Six Reasons you shouldn't buy a PlayStation 4
In case you missed it, check out our previous post explaining six reasons as to why you should buy a PS4 Console.
PlayStation VR
Hang on a minute! This was on the list of reasons to buy a PlayStation 4, wasn't it? Well yes, it was. Its also a reason to not buy a PlayStation 4. It can be viewed as a mere gimmick; and a distraction to triple A developers that might just make that next game in your favourite franchise be a VR exclusive one.
I'm not normally one to speculate, but we've seen that happen already with the Until Dawn series, with Rush of Blood and The Inpatient both requiring PlayStation VR to function.
There's also a draw back if you have a version 1 PlayStation VR, as it prevents HDR pass through on the signal processor box, meaning all your other games and media that would otherwise be delivered to your TV in HDR... won't.
You can't play 4K BluRays
It isn't the sort of thing that can be fixed with a firmware update, either. The drives that are included in the PS4 Pro are certainly not capable of reading 4K BluRay discs.
The interface is clunky
Image sourced from Sony's official guide to the PS4 .
Money comes in, games come out. On the PlayStation Store, it's an ordeal. First, you add money to a wallet (just the amount that you need to buy the games or content that you want) and then it is redeemed for your goods.
I know you can have a Steam wallet with currency in it. I know you can have an XBOX wallet with currency in it, however; you don't get eighteen emails saying that money has been added to your wallet, the game has been purchased, and that the game is then available to play. You only need one notification, and that's your receipt.
You're also required to dig through menus to check on what should be simple settings, and there's a "system layer", and a "do shit layer" which just isn't as smooth as the experience delivered by Microsoft on their XBOX One.
You need to re-buy games for Backwards Compatibility
Image sourced from PlayStation's 20th Anniversary Celebration.
In the PlayStation 2 era, there was excellent backwards compatibility. Just put your PlayStation games in, and they would work. In the PlayStation 3 era, early adopters were rewarded with a console that could (at the time) play PlayStation 1, 2 and 3 titles, thanks to having all the hardware on board.
Then, later, this functionality was dropped, with a console curiously able to play PlayStation 1, and 3 titles only. All that changed about half way through the PlayStation 4's short life.
"Classics" started to pop up on the PlayStation store. Some games being PS1, others being PS2, but guess what - if you owned them previously, even in a physical copy - you'd need to buy them again in order to experience them on your shiny new console. Bad luck, buddy.
Even if you don't want to re-buy the games and are happy to keep your old consoles - you still need a few things - room, enough inputs on your receiver / TV - and the unhappy reminder that the XBOX One S, X, and XBOX One do backwards compatibility out of the box, with an ever expanding library. You have the option of using your original disc, or purchasing to own digitally!
An Uncertain Future
Beyond the titles mentioned in the reasons why you should buy a PS4, (Detroit: Become Human, The Last of US Part II, God of War) there's no real certainty about future, blockbuster titles for the PlayStation 4 platform. In this generation, the balance of exclusives has been an arm wrestle.
With more Japanese publishers (typically Sony exclusives) electing to release titles in a multi-platform manner - (as a result of the Unity, Unreal, and Crytek engines being cross-platform and easy to capture multiple markets) - there's less of a reason to be loyal to a brand that bought JPRGs in mass, to the west.
Some would say that Microsoft presently have the upper hand with regards to exclusives, especially with the recent release of Sea of Thieves; but there's more than that in terms of competition, which leads into the next, and final point.
Don't let that sway you though, here's Sony's Answer: 14 Massive Upcoming PS4 Exclusive Games
The XBOX One X
While it has a smaller physical footprint, it packs a harder punch than the PS4 Pro. It has a faster CPU, a faster GPU, more memory, and uses far less power.
In fact, the XBOX One X has 3GB more memory total than the PS4 Pro. That's the entire RAM ripped from a low end GTX 1060. Add to that the versatility to be an incredible capable media and Entertainment box (with 4K HDR Blu-Ray support), and aggressive marketing from Microsoft, the future seems bright this iterative console, delivered as a platform, rather than as a "new generation."
Microsoft also had the advantage of being "second mover" in this space; which will likely mean that Sony will get to fire the first salvo in the next, next gen arms race, or perhaps they'll move to an iterative model as well.
There's also the fact that neither consoles can catch a well equipped gaming PC (at a cost premium) when it comes to variable refresh rates, true 4k gaming, and sheer flexibility.
In Summary
Make up your mind, based on what we've presented in this series on why you should, and shouldn't buy a PS4. Do you want to see a similar article about the XBOX? Let us know in the comments!