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The day has finally arrived: the PlayStation 4 is officially in the hands of consumers with a full week to own the spotlight before Microsoft releases their own next-generation console, Xbox One. While fanboys and fangirls are already busy fanning the next great "console war," it's easy to forget that in spite of all the rumors, speculation, and comparison videos, the industry is about one thing - entertaining game experiences. Our tastes in genres, hardware, and reasons for playing may differ but, at some level, we're all fans of the medium - whether we're drawn to interactive storytelling, online multiplayer, indies, or multi-million dollar triple-A blockbusters, the games industry has grown through our passion, dedication, and dollars.
As a result, today is an exciting day for Sony fans - as the publisher is flooding the internet with marketing for the hardware and games (not to mention user interface). So, let's all put aside our differences for today and check out all of the exciting new experiences that Sony buyers will be pouring over this weekend (and into the next ten years).
If you haven't already, make sure to check out the PS4 launch trailer at the top of the page. The trailer presents a 3-minute breakdown of games featured on the PlayStation 4 hardware - from actual launch titles like Killzone: Shadow Fall and Knack to 2014 offerings that include inFamous: Second Son - as well as the usual "living room" shots of actual people enjoying PS4 entertainment on their couch.
While the trailer doesn't reveal anything new, given that a lot of the footage comes from previously released trailers (such as the recent inFamous: Second Son "Neon Powers" trailer) the video does a solid job of showcasing the range of experiences that will be available on the PS4 in the coming months - as indie titles (like Contrast) as well as free-to-play offerings (like Warframe and DC Universe Online) are thrown into the mix along with third-party projects like the highly anticipated (and subsequently delayed) Watch Dogs. For the time being, we're going to assume that the brief shot of The Last of Us DLC "Left Behind" doesn't actually mean Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic game is coming to the PS4 - and was merely included in the sizzle reel because the DLC teaser debuted at the very event that this launch trailer preceded.
New Killzone: Shadow Fall footage is also featured in the video - which gamers can view in context in the latest trailer for Guerrilla Games' flagship FPS title:
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Of course, if you're already sold on a PS4 and ordered your launch games of choice, then you're probably eager to get a thorough breakdown of how to actually operate the console. We've seen numerous images and videos of the console box itself, but considering a day-one update is required, gamers haven't been entirely sure what the UI will actually look like on release day.
Thankfully, Sony via Vice President of Network Entertainment, Eric Lempel, has put together a 9-minute video detailing the ins and outs of the PS4 user interface. Check it out below:
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Lempel covers a range of topics in the video from the improved "What's New" screen and PlayStation Store, game broadcasting, expanded friends lists, as well as profiles. A lot of the info will be pretty dry for anyone that isn't awaiting their own PS4 system but it's definitely a helpful breakdown of how the publisher has reworked the existing PS3 UI for the next-generation.
We'll have reviews of the PS4 hardware and launch titles going-up over the course of today (and the weekend) but, in the meantime, make sure to check out all our coverage of the PS4 - over at our PS4 archive page.
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The PlayStation 4 is available now in North America.
Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick.