While the Xbox One has recovered from its first few years of failure, it has not come anywhere near the success of Sony and the PS4. That's not to say the PS4 didn't have some down moments as well. With every success story comes a few glitches in the system.
Though there were some issues with the PS4, it is the clear winner of the previous generation of console wars. It will be interesting to see how this next "console war" will turn out. Speculation aside, let's take a look back at seven years with the PS4.
10 Hurt: Can’t Import Media
Unlike the PS3 media could not be imported on the PS4. This wasn’t a huge loss, for a reason that will be explained, but for those that liked this feature from the PS3, it was a letdown.
Creating a library on the system made it easier to play music or movies on the fly.Â
9 Saved: Play Movies Off USB
Fortunately for PS4 owners, digital media was not completely inaccessible. Players could stream music, or movies with an inserted USB device.
This was not a perfect compromise, but it was something to say the least.
8 Hurt: Giant Updates
Updates, from 2013 to today, have been inconsistent. File sizes for games have only increased. For example, Final Fantasy VII Remake needed two discs because the file was so big. Not only were base games huge, but so were patches which is the main issue here.
Some were less than a GB, others were a couple, while the worst offenders were almost half the game itself in patches data. How could that be possible? For those with data gaps, it was incredibly annoying.Â
7 Saved: AAA Exclusives
Unlike the Xbox One, the PS4’s biggest saving grace was its extensive library of exclusives. This includes both first-party and third-party games.
Not only that, but on average, they were reviewed as some of the highest games this generation saw. 2018 might have been their best year with God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man winning countless Game of the Year awards and or nominations at the very least.Â
6 Hurt: Lack Of Backwards CompatibilityÂ
At the initial reveal, Sony discussed plans of being able to play every PlayStation console on the PS4 via streaming. This included PS1, PS2, PS3, PSP, PS Vita, and even mobile games.
While the PlayStation Now service does have a notable selection of PS3 and PS2 games, the library is not as vast as what the Xbox One is offering. Plus discs can be used without needing to stream anything.Â
5 Saved: Cheaper Launch Price
The thing that beat the pants off of Microsoft at the start of this generation was the price. It was a $100 cheaper than the Xbox One plus their marketing strategy was as clear as day.
Microsoft, on the other hand, had to backpedal a lot of their initial statements like having to keep the console online for 24-hour checks along with not being able to play used games.Â
4 Hurt: Stopped Showcasing Indies
Another aspect that won players over at the start was how humble Sony acted. They had the cheaper price and even showcased indies onstage at their big shows. The Indie 8 was a big deal at E3 2013. The last time they did this with vigor was PSX 2016.
The following year Sony created more of a streamlined show at E3 without much room for non-AAA titles. It’s not like Sony abandoned them completely, but Sony didn’t showcase them like they did in the first few years.Â
3 Saved: Capturing Footage
The PS4 and Xbox One were the first two consoles to integrate video and image capturing natively on their systems. The PS4's dedicated button is easy to use and port right onto a USB, or online if one so chooses.
The Xbox One has gone through several different methods, none of which have been as intuitive to use, or port, as the PS4's.
2 Hurt: PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue launched in 2015 as an à la carte method to cable. While the idea was promising, many users that went in for it said it was expensive. The reviews were up and down depending on the part of the country.
As of January of this year, Sony decided to shut it down. This didn't really affect the PS4, but as it was announced and launched alongside it, it can also be seen as a downfall for Sony at the very least.
1 Saved: External HD Support
On the subject of USBs in order to transfer pictures and videos over, it is also possible to use an external hard drive to store games. Not only can users place their installed, or digital titles on them, but they can also be used to be played right from them as well.
It's also pretty easy to replace Sony's hard drive in the PS4 for even more memory boosts.
