A PS4 Thread: Because You Had to Play "Knack"

4K disc prices are starting to come down a lot. you can buy It 2017 and Dunkirk this week at Target for $13

I'm a huge fuckin' nerd and have a couple movies in the limited edition steelcases, that came with 4k blu-ray discs, but no way to watch them. I've rewatched the movies via streaming.

Question: is 4k super-relevant? it always seems like you'd need a massive screen and UHD, or whatever the other one is both feel like enhanced viewing experiences without either the data and compression issues or the (to me) meaningless emphasis on pixels = viewing improvement.

For this generation, probably not. I mean, there are few games that are even 1080p/60fps, let alone 4K. But the processing power for HDR and framerates, the likelihood that next generation will embrace it (and PC gaming of course is already there)...

I have to sit pretty close to a 55” 4K screen to notice a big difference between 1080 and 4K on a television. I think it’s one of those things where it sets a new baseline and all other aspects have to elevate to handling a larger image, and therefore get better

like how 3d television was gimmicky but the real feature was the ability to have a faster refresh rate

didn't the 4K standard give up on 3D altogether? thought that was lame, they should've tried to keep it going. maybe after the new Avatar series comes out

but yeah, i totally agree with what you're saying re: refresh rates

I have no idea, there is no reason to do both 4K and 3d at home because you’re wearing foggy-ass goggles

My TV is a 3D one and I've never used the glasses even once

Question: is 4k super-relevant? it always seems like you'd need a massive screen and UHD, or whatever the other one is both feel like enhanced viewing experiences without either the data and compression issues or the (to me) meaningless emphasis on pixels = viewing improvement.

you're on the right track. UHD = 4K + HDR

HDR is an actual improvement and justifies the existence of uhd (not that I would know, having never watched anything hdr). 4k otoh...

A fair and controlled comparison between HD and 4k shows almost no difference for normal TV viewing conditions, and in fact “4k” content often comes from 2k source footage, and almost always has artificial sharpening added to it in mastering — that’s fake sharpening that is (technically speaking) a degradation, but adds perceptual sharpness. The sharpening would look the same if applied to an HD image instead of a 4k image.

So, going to the electronics store and comparing HD and 4k TVs is not an even handed test, because 4k-mastered content and 4k-upscaling have gimmicks built in to create a fake wow-factor that is neither real resolving power nor is it the image that the author (director, cinematographer, etc) intended. I know from first hand experience that this is the case with 4k mastered content, and I would speculate (but don’t know for certain) that it’s also the case with the TV’s themselves: that they add sharpening and other fakery when upscaling HD images to 4k, or perhaps even when just displaying 4k images.

High pixel-density screens are useful for computer monitors and smart phones, because those are screens that you view at a very close distance and concentrate on only a small detail of the screen: you read fine text, or you look at a photo embedded in a webpage, etc. But high pixel-density screens don't have practical application as big screen TVs that are livingroom centerpieces, especially while there are other (actually visible!) attributes of contemporary home theaters that could stand to be improved, including compression artifacts which are much much larger than single pixels

that's from cinematographer Steve Yedlin's website, who's made this video demonstrating the lack of visible improvement from higher than 2k pixel counts, if the above text didn't convince you.

note he's talking specifically about cinema, not computer graphics, it's possible that 4k games on a 4k screen are a real improvement and not just marketing bs

chihuahua - thanks for that v useful answer (i actually forgot i asked the question), and yes, i’m always getting my UHD, HDR and 4K in a mix. i feel a bit weird about describing the methods used to enhance 4k to give tangible viewing differences as “fakery”, as they are meaningful enhancements, more meaningful in many circumstances than 4k as you say.

there is definitely an industry desire to make 4k happen, with lol hueg screens at trade shows, tho broadcasters are v wary as it’s a massive pita both in terms of compression and also getting data out of increasingly cloud based systems (it’s the getting the data out which tends to cost the money) and compression advantages being lost. not to mention production company expenses. according to a couple of people i know waiting to see which way it goes is the cause of the v static broadcast technologies in much of the networks (cbs still have reels of film in some of their workflows ffs!). but deciding to invest in iptv or update serial workflows will depend on whether 4k or HDR becomes the dominant technology.

massive derail sorry.

loving the dark souls remaster as i never played the original and it is clearly superior to its sequels imo. a v v good game indeed.

