Why you should buy a PlayStation 4

By Phil Hornshaw

It’s a year of new video game consoles – a leap forward in technology and capability that brings new games and new features to the fore front for gamers and non-gamers alike. In 2013, players will get both Microsoft’s new addition to its Xbox line, and Sony’s latest PlayStation – and together, the two consoles will run you about $1000 with taxes.

So if you’ve only got the funds for a single new console this holiday season when they become available, which do you choose? Well, if frugality is your driving factor, the PlayStation 4 is for you – it’ll come in a full $100 cheaper than the Xbox One, with a price point of $399 versus $499 for Microsoft’s new console. And if games are your primary focus, the PS4 is probably for you, as well.

Greater games focus

Probably the biggest boon for the PlayStation 4 is that its focus is more on games than its Western counterpart. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), gaming’s biggest conference, in Los Angeles in June, Sony brought out tons of new games for its console, putting the focus squarely on experiences players can’t get anywhere else.

Many players were most excited about the presence of indie developers at Sony’s E3 press conference, and it seems the new console will give serious consideration to small developers creating different, interesting projects that distance themselves from the usual triple-A fare of titles such as Call of Duty or God of War. Indie developers can self-publish to the PlayStation 4 – something that Xbox One doesn’t support – and that should open the floodgates to a lot of exciting new games, many of them at budget prices.

Streaming and connectivity

Last year, Sony acquired game streaming company Gaikai, and has incorporated its technology into the PlayStation 4. A lot of the excitement is around the fact that players will be able to stream full PlayStation 4 games to their PlayStation Vita handheld titles – basically, you can play your PS4 games on a handheld rather than your TV, using your Internet connection.

The PlayStation 4 contains other second-screen elements, content-streaming capabilities through the Internet and other streaming features. And with proprietary hardware that has the slight edge on the Xbox One in terms of power, the PlayStation 4 today looks to be the machine for gamers who are serious about gaming, but also are looking forward to using their console for other applications, like Netflix. You can pre-order the PlayStation 4 from GameStop, where you’ll get as much as 2.5 percent Cash Back, or from Target, Best Buy or Walmart, which each offer 2 percent Cash Back.