The PlayStation 4 is a fantastic video game console.
Sony
Maybe you already have one? Over 40 million people already do, and that’s because it’s a great system: It’s fast and easy to use, it’s got great games, and it does lots of cool stuff!
Maybe you’re not convinced? That’s possible: $299 is a lot of money to drop. But that price includes more than the console — you’ll also get a great game like “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.”
Sony
This is seriously what “Uncharted 4″ looks like.
In case that doesn’t push you over the edge, here are 14 great reasons to pick up a PlayStation 4 right now.
1. It’s less expensive than ever.
This is the number one reason to buy a PlayStation 4 right now: it’s currently on sale for Black Friday weekend. Normally this bundle costs $299, as does the PlayStation 4 in general, but it’s dropping to $249 for this weekend only.
This deal only lasts until November 28, so it’s time to make moves if you’re going to make moves.
2. PlayStation Plus continues to be the best deal in gaming.
Do you like awesome games? ‘Course you do. That’s why you’re considering buying a PlayStation 4 in the first place! How about awesome, free games? Because that’s exactly what you’ll get every month with a subscription to Sony’s PlayStation Plus service.
It enables online play, sure, but more importantly you get free games every single month through the program. You keep the games for as long as you stay subscribed. The service literally pays for itself in two months. It is the biggest no-brainer of all no-brainers.
This should be your first purchase after buying the PlayStation 4 itself.
3. “Bloodborne.”
Listen, “Bloodborne” is not for the faint of heart. You see that monster up top? That’s not concept art. You’re the comparatively diminutive hunter in the foreground in this equation, and that giant monster is surprisingly fast. Do the math. “Bloodborne” is gorgeous/gruesome, tremendously challenging, and easily one of the best games on PlayStation 4. Oh, and to be clear: You can only play “Bloodborne” on the PlayStation 4.
4. Say goodbye to your cable subscription, and say hello to PlayStation Vue.
Sure, the Xbox One can pump your existing cable subscription through the box. Instead, Sony went the total opposite direction and created its own version of paid television.
You get to keep local channels and add a bunch of other paid favorites, like HBO and FX. Packages range in price and channel offerings, starting at $39.99 and going up to $74.99.
5. Perfect for cord-cutters: apps galore.
Having been too broke in college to pay for cable, I “cut the cord” years ago out of necessity. Eight years later and it’s even easier to maintain a cable-free life, especially with the robust selection of streaming apps on the PlayStation 4. There are standards you’d expect like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, plus exclusives like Spotify.
The YouTube app on PlayStation 4 has genuinely changed how I interact with YouTube; it went from a place I occasionally visited on a direct link to a service I use like Netflix. Vice’s Munchies channel is especially good!
6. Play classic PlayStation 2 games (and some from PlayStation 3!).
Sony announced this one earlier this year — you can now play a selection of PlayStation 2 games on the PlayStation 4, with HD resolution and rich features like Trophies. They range in price from $9.99 to $14.99, and include everything from heavy-hitters like “Grand Theft Auto 3: San Andreas” to niche fan-favorites like “Rogue Galaxy.”
No, you can’t just put your old PS2 discs into the PS4, but this ain’t so bad either.
7. Virtual reality is on PlayStation 4 right now, in 2016.
VR is no longer a far-flung possibility: Sony’s PlayStation VR on PlayStation 4 is available right now, today. There are a few dozen games already available, from a “Batman” experience to major VR games like “EVE: Valkyrie.”
The headset is comfortable and provides a mind-blowing experience. More importantly, it does so without the added cost of a bleeding edge computer (or a bleeding edge phone).
The one downside: the headset costs $400. If you don’t own a PlayStation Camera, you’ll need one of those too (it costs $60). This is the least expensive option for high-end VR, compared with stuff like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Still, it’s a lot of money on top of a new console.
8. Play your games anywhere — well, at least on a PlayStation Vita or a Mac/PC.
The ability to casually turn on and use the PlayStation 4 remotely through the PlayStation Vita is incredibly impressive.
Your son wants to watch “Glee,” but you want to keep killing supermutants in The Commonwealth of “Fallout 4″? Pick up your Vita and continue there! Better still, you could hop over to your PC or Mac and continue there. It’s really up to you. Get wild.
9. Indie games on the PlayStation Store.
Anyone complaining about games “all being the same” clearly isn’t paying attention to the wonderful bounty of indie games. Games like “Bastion” and “Nuclear Throne” are excellent, and incredibly unique. As in, “As good or better than any major game released from a major publisher this year.”
Oh, and they also cost, like, one-fifth the price of a $60 box release. Some of the best games in the past 10 years have been indie games — ever heard of “Minecraft”? — and the trend is only looking up.
10. It’s more powerful than ever before.
Sure, it’s not the most important factor in making great games, but giving developers access to more power is certainly going to benefit consumers in some way. Sony recently enabled developers to use the seventh core of its eight-cored processor, thus freeing up some extra oomph for whatever their games needed. While not game-changing, it certainly doesn’t hurt (and almost certainly helps).
10 (addendum). If you want the most powerful PlayStation 4, there’s the new PlayStation 4 Pro.
The PlayStation 4 Pro is a more powerful version of the original PlayStation 4 that launched in 2013. It’s capable of producing games in a higher resolution (4K), running older games more smoothly, and adding more visual effects than ever.
In short, it makes already existing PlayStation 4 games even prettier than they already are.
But do you need it? The short answer is “Probably not.” Check out our full review here if you’re interested in learning more!
11. The great DualShock 4 gamepad with rechargeable battery.
For many, the DualShock 4 is the best gamepad ever created. It’s great-looking, has a comfortable design, and comes with a built-in battery (rechargeable with the ever-common microUSB wire). What the controller lacks in longevity is more than made up for in design and comfort. If only someone would make a game to harness its massive, clickable touchpad!
12. “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.”
The culmination of years of work by Sony’s all-star studio Naughty Dog, “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End” is a gorgeous thrillride. You play as Nathan Drake, the long-running protagonist of the “Uncharted” series.
It’s essentially the video game version of Indiana Jones, as you trot around the globe avoiding bad guys and stealing long-hidden treasures. The “Uncharted” series is the gem of Sony’s PlayStation game line-up for a good reason: it’s tremendous.
13. Upcoming exclusives, like “Horizon Zero Dawn” and “The Last Guardian.”
The best PlayStation 4 games are yet to come, that is near certain, and it’s totally possible that both “Horizon Zero Dawn” and “The Last Guardian” will end up on that list.
While the former isn’t coming until some time in 2017, “The Last Guardian” is finally arriving this December — just in time to play it on your new PS4!
14. Deep Spotify integration.
When Sony’s “PlayStation Music” initiative flopped, the company did something amazing: it worked with Spotify to make it the main music player on PlayStation 4.
You can even replace in-game music with Spotify tracks (while keeping in-game sound effects) — it’s pretty incredible. Even better, you don’t need a paid subscription (though, let’s not kid ourselves, it’s a much better experience if you are).
15. Play games you don’t own, and have friends help you get past tough challenges.
Interested in trying out a game you don’t own, and a friend’s online playing right now? You’re able to take over that game (should they allow you) and try it out for yourself. Pretty neat, right?
Or how about this scenario: You’re stuck at a tough boss fight, and need Aunt Melinda to jump in and save the day. SharePlay enables all of that, and it’s something that only the PlayStation 4 can do.
The post 15 reasons why it’s the perfect time to buy a PlayStation 4 appeared first on Business Insider.