Playstation 4 Launch Preview

It's the week we've all be waiting for. The suspense is palpable as we wait to get our fresh new next-gen consoles, with the PS4 being released tomorrow! There's been a ton of new developments and news in the last few weeks, and we're here to get you ready for the Playstation 4 launch day. Whether you're getting yours at 12:01 AM or 2 in the afternoon, here's everything you'll want to know about what you're getting!

 The Console and Accessories

Obviously, since it's the console that is releasing...it's the most important part, but you'll be getting a few other things as well. As for the console itself, here's the specs for those interested.

• Blu-Ray Disc, DVD Drive
• Two semi-custom 4-core AMD x86-64 CPUs
• 500 GB (Replaceable) Hard Drive
• Semi-custom AMD Radeon GPU
• 8 GB GDDR5 RAM
• 802.11 b/g/n Wireless, Bluetooth 2.1, USB 3.0, Ethernet 10/100/100

On top of that, you will be getting a Dualshock 4 controller ($59.99 for another) and have the option of numerous peripherals that can be purchased. Instead of the camera that the PS3 used, an all new one is being released for $59.99 but doesn't come included with the console itself. Just like the PS3, you will want to get a Bluetooth wireless headset if you'd like to trash talk in the game of your choice, as well. Also, in the box you will be getting a wired headset, which hooks into the controller, much like the wired headset that came with Xbox 360 consoles.

One great piece of information that was released a few weeks ago, was that the PS4's 500 GB hard drive is replaceable. Now, the reason that this is important is because every game (retail or downloadable) will have to be installed on the hard drive. If you reach your hard drive's capacity, you'll have to delete games to free up room, so adding a larger hard drive can be a plus! Or if you only plan on buying a few games, you can even replace the hard drive with a solid state hard drive (more about those here!) for better speeds!

On the topic of speed, Sony released details this week about just how fast games will install on the Playstation 4. It has been reported that Knack will only take 10 seconds of prep time for installation before you can begin playing, while Killzone: Shadow Fall will take about 3 minutes before you can begin playing. This is a huge improvement from some of the long installs we saw with the Playstation 3.

Console Software: 

Just under two weeks ago, it was announced by Sony that unlike the PS3, the PS4 would not have DLNA support for streaming content over your network from your computer. In an expected twist of events, Shuehei Yoshida (boss of Playstation himself), tweeted that he had the development team looking into adding the support in a later update. He later confirmed it in an interview with Giant Bomb, so don't fret, you'll be able to stream your mp3s and movies in a later update! It is also worth noting that the PS4 operating system uses close to 100GB of the 500 GB hard drive, effectively reducing your usable memory to 400 GB total.

For those of you who own a PS Vita, you get an added bonus with owning the console...cross play! Not only can you remote into your PS4 from anywhere (Note: GOOD internet recommended), you can also play any games you have in the disc drive or installed on the system, on top of the PS Vita games you already own!

The Games

Even with a few of the original launch titles being delayed, the PS4 will be showing off a solid group of launch titles. For the full list of "original" launch titles, you can check out our post here, and the current titles can be found here! There's a few great titles that you may recognize right away, such as Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Madden, FIFA, and a few others will be joining you on your first day with the console.  On top of those, you'll also get to experience games like Flower, Contrast, Resogun, and Warframe, as well as a few others. All games can be downloaded or purchased physically, but either way, they must be installed. As noted above, install times are quick, but you have less space than expected.

There is a huge list of upcoming titles as well, such as:

• Watch Dogs
• Destiny (Spring 2014)
• Elder Scrolls Online (Q2 2014)
• Tom Clancy's The Division (TBA 2014)
• Thief (TBA 2014)
• And many, many more!

I know those of you who are achievement and trophy hunters like myself are wondering about the trophy system on the PS4. Sony will be keeping the tried and true bronze, silver, gold, and platinum trophy system, but in a twist of events, they are also adding a rarity to each trophy, granting it rarity based on how many people in the world have the trophy. Show off and flaunt your most rare trophies! And for those of you wondering...PS3 trophies that you earned will transfer over to your PS4 profile! 

The Playstation Network

Here's how profiles will work. You will be able to sign in to your current PSN profile on the PS4 and migrate over your old trophies and stats as well. On top of that, you have a choice of using a Real ID (your real name) or your current PSN username. The choice is yours! You will obviously keep everything else, but remember that anything you could play on the PS3 is not able (yet/Gaikai?) to be also played on the PS4.

Are you a current PS Plus Member? If so, that transfers over as well, and you get a super-sweet bonus for being a member at launch... the games Contrast and Resogun, downloadable as of this Tuesday! If you aren't a member yet, you will be receiving a nice little bonus in your box...a free month of Playstation Plus, a free month of Music Unlimited, and a $10 credit on the Playstation Store! Note: Current users of PS Plus or MU cannot add these months to their subscription.

Get Ready for Next-Generation Gaming

If you're one of the many people who were able to pre-order the console and are picking it up tomorrow, then this may all be stuff you already know. For those that missed out on the console, we'll be making sure to keep you up to date with everything we find out about it as we each try ours, with first impressions, reviews, and everything in between. We'll also be pushing out a podcast soon as well, so keep an eye out for it!