Food for Thought: Is The PS4 Really The Best Console?

Lets Start With The Bad News...

You have more than likely heard by now that Uncharted 4 has been delayed until Spring 2016. Bad news indeed as Im sure I speak for everyone in saying it was one of this years most anticipated PS4 exclusives. It has lead me to ponder, "What other exclusives is there for the PS4 this year  that can fill the gap?" and Im coming up empty. We have Bloodbourne, due in a couple of weeks, but after that what does the PS4 have coming to it and only it? Sure it has many many fantastic games but very few that are exclusive to the system and that has lead me to writing this article and asking the above question: Is the PS4 really the best console available right now? Before we go on (And I am mudered by overzelous fanboys *ed) please note that this article is solely my opinion and is simply food for thought as the title suggests.

Popularity Breeds Quality?

The PS4 has sold twenty million units so far. Twenty million! That is around a quarter of Englands entire population. When compared against the ten million sold by the Wii U, which has been out twice as long, or the Xbox One which has sold just over ten million thats quite a large lead. The question of quantity does not however go hand in hand with quality. Just because something is popular does not mean it is the best quality product on the market. I mean look at cars. The Ford Prius has sold exceptionally well despite it being made out of toothpicks and bits of toilet roll* (*may not be factually accurate *ed).
   So is the PS4 worth the popularity? Well yes, and no. As mentioned above the console has some fantastic games for it. Destiny, GTAV, Assassins Creed Unity and Black Flag, Dying Light and Infamous Secod Son to name a few. But with the exception of Infamous all those games were released on Xbox one too. Of course its at this point many a gamer who feels they should violently protect their plastic will point out that the above games run better on PS4. That is true but for most people the differences are negligable. I find it hard to see the difference between a 1080p and a 900p (The resolution,as in how clear the game looks *ed) game on my Fourty-two inch T.V and Im certain most gamers would say the same.
   When we judge the PS4 based upon its exclusive library the picture is less rosy. Knack, Killzone: Shadowfall Infamous: Second Son, #DRIVECLUB, Resogun, Final Fantasy xiv (Console exclusive *ed) and The Order 1886 are a majority of the exclusives released for the system so far. Thats eight games released exclusively since November 2013. That is a worryingly low number of games that can only be played on the ps4.

Competition Breeds Contempt?

Looking over at the competition with around double the exclusives in the Xbox One camp and double again for Wii U a casual observer would be forgiven for asking the question: "Why is the PS4 so popular?". Its a good question and one I can only speculate on. Firstly the WiiU: I think People were expecting a massive leap in quality and because it was the first in the next gen consoles, with a year before PS4/Xbox One, gamers judged the machine harshly. By the time PS4 and box One roled out gamers had already nailed the proverbial coffin shut on the Wii U.
   The same hasty negative opinion was cemented when Microsoft held its disasterous Xbox One reveal event. DRM ( need to be online to play the game *ed) functionality and a distinctive lack of games over sport and T.V features put many gamers off the Xbox One. Even though at launch, and since launch, the Xbox One has improved dramatically- No more DRM and a much bigger,better focus on games- alot of fans find it hard to forget that horrible showcase event.
   Jump to the PS4 reveal and its performance at E3 2013 and you can see that holding a good press event can be hugely important in your products future. I truly believe the main reason why PS4 has sold so many units over the competition is less to do with the console and more with how the console has been portrayed through hype. The E3 2013 event had the crowd literally screaming from their seats as  Jack Tretton, the CEO of Sony Of America at the time, delivered bombshell after bombshell out doing and out performing the Microsoft event in every way possible. And so a positive vision was set for the PS4 before it was even released. Now jump to the present and you can see how important it is to plant these hyperbolic seeds of excitement.

The Ultimate Question

The question then: Is the PS4 really the best console? Well if you think I am silly enough to answer that think again. I have a wife and family and would rather not be Swatted or Fraped (google them *ed) or generally feel the wrath from any of the unfortunate fan boys out there who value their console above their own worth. What I will say however is that the answer may not be as clear cut as you would think. You should always remember opinion is subjective and just because your mates all have a PS4 does not mean you have to get one also. As the Wachowski's (Of The Matrix fame *ed) say: Make up your own damn mind.