I am not ashamed to say it...I just got a PlayStation 4. After years of angling to get one and many false starts, I finally achieved my dream of owning a PS4. As a sports gaming journalist, I used Gamefly when new games were released and proceeded to take over a friend’s house. After about a year of inconveniencing my friend, the time to get my own console finally came on Dec. 25, 2016.
The first thing I did before taking the PlayStation 4 out of the box was pack up my PlayStation 3 and take it to GameStop. Now in hindsight this was the wrong move as GameStop is not exactly generous with trade-ins, but hey, I needed fast cash for some games to accompany my new PS4. In the end I received 88 dollars for the console and three games and with that money, I purchased NBA 2K17 and WWE 2K17. Add Madden NFL 17 to the list (which I also received for Christmas) and I was ready to begin my PS4 experience.
I was excited to finally plug in the system and fire up was Madden , but before I could get any game action in, I had to wait for the game to install. Madden had six updates so the wait time for installation was even longer than normal. The wait didn’t really dampen my excitement and when Madden finally started up...it was everything I dreamed of. The graphics, the realistic player models and the amazing crowd renderings were the things I was most amazed at.
Now keep in mind that I have played the PlayStation 4 before. Earlier I mentioned that I would use Gamefly to play some games, like Madden, that I had to review for patch updates, roster updates, etc. at a friend’s house. However, the feeling you have when you have a console of your own is different. You control when you play, how you play and most of all, you don’t have a time limit on playing so you get to savor the experience. It’s a different feel as opposed to playing at a friend’s house.
People told me I should have gotten a PS4 Pro, which was offered to me, but I was happy with my PS4 Slim. A PS4 Pro is great if you have 4K television, but with my regular 37’ television, there wouldn’t be a difference.
I then proceeded to fire up WWE 2K17 and NBA 2K17. My mouth stayed open in wonder as I watched Brock Lesnar suplex Roman Reigns to hell and Carmelo Anthony hit open three-pointers. The gaming session went into the wee hours of the night as I was getting adjusted to the controller, which is a little bigger than the PS3’s. I also scrolled through the PS4 menu and downloaded the applications I used regularly like the WWE Network and Netflix. I knew after that night that the PlayStation 4 is a superior product, more than anything I have ever owned.
It’s been three months since I’ve owned my PS4 and awe continues. I received 10 dollars from Sony (still don’t know why) and purchased Sleeping Dogs. That game, released a while ago, looks amazing compared to what I remember from the PlayStation 3 version. UFC 2 brings fighting games to a new level as the fight styles are so in-depth, it makes it a hard game to master unless you have hours and hours of free time to polish your craft. My PS4 is also getting a ton of work as I try to rebuild the Sacramento Kings, the New York Jets, and also attempt to win a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in NHL 17. MLB The Show 17 has a release date coming up, which, if the preview videos are any indication, should be in the running for Sports Game of the Year.
The last three months has shown me a new way of living with PS4. I still have no idea how I got through the years without it, playing on the PS3. I now believe that I should not have paid a portion of my rent when the PS4 was released in 2013 and just picked it up then. My life has not been the same since I turned on the PS4 for the first time (my fiance would agree) and I see nothing but more happy times to come with the PlayStation 4.
