Prepare to surrender your social life. With the next generation of games consoles hitting these shores this autumn, Sony's Playstation 4 is facing off with Microsoft's Xbox One for pride of place in your living room. At £349, the PS4 is set to be a serious upgrade on its predecessor - including a completely re-designed controller, stunning new graphics and an impressive array of new online features. GQ had a chance for some hands-on time with a few of our most-anticipated launch titles at a Sony event in London this week - here are a few reactions…
The controller is a major improvement. The PS4 is a next-gen console and has a next-gen controller to match. The Dualshock 4 marks the biggest change to Sony's pad since the original Playstation: it's more comfortable, with rubberised control sticks and a huge glowing light to tie-in with the PS4's revamped Move camera. Most importantly, that huge touch-pad feels surprisingly intuitive in games like Killzone (and can be clicked, like an extra button) - we can't wait to see what it could bring to new titles.
It's not a huge a step up graphically… yet. Admittedly,GQ was only playing early builds of the titles but - while stunning - the PS4 feels more of an incremental improvement than the visual sea-change of the last generation. Much of the difference is in animation -Knack's tiny animated hero, who assembles himself from the game's environments, features up to 5,000 individual parts. But the most noticeable differences come details things like lighting: a sunlit battle inKillzone 4 featured some JJ Abrams-esque lens flare, while skin textures and subtle reflections in Infamous: Second Son bring an extra level of detail and realism.
Social gaming is effortless. Sony has made much of its new improved social features, including the controller's built-in sharing button to the new camera. But while the consoles we played weren't online, the ease of multiplayer was immediately evident: Ubisoft driving simulator DriveClub takes pictures of players before a race, and updates the leaderboard in real time with your friends' mugshots - just to rub it in when they lap your Audi in that McClaren.
Killzone: Shadow Fall is the PS4's most essential launch title. Set 30 years after the PS3's Killzone 3,Shadow Fall sees the you stuck in the middle of a civil war between the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance and the glowing-eyed Helghast, who until now have been coexisting peacefully on either side of a giant Berlin Wall-esque structure. The visuals are utterly stunning, with lush forests and incredibly detailed enemies. It also takes advantage of the new controller, too: the PS4's touch pad allows you to control the new OWL attack drone, telling it to shield you or take on enemies with the flick of a finger. While super-powered sequel Infamous: Second Son isn't due out until spring, we were also impressed by Drive Club and cartoonish platformer Knack. In short, you'll have plenty to play this Christmas…
The Playstation 4 is out in autumn 2013, priced £349.
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