Unlike most of my blogs this is not a rant. Since the PS2 we have seen revised versions of one console every generation. This current generation perhaps has the larger variety of console systems we have seen. Some are revised for economical reasons, others sport improved hardware and size whatever the reason, its very likely we will all see a revised version of the PS4 or the The X1.
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The Xbox 360 in particular had a whole bunch of hardware problems during launch and several revised versions were released each having a slight advantage over the other. Wifi capability was an external accessory that had to be bought till they were internally built into their later "slim" models.
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The PS3 on the other, came out a year later and didn't quite have same amount of problems as the 360 but there were a few notable ones. The revised models were more streamlining and getting rid of features and ports that were unused considerably lightened up the console. It wifi was already built in from the first model so its strange to say that besides in the inclusion of the HDMI port, more was taken away than put in.
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Over the few years, time and surviving gamers in their natural habitat, has tested these various revisions to prove their value. They maybe cheaper but does the machine hold up? Over the years I have tried out several different versions of the PS3 prior to owning one. Talking to many owners of the original versions and the latest ones and it seems not all the revisions on the PS3 side were improvements. The original fatboy versions (with and without the PS2 hardware/emulation) and the latest slim models seem to have problems with some of the newer titles. However, there seems to be certain models that have stood the test of time well and have yet to encounter any issues. Which version of your console do you like the best?
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Unfortunately, I wasn't able to try any other versions of the 360 before my purchase as I had the rarest of luck to have found a whole 360 bundle (bag, controllers, wireless kit, games etc) for 50 bucks. It was the first 20 gb model that had no HDMI port and had started showing its age. I recently sold off my 360 to take advantage of some gamestop deals that allowed me to get 4 new titles in return. So I will leave the 360 vote up to you guys.
My Answer:
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I have now owned the first slim model that was released. It looked like smaller fatboy model chopped in half. This baby is a clear winner in my eyes purely for its endurance and surviving the greatest hazard a system can have... me. I take off my non existent hat to the CECH-2000. This baby sports nothing special, in-fact it has less capabilities than the original and two simple USB ports for the controller. Why do I like this so much? I want my system to play games and this one does it with no questions ask. The key word for me is "stability", not once has this baby acted up, if there were any errors it was from the software side of things (games). While the some of the original models were struggling to play titles like The Last of Us, this baby was purring like a kitten. This one was one and true purchase and fairly late into the game, but I like to make sure I tie up my past games on the PS2 before making the jump so I don't miss playing any PS2 games.
PS4 predictions:
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Its still really early but you can always trust the stupidity of a few to ruin features for the rest. I can imagine the the slim version (if it can even be shrunken down any more) may have better support for external video capturing devices and hopefully external storage as well but could have a limited capacity for media sharing with twitch. Since the camera is not bundled into the package, the playroom might also be removed as well as reduction of the OS memory space. I can also see the glossy finish being removed for a more stain resistance cover (hoping its not matte). I would personally like to see Sony make a PS4 shaped like the CECH - 2000 with a lightstrip going across the side. Its not terribly imaginative but it would look cooler than this rhombus. Also I think the current PS4 is roughly the same size as a generation 1 slim.
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The One is harder to make any guess on. Seeing as how MS is trying to go for a more sleek and sober (read mature) look, I don't see them making their revised models anything other than the boring old rectangular shape. However, fans will always find a way to make a custom version of the device. Since the KInect 2.0 isn't going anywhere, it might be possible for MS to integrate the camera directly into the system itself making it one device and less wires. There will be a few features removed with the kinect (I can imagine being a part of a console would do much to diminish its capabilities) making it a little less sophisticated than the current one but also cheaper in price. I am also hoping the dash board stops concealing available space and memory and manual controls for management, hopefully this comes in sooner than the revisions.
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