Christmas season has passed and everyone has probably got their gifts already. And if you are lucky, may have gotten something that you always wanted, a gaming console. This may come in the form of a Gaming Console "Itself" or probably a Laptop or a portable device, either way, you are now enjoying it (probably), unless, you received cash (Much better in our preference).
So, let's say you have the cash, and now you are on the run (within your brain) thinking what should you buy? Well, we have one good suggestion, and it is the Sony PlayStation 4 Slim (Yeah, Yeah, we know). It may not have 4K (like the original PlayStation 4), but still, this beast packs the same punch in a smaller package that you can easily place on small spaces (That you may have on your home), so, let's get into it.
Reviewers Note: This review is made by a person who has NOT YET owned a PlayStation 4 unit (well call it ‘Beginner’), so there is not much comparison with the original one, also, this is a NBA 2K17 Bundle.
PACKAGING
The console is packaged in a simple box themed with blue and white colors. A photo of the console and controller is printed up front. There is also a sticker on the front showing the bundled game (in our case, the NBA 2K17) and the storage size of the built in HDD (in our case, 500GB). The back of the box shows more information regarding some features of the gaming console like PlayStation Plus, PlayStation Store, Entertainment apps, PlayStation app and more. (Please do take note that the design of the box may vary depending the bundle you are purchasing. If you are buying the Console only without any game bundled, it may probably look like the one we have, except for the game bundle sticker; Click image to view larger version)
CONTENTS
Opening the box from the right side, you will get the Gaming Console itself wrapped in matte white plastic, a Safety Guide, Three (3) Quick Start Guides, and the Bundled game in DVD Format (In our case the NBA 2K17)
On the left hand side of the box, you will get the following items wrapped in clear plastic: A Warranty Card, A One (1) year PlayStation Plus Card, The Power Adapter, a Micro USB Cable (to charge the controller), a HDMI Cable (Nice move by Sony), a Mono Headset with Mutable Mic, and the Controller
The controller (compared to a Dual Shock 3 and older PlayStation controllers) can be used without any wires (via built-in Bluetooth), and has a clickable Touch Pad. The Start and Select buttons are replaced with Share and Options button, and also, there is a PS button on the bottom middle of the controller. The controller also has a headphone jack, charging dock port and a micro USB port (to charge it). Newbie tip, you can use the PS Button to power up the PlayStation Console, just plug the console into a power outlet, wait for around 3-5 seconds then press the PS Button and voila, you just booted your PS4 console. The top side of the controller (when facing it) has a triangle LED light used for VR applications (provided you have a PlayStation Camera), also, the top part of the touch pad has a thin LED strip which changes colors depending on which player number you are.
PRODUCT REVIEW
Before we begin our beginner review, let’s start on the physical ports of the game console itself. On the front side, from the left, you will get a Blu-ray DVD slot followed by two (2) spaced USB ports (to charge and pair controllers). The power button (oval shaped) and DVD Eject button (circle shaped) is at the lower left part of the DVD slot.
The left side of the device has some logos of patented technology namely HDMI, dts-HD, Dolby True HD and Blue-ray Disc; also near the rear the left side has air outlets. The right side of the device contains the four classic buttons of the PlayStation embedded: Square, Triangle, Circle, and Cross which is actually used for the optional vertical stand. Also, as with the left side of the device, the right side of the device near the rear contains some air outlets.
On the rear side of the device, starting from the left, you will see the Power outlet, Auxiliary port for the PlayStation Camera, an HDMI 1.4 port and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Going to the right portion of the back, you will have the Hard Drive bay, which can be opened by removing one screw which will reveal the Hard Drive which can be removed and replaced easily.
On the bottom part of the device, you will see a PlayStation Logo on the middle with matching rubber feet designed in the primary buttons of the PlayStation Controller (Square, Triangle, Circle, and Cross).
Now that we have got that out of the way, let’s begin our beginner’s review. Well, to be honest, we can’t say too much about this console because it is our first time to own one, but based on our research, this is just the same with the original version of the PS4, except for the following:
- The Slim version is (obviously) is much thinner than the original
- The Slim version has no optical port
- The Slim version has 5Ghz Wi-Fi support
- The Slim controller has a light bar on the touch pad (The original version controller has a light bar on the top of the device; for VR use)
About the performance, it does a great job of handling games. Aside from the bundled NBA 2K17, we purchased the Need for Speed (2015) and to no surprise, the console handles it well. The controller (in wireless mode) on the other hand, performs Ok if you first use it until you notice the very minimal input lag, which is quite annoying especially when playing fast paced games like Need for Speed.
We are yet to test more games (still in the verge of choosing which to buy) but we think that, if it’s made for the console, it can handle it. Another newbie tip, make sure to turn off the gaming console properly, if you don’t, it may cause unexpected lags on the second time you use it. If you encounter this, just turn off again the device (don’t unplug the power plug) and turn it on again, the lag should be gone.
VERDICT
If you want a gaming console that’s still kickin’, we recommend this PlayStation 4 Slim. It performs well and many new games still support it until now, also, it is much cheaper than the original version, but if you prefer a powerful and newer version which supports 4K resolution, then the PlayStation Pro is the one for you (at a much higher cost, of course).
PRODUCT LINKS
Buy It - Lazada Ph - https://goo.gl/SK2CtS
Buy It - Amazon - https://goo.gl/uQRazO
QUICK UNBOXING VIDEO
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