Nov 24, 2016 08:17 PM
1249 Views
Verdict
An excellent console with a great catalogue of AAA games, the slimmer, smaller PS4 is better in almost every way compared to the original, barring one notable exception.
PROS: Great games, Good value, Improved power efficiency, PS Plus still a great deal, DualShock 4 better than ever
CONS: Optical audio removed, No 4K Blu-ray player
We're almost three years into this console generation, which means it's time for slim consoles, which pack the same functionality as the original console into a chassis that's a fraction of the size.
The new slimmer PS4 is no different. It's slimmer, it's sleeker, but fundamentally it's still the same console that we know and love.
Meanwhile the 4K PS4 Pro has just launched, bringing improved performance to the PS4 ecosystem, but the slim PS4 works more or less identically to the existing console.
The PS4 Slim might have entered the fray as Sony's budget PlayStation offering, but that doesn't mean it's scrimping on its specs. In all key areas it matches the original PlayStation 4 console, and at many points outperforms it too.
It's also a far smaller console, shrinking the machine down by almost a third in volume, knocking 16% off the original's weight and offering notable improvements in both power draw and noise output.
Design
It may be hard to remember now, seeing how much joy gamers have gotten out of the original PS4, but its off-kilter shape was met with some raised eyebrows when it was first revealed three and a half years ago.
2016's slim PS4 more-or-less retains the core visual identity of the first PlayStation 4, but shrinks everything down into a more dinky parallelogram package, with newly-rounded edges.
Whereas the original PlayStation 4 measured 27.5 x 30 x 5.3 cm, the PS4 Slim is just 26.5 x 26.5 x 3.8 cm. That's roughly a third smaller than what the original measured up as, and its weight is comparably lighter, too.
The disk drive slot remains front-facing, sitting above small, physical power and eject buttons. More recent revisions of the PS4 also featured physical buttons on the console, but it'll be a marked difference for gamers used to the launch edition PS4, which favored touch-sensitive controls instead.
Two USB ports sit on the front of the console, as was the same on earlier PS4 models. But they're now spaced much further apart, making them slightly easier to plug into, and possibly making space for the PS VR headset's processing unit.
Though a 1TB model is on the way, the PS4 Slim launches with a 500GB hard drive. That's pretty small considering all games require a mandatory install, some tens of gigabytes in size. But move around the back of the 2016 PS4 Slim and you'll find a dedicated panel for opening up the console, allowing a user to manually install a larger hard drive in a much more convenient way than the original PS4 did.
Setup
Setting up the slim PlayStation 4 is very easy, especially if you're upgrading from the original PS4, or even a PS3 since you can use the same cables, removing the need to stretch behind your TV.
Simply plug in the included HDMI and power cables and connect to the internet to download the console's various patches and updates.
Alternatively, you are able to skip Wi-Fi or ethernet altogether and just pop in a game. Unlike the Xbox One, you can get to the homescreen without initially connecting to the web and patching.
Once you do connect to the internet, you'll need to let the PS4 update before you can make purchases from the store or play online.
Media
Since the very first PlayStation, Sony's home consoles have led the charge when it comes to media playback support. The PS One made for a great CD player, the PS2 was many gamers' first DVD player, and the PS3 their first Blu-ray deck and USB playback device.
The PS4, while not introducing a new format of its own, picked up the baton passed by the PS3, offering wide-ranging streaming service support, Blu-ray and DVD playback, USB media functionality and even banging out the tunes with its own Spotify player.
What the PS4 Slim doesn't do, however, is offer an answer to the Xbox One S's 4K Blu-ray player. It instead sticks with the original PS4's standard full HD Blu-ray player. It's still a strong deck, but anyone looking to show off their 4K TVs with the new PS4 will be disappointed. It's a feature that's set to be notably absent from the PS4 Pro, too.
The 2016 PS4 Slim edition debuts alongside a brand new DualShock 4 pad - though you'd be excused for failing to spot the difference.
In the hand, it's practically identical to its predecessor, which was easily the best pad Sony had ever made, and up there with the best of all time.
Though its analogue sticks succumb to wear and tear a little too easily, the DualShock 4 is wonderfully ergonomic, with a responsive D-Pad and comfortable triggers and face buttons. A criminally-underused touchpad sits in the middle of the pad(which also houses barely-used motion control capabilities), while a light bar sits on the rear, indicating player status and soon to be used as a tracking aid for PS VR.
It's this lightbar that marks one of the notable changes to the new controller. There's now a slight translucent strip in the touchpad, letting you see the color your controller is set to. It's a small convenience, saving you from twisting the pad upwards to see which player color you are set as.
A more significant addition, especially for pro gamers, is the option to switch between the controller's Bluetooth connection and a wired USB data connection with the PS4. Previously, the USB connection would only supply charge, leaning on the Bluetooth connectivity regardless of whether it was plugged in or not.