Had a PS4 Pro in my cart at Costco but chickened out at the last minute. Good price, but I'm leaning toward getting a used 1TB slim at Swappa or something.

OK bit the bullet and got a Slim. But I'm keeping it wrapped up until I see what kind of sales Amazon offers this July.

Did you get new/used? 1 TB?

New Slim at Costco, 1TB. Seemed like the best combination of advice you guys gave. I bought new, I got the terabyte, but I didn't get the pro, because my TV can't handle it, and whatever the processing power of the latest model, it's not anything I will really appreciate, especially for a console on the last third of its life cycle (probably) whose every iteration can handle whatever games exist for it.

Plus was $50 less than the even on-sale Pro.

josh how do u not have the bluest balls

get zelda played and then get that PS4 opened and TLoU absolutely caned

lol

gj Josh welcome

and yes get TLOU for sure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMyCa35_mOg

In the meantime, my shortlist is Bloodborne, The Last of Us, Dark Souls Remastered, and maybe Horizon Zero Dawn (because it's $10 at Best Buy). Maybe Uncharted 4? Most of these games seem to be $16-$18 used, about $20 new, with the exception of Dark Souls Remastered and, I dunno, God of War? Had preordered Wolfenstein II (and mia Dark Souls) on Switch, but if it's a good game I might just cancel and get it for PS4. Other suggestions? These seem enough to keep me going for years. Shadow of the Colossus? That game seems sad.

i really loved uncharted 4. hitman is cool too. i mostly play fifa.

Yeah, I'm not a big sports games fan.

Fallout 3? Fallout 4?

Fallout new vegas, tbh

Good place to start?

That one, that is, rather than the other ones? I get the feeling game sequels are a bit like porn sequels; it really doesn't matter if you've seen the first five. I read there's a long stretch in Uncharted 4, though, for example, where if you haven't played the others it just totally lacks any emotional resonance.

Just the best game of the three, I think. You could start with any of the three and be fine, I think. Controversial opinion but playing just one of those three is enough, I think.

you can get a combo pack of Wolfenstein I and the DLC expansion for it for ~$20 usually now if you want to try that out before jumping on II

there's also Return of Arkham/Arkham Knight and Shadow of Mordor if you like your open world brawler action

Is the expansion pack ... The Old Blood? There are lots of versions of lots of these games. Confusing coming in late!

that is correct

Thanks. Couple of other quick questions re: games: is there anything specific I need to look out for when buying used, besides the usual (scratches, etc.)? A lot of used games come with the disclaimer that, say, activation codes could be missing and things like that. That's mostly promotional stuff, right? Any used game in good condition will still be playable? And none of this shit comes with instructions anymore, right, so booklets and inserts are not vital?

Also, just like Switch, there's no difference between physical and digital games (besides size, transferability, convenience), correct? And if a game did have DLC, that downloads to the system, but I assume only works when I have the physical disc in?

Used games are fine - the DLC you miss varies on the game. For fighting games, for instance, they often include an extra character, which I wouldn't want to miss. Most of the time like you say it's some cosmetic DLC or an FPS weapon or something like that. Honestly, though - there are always so many sales at any given time on digital and physical, I see no reason to ever buy used unless it's something rare, out of print, or not available on PSN.

There's even less difference between physical and digital on PS4 because most games require a full install, which can be between 10-50 GB! And yeah, on the disc versions you need the disc in the tray to play DLC.

If you're going to get into a heavily multiplayer game like Street Fighter or Call of Duty it's tempting to just get digital for the slightly better load times and ease of access.

