You probably will need to to preorder to get a system on launch day and those are mostly closed. This site has been keeping track of preorder availablity (and for the XBox One) and is your best bet for info if more become available. They're recommending signing up on the Sony Store's waiting list. If you absolutely have to have on launch day and don't have one, you'll need to call around that day or pay a premium on eBay. (Or call me.)
The PS4 comes with one DualShock 4 controller. An additional controller will cost $60. Red & Blue versions are scheduled. ("Later This Year" in North America, release date in Europe.) PS3 controllers will not work the PS4. (There are reports of DS4 being at least partly backwards compatible.) The controller will come with a mono headset, which plugs directly into the controller. The controller can now charge even when the system is off.
Other accessories: The Playstation Move controller will work for PS4, for both of you who own one. PS3 Headsets will not work at launch but a patch will be released to fix that. That Move will require a Playstation Camera, which is being sold seperately for $60. (I don't see anything saying if the PS3 Camera will work with the PS4, but assume not.) Sony unbundling the Camera is a large part of the difference in prices between PS4 and XBOX1 with Kinect; given Sony's dismal history in supporting perphials, this is a fair tradeoff.
A new Playstation App (Android/iOS) will be released with the PS4 launch, which will integrate with the system and the games - you will able to see a game map, watch live video of someone playing their game, or buy frmo the PSN. (Sony's also redesigned their mobile site.
GAMES
Playstation 4 will not support Playstation 3 games. Games may be re-released on PS4, and you may end up paying twice for them. Games bought online will allow you to start playing as the game downloads. The system will come with game/hardware demo PlayRoom.
Disc based games will continue to be around $60.
release info taken from IGN, and includes games which are listed as coming out for PS4 among the system and being released by launch day, but might have not offically said the PS4 version will be out launch day.
LAUNCH DAY GAMES AT RETAIL (stuff you can buy on discs AND PSN) Assassin's Creed IV Battlefield 4 FIFA 14 Injustice: Gods Among Us (Ultimate Edition) Just Dance 2014 Killzone Shadow Fall Knack Lego Marvel Super Heroes Madden NFL 25 NBA 2K14 NBA Live 14 Need for Speed Rivals Skylanders Swap Force
Knack & Killzone are the only PS4 exclusive launch retail titles.
LAUNCH DAY GAMES ONLY IN PSN Contrast - free to PS+ users (replaces Driveclub) DC Universe DiveKick Escape Plan flOw - PS3 re-release, free if you've bought it on PS3 Flower - PS3 re-release, free if you've bought it on PS3 Minecraft Pinball Arcade Putty Squad Resogun - free to PS+ users Sound Shapes Super Motherload Switch Galaxy Ultra Tiny Brains Warframe War Thunder
POSTPONED LAUNCH GAMES Watch Dogs - retail release, now Spring 2014 The Crew - PSN release, now Sumer 2014 Driveclub - retail release, now 2014
A limited version of Driveclub (not all tracks/cars, but left enough to get you to complete the game/get Platinum trophy) was to be given away free to PS+ users on launch day. It will still be free when it launches.
Game Preorders
10/15 - Knack ($59.99) - Warframe (Free)
10/22 - Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag ($59.99) - Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Gold Edition ($79.99) - Battlefield 4 ($59.99) - Call of Duty: Ghosts ($59.99) - Call of Duty: Ghosts Hardened Bundle ($119.99) - Killzone: Shadow Fall ($59.99)
There are no plans for bluetooth headsets to be patched.
Annoying. That article does mention the Sony bluetooth headsets will work eventually. Those have always seemed overpriced to me, but I guess the premium was worth for people who bought them.
inFamous: Second Son has no exact date; wikipedia says March 2014. They announced preorder bundles this past week.
Knack & Killzone are the only PS4 exclusive launch retail titles.
A friend of mine works at Guerilla and worked on Killzone. He said that while it's an honor to be picked as one of the launch games it did mean they had to work around the clock to have it done way ahead of their original schedule. I got the impression he was less than happy with the end product but we'll wait and see.
James' favorite PS game has been added as a launch day title: a 300 MB version update. Bizarrely, the "update" includes just about every feature that's supposed to be natively on the system to begin with, and it's just strange to be releasing "1.5" as your first real version.
