Should I Buy A PS3 Now Or Wait For PS4?

[rekhyt]

(I did see the should I buy/sell thing but I have a number of new questions.)

News about the PS4 is few and I'm thinking about getting a PS3 right now-I've been mainly a PC gamer but recently PC game development has dwindled and so far Assassin's Creed 2 for the PC (Or the Mac) is a disappointment. Is the update to PS4 coming very soon? I don't want to buy one and find out months or half a year later that I should've waited.

Should I get a PS3 now then? (Also, will it work with a desktop monitor? I sometimes travel.)

Also, how big is the learning curve of using a PS3? I'm mainly used to using WASD for MMOs and some RPGs, using the mouse and WASD to aim for Call of Duty, and the arrow keys for racers like Need For Speed.

Thanks in advance,
Rekhyt

[DoFoT9]

the PS4 wont be out for a long long time. buy a PS3 or wait a good 3+ years.!

[Miharu]

PS4 won't be released for many years... Sony has said that the PS3's lifespan is 10 years. I wouldn't expect any official PS4 news before 2012.

[rekhyt]

I might be going boarding after a few years, so I'm not sure if now is a wise time to buy a console. What do you guys think?

[DoFoT9]

I might be going boarding after a few years, so I'm not sure if now is a wise time to buy a console. What do you guys think?

BUY BUY BUY!

buy an old PS3 for cheaper. its what i did!

[Taustin Powers]

What they said - PS4 is many years away!

Learning curve is pretty easy...if you can handle a PC, you can most definitely operate a PS3.

I've heard of people using them with PC monitors, never asked for details though. I assume if it's a high resolution monitor with an hdmi input, it's smooth sailing. Any other connection types, I have no idea.

[rekhyt]

BUY BUY BUY!

buy an old PS3 for cheaper. its what i did!

That's a good plan. But is it any good to play with a 17 or 21" desktop monitor if I might go boarding though?

(And how's the learning curve? It seems so perplexing on how to play it. There are so much buttons on it and it seem impossible to use all those buttons. There's two joysticks which keep your thumbs occupied, and then some other buttons, ...)

[MacRumorUser]

That's a good plan. But is it any good to play with a 17 or 21" desktop monitor if I might go boarding though?

Most new LCD monitors have HDMI input, or you can buy a HDMI-DVi cable.

[sammich]

That's a good plan. But is it any good to play with a 17 or 21" desktop monitor if I might go boarding though?

(And how's the learning curve? It seems so perplexing on how to play it. There are so much buttons on it and it seem impossible to use all those buttons. There's two joysticks which keep your thumbs occupied, and then some other buttons, ...)

Surely you have a good mate to let you have a go on his PS3 to see how well you get acquainted.

[MacRumorUser]

Surely you have a good mate to let you have a go on his PS3 to see how well you get acquainted.

If he's a really good mate he might let you have a go on somthing else.
Comes in handy in boarding school :D j/k

[DoFoT9]

That's a good plan. But is it any good to play with a 17 or 21" desktop monitor if I might go boarding though?
dont have a screen that size, but as long as it takes HDMI or you have a hdmi->dvi converter you will be fine!!

(And how's the learning curve? It seems so perplexing on how to play it. There are so much buttons on it and it seem impossible to use all those buttons. There's two joysticks which keep your thumbs occupied, and then some other buttons, ...)
the buttons are fine! sooo easy to get used to. you could even install PS3 Media Server on ur mac and stream movies/music from ur mac to your PS3. :D its what i do.

[rekhyt]

Surely you have a good mate to let you have a go on his PS3 to see how well you get acquainted.

Well errrr... Most of my mates have XBOXes or PSPs. I have one with a PS2 but I think there is quite a difference between the 2 and 3, if I'm correct.

[DoFoT9]

Well errrr... Most of my mates have XBOXes or PSPs. I have one with a PS2 but I think there is quite a difference between the 2 and 3, if I'm correct.

the controllers and buttons are basically identical! (apart from L2/R2 which are now pressure sensitive). but yea other then that they are the same.

[MacRumorUser]

quite a difference between the 2 and 3, if I'm correct.

Yep graphically at least. Basically if you can get one, you will have a blu-ray player along side a console to take with you. Whether or not that is much use to you once in boarding is dependent on study, access to purchasing games / movies etc.

None of us can tell you what is right for you at the end of the day. There are plenty of internet sources where you can find all the information pertaining to the PS3.

You know your life, your wants, your desires, your financial circumstance - better than any of us. Let that information be the defining factor in whether to buy or not, and only you can answer that.

There is nothing more to say on the matter really.



Let this be added to the should I buy thread sticky and ended before it turns into a console flame thread as inevitably they do.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=407837

[sammich]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of FPS on the PS3, not a big fan of joystick aiming.


Aside:
If he's a really good mate he might let you have a go on somthing else.
Comes in handy in boarding school :D j/k

Well, I am not in short supply of those jokes as I went to an all boys boarding school, one with some history to back it up with.

(@drummer: the school you'll recall that several teachers did naughty things to kids a while back)

[mreg376]

Wait for the PSi5.

[DoFoT9]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of FPS on the PS3, not a big fan of joystick aiming.
yup same here, so hard to use! i still play COD on it tho...


Well, I am not in short supply of those jokes as I went to an all boys boarding school, one with some history to back it up with.

(@drummer: the school you'll recall that several teachers did naughty things to kids a while back)
your talking to me? if so, i think i do recall ;)

[SchneiderMan]

PS4 are you kidding?? Buy the PS3 already..

[dukebound85]

ther has been no news concerning the next gen consoles

[Dagless]

ther has been no news concerning the next gen consoles

Well... http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3152746

MRU put it best

You know your life, your wants, your desires, your financial circumstance - better than any of us. Let that information be the defining factor in whether to buy or not, and only you can answer that.

[macfan881]

I say its atleast a minimum 5 years before we see a PS4 My predictions we will see the following in order.

PSP 2
Wii 2
xbox 720
ps 4

[DoFoT9]

I say its atleast a minimum 5 years before we see a PS4 My predictions we will see the following in order.

PSP 2
Wii 2
xbox 720
ps 4

720? what a crap name haha. i hope it doesnt indicate the next step in resolutions! (1080p).

by then we will be hopefully at 4320p!!!!! *preys*

hmm doubt that.

[Nermal]

720? what a crap name haha. i hope it doesnt indicate the next step in resolutions! (1080p).

I'm sure that MS will want to tie it into Windows 7 like they did with the new phone OS. So, my prediction is "Xbox 7 Series".

*preys*

:eek:

[rekhyt]

Alright, that sounds good. I think I'm going to go with a PS3 then. (The free online features are also awesome too.)

How are the controls of the PS3 though? I played a PS2 before on a hack-and-slash game but I'm not sure how FPSes and games like Assassin's Creed 2 which requires a degree of accuracy in the controls can be played with a joystick.

[Dagless]

720? what a crap name haha. i hope it doesnt indicate the next step in resolutions! (1080p).

by then we will be hopefully at 4320p!!!!! *preys*

hmm doubt that.

I hope the next gen can run flawlessly at a constantly at 1080p! Instead of just UI's and a select few games. Lets master current HD first ;).

[macfan881]

Alright, that sounds good. I think I'm going to go with a PS3 then. (The free online features are also awesome too.)

How are the controls of the PS3 though? I played a PS2 before on a hack-and-slash game but I'm not sure how FPSes and games like Assassin's Creed 2 which requires a degree of accuracy in the controls can be played with a joystick.

if your familar with the ps2 controllers there the same thing imo just wireless.

[DoFoT9]

if your familar with the ps2 controllers there the same thing imo just wireless.

agreed

[gkarris]

Well... http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3152746

MRU put it best

Sony's Harrison: 'Amazed' if PS4 Has a Disc Drive
What about these Blu-Ray discs, then?
By Luke Smith, 08/08/2006

This just in: Blu-Ray is dead.
Pardon the hyperbole, but with senior Sony executives speculating that the PS4 (yes, you read that right) may not use a disc format as the company is at the cusp of rolling out future proof technology, it's not exactly a ringing endorsement of the proprietary disc format's staying power.