*That said, I'm a proponent of physical media in general and say always go with physical if you can, because who knows when the digital apocalypse will occur and you'll lose access to your stuff. It does annoy me when "GOTY" type editions come out, and nowadays it's almost always the base disc + a download code for the season pass, when last generation you would get everything on disc.

Dammit Josh now you got me jonesing to take the plunge, I'm going to the mall today and might not be able to resist going into Gamestop for that used Slim I ogled last week...

Josh when was the last time you had a mainstream console? There might be last gen games also worth checking out... Have you played RDR? GTA V? Skyrim?

not to mention all the non-switch indies, like inside for example

Sum total of all I have owned, ever (give or take a Coleco and Atari 7800, iirc): OG Nintendo, GameCube, Wii (which I hacked and loaded with shit), Switch, now PS4. Never had a powerful HD console, never played games on a computer, so there's a big backlog of stuff. Would consider Red Dead Redemption, no interest in GTA (I don't think) or Skyrim (I don't think). I like the immersive worlds (from what I have seen) of the SoulsBorne games, and also I'm a sucker for cool graphics (which being a Nintendo guy I've never really gotten). I had never played Doom but have been enjoying it on Switch, so might buy it again to have it run and look better. My like of Doom is leading me toward Wolfenstein, too (and maybe II).

Will PS4 play PS3 games, like Fallout New Vegas or Red Dead Redemption? Or do I have to pay for yet another subscription service?

I think I'm pretty set on indies for the Switch, there are plenty. The reason I got a PS4 was for the heavy hitters and exclusives.

PS4 is not backwards compatible with PS3, but there's a (paid?) streaming service that lets you play PS3 games on the PS4.

Bah. See, I don't want to do that, given how slow I am I like the limitation of having a few games on hand.

Inside, fwiw, is supposed to be coming to the Switch. But today I cancelled my nebulous preorder of Dark Souls for the Switch, because for the life of me I cannot imagine playing it on such a little screen. Hollow Knight, otoh, is a joy on the Switch screen.

Ooooh there's a lot of previous gen games you can check out then, like Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Batman: Arkham Asylum... many of which have gotten remasters on PS4.

Yeah, would totally appreciate any must-buy list. Though I do think I am largely set with several hundred hours of potential play on the titles already on my radar (in addition to games I have on the switch).

(Like a very stable genius, I bought TLOU and the Mass Effect trilogy for my PS3. Anyway, Mass Effect is good!)

Prey maybe. The Dishonored games. Nier Automata. the Just Cause games. maybe AssCreed Black Flag. u're not interested in JRPGs right or i'd highly recommend Persona 5. Titanfall 2 has a fantastic short/tight single player campaign. there's a Bioshock collection you should check out if you haven't played any of them. have you played any of the Dead Rising games? 1 + 2 are both great. deus ex: mankind divided isn't great but it's good. the new tomb raider reboots are good. some of the more recent saint's rows games are fun. if you've never played spelunky now you can.

Don't feel bad Lee, I've still got dozens of titles in my 360/PS3 backlogs

What's the word on Hellblade? I think that might be my first buy.

What are good jrpgs for ps4 ? I have persona 5 and a tales game, that’s it.

Hellblade looks good but I get the sense that it's a walking sim and/or on rails.

I could be tempted to get a PS4 if Red Dead Red II gets good reviews.

Also, in a really impressed-old-person way, I just think the graphics on things lately are amaaaazing. Like they're even starting to solve the uncanny valley, almost.

That said - I had a PS3 for ages but I kept forgetting it was there. I really dug Portal 2 and Braid. And Red Dead/GTA IV, but they made my hand hurt if I played them too much.

Also I can't imagine anything on a PS4 would be better than BOTW

What's wonderful about BOTW (which I have watched my kid play) is its innocence. It's deep and rigorous but you're not stabbing zombie spider monsters in the ass or blowing off bad guy heads. It's ... pure? I may like Dunkey more than most (I think he's funny) but his silly Zelda goof really captures that game's magic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EvbqxBUG_c

Ok I don't think I need to see any more by this guy, but that was great