Should You Upgrade From the PS3 to PS4?

As a gamer and daddy blogger, I find that when I’m talking to mummy bloggers about their families and gaming, those who have older children (mainly boys) are obsessed with having the biggest titles and the newest consoles.  I’ve frequently had conversations about their children playing Call of Duty or Battlefield on the PS4 or Xbox One, and the fact they they spend hours on end playing these games.  Another game they seem to be obsessed with at the moment is Minecraft, which I will say is a great way for children to create their own sandbox world.

My girls are still too young yet to care about having the latest console, so it is very much something that I have control over.  Personally though I was gripped by the hype of wanting a new console and I was a very happy boy when I did receive a PS4 for Christmas, however, I believe that the PS3 still has something to offer young families.

Online Features

My favourite new feature of the PS4 is the Share button, which is the ability to share gameplay videos and screenshots with friends on Facebook.  A recent software update also allows you to edit videos on the ShareFactory application and be able to transfer them to a USB, which can then be uploaded to YouTube. The PS3 still offers an online experience, which is free compared to the PS4’s mandatory PlayStation Plus subscription.

Picture

Remote Play

Another reason I wanted to upgrade to the PS4 was to make use of the PS Vita Remote Play function, which is such a clever feature that it trumps anything I’ve seen previously.  Imagine being able to seamlessly play PS4 games on your Vita over a WiFi connection.  It comes in handy when the kids or TiredMummyofTwo want to watch TV, or even when I want to play PS4 games in bed.  The PS3 though has limited Remote Play functions, basically you can control the cross bar menu and listen to music installed on your PS3’s hard drive.

Accessories/Peripherals

At the moment the PS4 and PS3 offer similiar controllers and accessories for their systems, albeit the PS4 has a slight advantage because it’s technology is more advanced.  An example of this would be the new PlayStation Camera compared to the PlayStation Eye, which has dual lenses for better depth perception and is capable of recording in HD.

The PS3 though can offer customers the choice of official controllers or third party manufactured, such those made by Gioteck, which are significantly cheaper than the official pads.

I would highly recommend that if any family still has a PS3 to invest in purchasing the Wonderbook peripheral.  Essentially it’s Augmented Reality that uses an AR book, the PlayStation Eye and the Move controller.  The girls and I love playing with the Wonderbook because we get to sit on the floor, which makes us feel more immersed in what we’re doing.

Pricing

If you haven’t upgraded yet from the PS3 to the PS4 it may be because price is a sticking point.  The PS3 is a few hundred pounds less the a PS4, the games are cheaper and so are the controllers, whether there official or third party manufactured.  Something that’s not available on the PS4 yet because of the DualShock 4’s unique design.  The DualShock 4 will cost you around £50, whereas you can pick up a wireless Gioteck PS3 controller for £20.00.  There’s also a huge library of games that are cheap to buy compared to the PS4 limited offerings that usually cost £40-£50.

I can’t tell people which console is the best to own because I own both and still play on my PS3.  If money is the biggest thing to consider then I would highly recommend the PS3.  I love collecting various accessories and games for the PS3 mainly because they’re so cheap.  If having the latest technology and high quality graphics are what you want, then you can’t go wrong with the PS4.  I just can’t wait for more games to be released for the system, especially Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.