Phil Harrison told Wired that he would be "amazed if the PS4 has a physical disk drive." In fairness, Harrison was talking about the emergence of electronic distribution (something Sony's mastermind Ken Kutaragi has championed previously), but that doesn't change the back-handed slap to the Blu-ray format.

The likelihood of being done with disc media after this console cycle (yes, the one that is about to finally begin sometime this fall) seems a bit much -- the feasibility of downloading complete experiences like Halo 3 is severely limited by Internet availability and access.

That's funny...

Talking with the local videogame stores, that's what Sony and MS and Nintendo are sort of "warning" them - the next generation of consoles will not have discs - they will require an internet connection to download the software, or even store the games "in the cloud".

The heavy DRM is better as when you buy a game - it's yours and you can't resell it or "trade it in" for something else. The console companies end up making more money - no physical media and they sell copies to each person, rather than someone buying "used".

The stores are unhappy about this as it will make them obsolete (unless they cater to us retro collectors).

[Dagless]

Oh I doubt the next gen consoles are going to remove the optical drive. I mean how much do they add to the cost of a device? Wasn't it $2 for the Wii? We're safe with our optical formats until internet capabilities improve.

[Huntn]

the PS4 wont be out for a long long time. buy a PS3 or wait a good 3+ years.!

My thought too...

[DoFoT9]

My thought too...

i only bought my ps3 in december. all my consoles have been purchased a good 2/3+ years after they have come out. it just seems the logical thing to do! you get to see any potential competition and whatnot, and how the market reacts. my n64, ps1, and ps2 were all bought in this manner as well.

i purchased the older, bigger ps3 design (so i could rip BDs mainly hehe) and saved quite a bit because the store wanted to get rid of it! i suggest that the OP tries the same thing.

[ChixChopstix]

The PS4 when it comes out will have bugs and tech trouble. Playstation give 10 years to each system so there will be games out for at least 6 more years.

[airwalke]

I hope they don't go disc-less. I know that's what they want to do, given the move to abandon a physical game format for the PSP Go, but hopefully it's rousing success (:rolleyes:) will send a message to Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo that people would still like physical copies of their games. The few exceptions where a download-only format has worked has been the App Store (because the games are so relatively cheap) and PC digital download services like Steam (because PCs require installation anyway, digital downloads just streamline the service).

It would also be absolutely foolish for Sony to completely abandon the Blu-ray format, given that the telecoms in the US would all cry collective fouls if their users were suddenly downloading super high-def movies all day, every day.

[MorphingDragon]

I hope the next gen can run flawlessly at a constantly at 1080p! Instead of just UI's and a select few games. Lets master current HD first ;).

A lot of games actually run at SD scalled up and with FSAA etc applied to make them look HD.

[ARF900]

Next generation consoles are years away, the PS3 slim and project NATAL confirm that.

[MorphingDragon]

Next generation consoles are years away, the PS3 slim and project NATAL confirm that.

Gimmics like the Wii, the iPet and project Na(y)tal need to come into terms with is that people come home and play games to relax, not to flail your arms around like an epileptic child with ADHD

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Definitely wait. The PS4 will be out any day now, that's why there's been so much news about it lately...:rolleyes:

[TheSpaz]

Definitely wait. The PS4 will be out any day now, that's why there's been so much news about it lately...:rolleyes:

I see what you did there.

[TheDrift-]

I hope the next gen can run flawlessly at a constantly at 1080p! Instead of just UI's and a select few games. Lets master current HD first ;).

Learning to use the thumbstickd can be tricky, ive seen my mrs try, find a good game and stick to it, you will soon master them, (might be best learning to use them offline, unless you like losing/dieing a lot!)

I'd reckon complete say 1 FPS (first person shooter) game you will be well on your way.

[jaw04005]

Sony just commented on this topic:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=236634

[sam10685]

Wait for sure... why would anyone buy futuristic technology now when the next best thing is just a few years away?... :rolleyes:

[make15]

IMO just wait for PS5 :D

[Tucom]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of FPS on the PS3, not a big fan of joystick aiming.

That's why you get one of these: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/109/1095425p1.html ;)

[chanerz]

Just get the PS3 now! I don't think they will make a PS4 soon.