Is it just a bug fixed final version of the OS that was finished after production started? Does PS4 1.0 only download updates? Who can say. I can say I have exciting 20 minute download/install in my future.
(Also, I guess if you don't have an internet connection at home and want to buy a PS4 - maybe don't do that? And I'm sorry?)
Also, since I was thinking about this earlier this week: PS4 is supposed to include an HDMI cable in the box (unlike PS3.)
Originally posted by thecubsfan(Also, I guess if you don't have an internet connection at home and want to buy a PS4 - maybe don't do that? And I'm sorry?)
I adore the notion that someone is willing to drop nearly $500 on a PS4 and a game, yet is too cheap to spring for a home internet connection. I mean, I *guess* you could live in an area in which you earn enough to afford a PS4 and yet internet is not readily available, but... really?
Originally posted by thecubsfanI'm looking out for my friends in under-served rural areas.
Yet who regularly visit this website....
I hardly think surfing The-W.com on a dial-up connection is comparable with a 300MB required update on launch day.
The-W is *tiny* and even has a dial-up mode to facilitate those users.
"Tattoos are the mullets of the aughts." - Mike Naimark
"Don't stop after beating the swords into ploughshares, don't stop! Go on beating and make musical instruments out of them. Whoever wants to make war again will have to turn them into ploughshares first" - Yehuda Amichai
I tried one of these things! Or rather, I played Knack using a PS4 controller that was connected by a cable to something covered by a black towel, while a PS4 (or an empty shell thereof) sat next to the TV, powered-off and unconnected to anything. I also watched a dude play FIFA very poorly.
The controller felt good. Like a DualShock 3 but with more heft to it and a better fit for my fat old man hands.
Knack played like any other over-the-shoulder run/jump/punch/kick/shoot actiony-type game. There was nothing about the gameplay that couldn't have been done on a PS1.
The games looked nice, but I was playing on a $25,000 TV (84" 4K TV at the Sony Store in the Chinook Centre in Calgary) so they had better look nice. I didn't think they looked hugely better than the PS3.
Clearly feeling threatened by the overwhelming success of ths thread, Sony has their own FAQ. Exciting info like the inability to play audio CDs on the PS4, a clear make/break feature.
Sony has announced their stores will be doing midnight PS4 sales. You need to visit the store Wednesday/Thursday with your receipt/giftcard/ID, exchange for a "preorder package" and then come back Friday between midnight-2 to pick up the system. Usual bit of paperwork checking early so they can quickly get people in and out on Friday.
They do say they'll have some extra systems. Line opens for those at 10pm on Thursday. If you preorder, you have to pick up before Sunday or they'll start giving it away. (So if you're not a midnight person, are willing to wait a couple extra days and want a PS4, get in front of a Sony store at opening on Sunday.)
I imagine it'll be a lot the same for other preorder locations.
Spike says they're doing a launch day special that night at 11pm ET, which seems odd - a lot of the people who might be interested in that are probably going to be in line someplace.
I've seen it rumored that Target will have a Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal on PS4 games beginning November 10th. There are also rumors that GameStop will have the 1-year PlayStation Plus subscription at half price, and CoD Ghosts for free when you trade in an iPhone 4s or HTC One.
The lack of backwards compatibility with PS3 games killed me on this. My PS3 broke on labor day weekend, and after it was deemed unrepairable my first idea was to just get a PS4. I had no interest in getting one this early, but circumstances permitted it. Now, I just ended up getting another PS3 for $250. I don't see myself dropping money on a PS4 until at least 2015.
For me, I have a big backlog of games I want to play. I mainly play RPGs, which can take 30-50 hours per game. There are 16 PS3 games I still want to buy and play. In addition there are 16 PS2 games I still want to buy and play, along with a handful of GameCube/Wii games.
This is why I always love compatibility between systems, especially at launch
Thread ahead: Question for PS+ users: how do you manage storage? Next thread: Predict the death of the Xbox 360 and PS3 Previous thread: Wii U releases: week of November 11, 2013
This is awesome news for OLD-SKOOL~! gamers like myself. The Blue Bomber Returns - Kotaku Mega Man 9 looks to be the first official Mega Man sequel in ages and will actually retain the look and gameplay style of the old NES Mega Man titles.