cashed in a few GS Gift Cards I still had in my wallet, and brought this sweet little puppy home yesterday. The good news is, aside from the incompatibility issue, the PS4 is a splendid replacement for a PS3. The PS4 Slim is a bit smaller than the PS3 Slim and seems to run cooler. Though I have only played U4 for two hours or so as I write this, the game does NOT disappoint. I loved the previous Uncharted games, and I love this one. The controls are intuitive and easy to learn. The graphics are spectacular. It is always clear what Drake needs to do and where he needs to go, and hints are available if a puzzle stumps you. Why can't ALL games be this good??? On the media box front, I was pleased to discover that the PS4 does almost everything the PS3 did. It doesn't play CD's, but using the free Media Player app available at the PS store, you can play music using a USB device. You can also stream Amazon, Netflix, YouTube, Crackle, Hulu, and various other video channels. For music, you have Spotify (I don't like streaming services that limit sound quality unless you subscribe -- PHOOEY) and something called "I Heart Radio," which is NOT as good as the streaming radio service the PS3 supported. IHR doesn't seem to have any public radio stations, for example. Wassup wit dat? I was also pleased to find that the optional PDP Media Controller works well, at least for streaming and playing discs. When playing discs, you have full motion control -- play/pause, jump to next or previous chapter, frame-by-frame advance or reverse, slow-motion, and variable-speed fast forward and rewind. YEA! Am I a happy camper? Yes, I am! As for the new Dual Shock 4 controllers, they charge in two hours or less (the light bar glows a pulsing orange until fully charged) and seem to run for several hours on one charge. I did turn the light bar down in the options menu to conserve energy. As I write this, I have downloaded some of the Pinball Arcade tables from the PS store and am sorry that the developer, Farsight, didn't give PS3 owners a better deal on the upgrade. I have also ordered DriveClub, which is just the kind of arcade open-road racing game with real supercars that I like. Prime will be delivering this on Monday, and I can't wait. Setup was mostly easy. About fifteen minutes downloading the latest firmware and a little trouble gaining network access (my fault -- I wasn't properly highlighting the "Done" or "Okay" command after inputting my password). Otherwise smooth sailing, once I had sorted out the new user interface. So in summary, PS3 owners who have been holding out on upgrading to the PS4 may want to pull the trigger on the Slim -- unless you're keen on VR or 4000K. Happy game and media playing! PROS: * Excellent graphics. * Better controllers than those on the PS3. * Full complement of media capabilities. * Runs cooler than PS3. * Compact form factor. * Now more affordable. * Includes the spectacular Uncharted 4 game. Drake for President! CONS: * Software incompatible with PS3. * Doesn't play CD's. * Doesn't play "unfinished" DVD-R's or RW's. * Streaming radio channel inferior to the one on the PS3. UPDATE: One video shortcoming the PS4 currently suffers from is the inability to play "unfinished" DVD-R's or RW's. That means it won't play DVD-RW's that you made on your computer of files that you own fair and square. The PS3 DID play these discs, and I hope Sony will update the PS4 DVD Player firmware sooner than later to play these computer discs. I would have to say this is my number one complaint about the PS4 currently.