This won't mean much to many players, but Bluetooth introduces an infinitesimal degree of lag to your controls. For a pro gamer, that can be the difference between a win(and a pot of e-Sports prize money) or a loss. So they'll no doubt be very pleased.
The feature should also make a welcome addition for PC gamers who want to use the DualShock 4 who will no longer need to buy a Bluetooth dongle to do so.
With a whole host of streaming services built in, as well as online play and a digital download store, the 2016 PS4 Slim is very reliant on its network connection. So thankfully, it's getting a fresh lick of paint for the new model, too.
The new PS4 Slim introduces a 5GHz IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac connection to the console, alongside ol' faithful, the trusty Ethernet jack. Current PS4s only feature 2.4GHz bands. While Ethernet is still your best bet for a consistently stable connection, the 5GHz band is less likely to suffer from interference from the menagerie of products hogging the 2.4GHz space. In effect, you're less likely to suffer lag and drop out as a result.
The 5GHz connection should improve the quality of the PS4's Remote Play function. With a PS Vita handheld, a PC, Mac or compatible Sony Xperia mobile device, you can beam games from your PS4 to a second device, freeing up the TV set.
Though we've had no problems with Remote Play over the 2.4GHz connection of our original launch PS4, the PS4 Slim has so far offered up stable connectivity when using the second screen function. It must be noted however that 5GHz connections can struggle beaming through thick masonry, so line of sight with the console is still recommended when using Remote Play.
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store has been around since the PS3, and naturally remains your source of downloadable games on the slim PS4.
The ability to pre-load games makes a return so you aren't left waiting for downloads to complete on launch day, and you can also start playing a game before the download has fully completed by instructing your console to prioritise certain parts of the game.
With games now happily filling up 50GB Blu-ray discs, this ability is pretty essential if you want to not have to leave your games downloading overnight.
You can also use the PlayStation app on iOS or Android to remotely purchase games and set them to download when you're away from your console, or you can always avoid the download process entirely by making use of Sony's ever-expanding PlayStation Now service.
Sharing gameplay images and videos
It should come as no surprise when I say that online gaming video is big, and Sony has embraced this in a big way with the ability to share videos of gameplay baked right into the console.
Simply press the'Share' button on the DualShock 4 and you're console will immediately save up to the last fifteen minutes of gameplay. You are then free to save this to a USB stick, or you can share it to YouTube, Facebook, or even Sony's own PSN.
Alternatively you can hold the same button to share a screenshot.
Livestreaming is also supported on the console, if you want to allow others to watch you as you play on Twitch. The process is remarkably easy to set up, but make sure you have a fast enough internet connection to upload video in real-time.
We liked
No one likes to waste power and deal with insane energy bills, so it's reassuring to see Sony dialling back the PS4's power consumption. Though the original PS4's looks have become comfortingly familiar, the new smaller, more reserved design will make it an easier fit for many AV set-ups.
Networking improvements make the PS4 Slim a more stable online gaming machine, and the new DualShock 4 even gives a nod to pro-gaming e-sports players. It's also easier than ever to install a new hard drive(though a 1TB drive really should come as standard now).
We disliked
When sat next to the Xbox One S, which isn't massively more expensive than the 2016 PlayStation Slim, it's hard not to feel a little jealous of Microsoft's machine's 4K Blu-ray player. It's a luxury, for sure, but it's a future proofed one that may mean the PS4 Slim is relegated before its time.
Likewise, the audio optical out connection's removal is annoying. Though it was probably only used by a small percentage of PS4 gamers with the original console, those that rely on it in order to get the best sound from their dedicated AV speaker systems will now have a tough choice to make – upgrade to a PS4 Slim, meaning the additional cost of upgrading their audio receivers too, or sit tight with the existing PS4? It's a choice they shouldn't have to make.
Final Verdict
If you've been patiently waiting for the right time to grab a PS4 console, the hour has come. Affordable, newly-shrunken and with a stonking back catalogue of excellent games, the PS4 Slim is a great entry point into Sony's current gaming world.
However, after a slow start, Microsoft has come out swinging, with the Xbox One(especially with the Xbox One S console revision) a mighty gaming machine in its own right, worthy of your attention. It's a decision that may not even be made for you - with both consoles so closely matched(4K Blu-ray players notwithstanding), it may well come down to which machine has already embraced most of your friends for online play sessions.
Go down the PS4 route, and you've another question to ask - should you hold fire and wait for the pricier, but more powerful, PS4 Pro? It'll come at a premium, but has support for 4K resolutions - the next graphical frontier in gaming.
Should you side with the PS4, and pick up a PS4 Slim, you can't really go wrong though. It may only hold the title for a few brief weeks, but right now the PS4 Slim is the best PlayStation ever.
