PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB Console - Uncharted 4 Bundle Discontinued

I picked up the Playstation 4 slim with Uncharted bundle during a sale and managed to grab it for 213 bucks. The console itself has more than made up for the expense with enjoyment.While it has been out for a while, I decided to get this as I have enjoyed my years with the Playstation 3 and figured for the low price point that it was worth it to get the next gen console as there are quite a few games that have come out that I wanted to play on the system now that it has matured a bit and the lineup has developed quite a bit over what was on offer during release.With regards to the system itself, it is a snap to set up, and comes with all the cables and power cords that you need. Some systems out there don't come with everything right out of the box anymore, so you don't need to worry about needing to buy anything else to get started. I already had a Playstation network account, so I just input my information and everything was ready pretty much ready to go. Those without an account will need to do a little bit of setup, but it's not too difficult. After the system updates finished installing, I loaded up some games that I bought and downloads worked very well. You can play some games during the download process, so you can get up and running pretty quick if you go that route. The Playstation 4 works well with my HD television. The colors pop, the animations are smooth, and it's a pretty decent upgrade in every way from the Playstation 3. While it isn't as powerful as a newer computer that is specced for gaming, the performance and graphics work well for a console.I like the new Playstation 4 interface a lot more than the Playstation 3 interface, which always seemed a bit barebones and slightly confusing at times. Accessing the things that I used most often just seemed to work more intuitively on the 4, and I spent less time in menus. Updates and notifications work more smoothly to let you know what's going on in my opinion.Using the apps that come with the system works well also. If you have Netflix or something like that, you can run them through your Playstation just fine. The internet browser works, although using a control pad to type things out is slower than a keyboard. It is perfectly possible to use your Playstation 4 as a basic media center for your living room.Uncharted 4 is a nice bonus with the system. This review isn't really about the game itself, but you get a disk copy in its own box.The Playstation has a great catalogue of western and Japanese style games to pick from, so there is a pretty wide variety of things to get into. I've played things as varied as Modern shooters, JRPGs, sports games, adventure titles, and quite a few old school retro sytle games that I found on sale on the Playstation network. The system itself isn't region locked also. What this means is that you can play a game that is Japanese or European or whatever region in your American playstation, and vice versa. You can also set up multiple accounts in order to buy things from multiple "regional stores" on the Playstation network. This is a little more advanced than some users care about, but the options are there. If you find a cheap game in another country, it's no worry whether or not you can play it, or if another country's release has better content, you aren't out of luck.All said, for the price point, the Playstation 4 is a great console that can provide countless hours of entertainment through games and media. It's currently the system that I use the most for gaming and media out of all my other options. While it is getting late in its life cycle, I'd still recommend it if you're looking for a great way to play games. You can't go wrong here.

FOR THOSE WHO NEVER HAD A PLAYSTATION 4I've been a playstation fan since the original PS2. Playstation is simply the best console for especially RPG's. This console is simply the best incarnation of the Playstation 4 so far. It's a super-quiet media center (Blu-rays, Netflix, Hulu, Plex). The PS4 is a big improvements from the PS3 in that multi-tasking actually exists. I can chat with my brothers in a party while watching a blu-ray or playing a game. Seriously, it's a wonderful system.FOR CURRENT ORIGINAL PLAYSTATION 4 OWNERSThe rest of the review is for you, current PS4 owners. I sold my original PS4 for this. Do I regret it? Not in the slightest! My big beef with the PS4 was simply how loud it got. Playing games like the Last of Us put my old PS4 into some kind of dragon fire-breathing mode. It was so loud it permeated walls and kids running around outside questioned if a hurricane had attacked the neighborhood in a frantic rage. Haha that's a slight exaggeration, but it really was quite loud!ACOUSTICSWow this thing is quiet. When I first turned it on I had to make sure it was on. I seriously can't even tell it's on while I'm doing media and other tasks. Gameplay depending on your game can be dead silent, or you can hear a slight whirr from the fan. I can play the Last of Us without apologizing to everyone in the house now! :) The blu-ray drive is also slightly quieter than *my* old PS4. I know such things vary per PS4.WIFIThe Wifi is better (supports 5GHz wifi so transfer speeds can be faster) and I get higher throughput. I can actually use it for game streaming and remote play now! I previously has a poweline ethernet adapter because wi-fi would never cut it for me.DESIGNIt's quite sleek. It's smaller than my super-slim PS3 I keep around (See Picture). The Matte finish is very nice. The previous glossy panel was always scratched up is gone, along with the massive bright console status light that always annoyed me (It's been reduced to a tiny light on the power button). The USB ports are also spaced further apart which is a nice touch. The optical output is gone, but I use HDMI CEC anyway so wasn't a miss for me. It's also soo much lighter!CONTROLLERThe new DualShock 4 feels a bit more grippy than the prior one. The addition of the health/light bar window at the top is a really great addition.. I could never see that thing anyway while playing.GAMEPLAYSorry, you won't notice any change in gameplay if you're coming from an older PS4. I notice some titles are a bit more fluid just because I felt sometimes the fans couldn't keep up with the heat of the system.SHOULD YOU WAIT FOR THE PS4 PRO?I have a 4k TV (43") and I chose this over the Pro. $100 more for a (likely) louder console that upscales some games to 4k without a 4k blu-ray player? Not worth it to me. All I wanted was peace and quiet and am perfectly pleased with the graphical quality of the current ps4 games. It seemed like Sony didn't really make the case for the extra investment for me.SHOULD I SELL MY OLD PS4 SYSTEM FOR THIS?I did, because quiet playing is important to me. If quiet playing is not a must have for you, it's probably not a worthwhile trade. The lack of the glossy panel that always got scratched and a sleeker design is also wonderful (some of the newer models don't have a glossy panel to get scratched).P.S. Uncharted is a Physical Game!!! The game that came with my last PS4 was a download code. Nothing bums you more than having to wait forever before you can play the game that comes with your system. Thanks Sony!