PlayStation 4 Gets Massive Launch FAQ, Upsetting Revelations

We’re just a couple of weeks out from the launch of the PlayStation 4 and, in order to get everyone ready for the big day, Sony has released a massive FAQ answering just about every questions you could possibly have concerning the system. There’s some good news, some not-so-good news, and a few surprises.

Honestly, I have to give kudos to Sony for unleashing a PS4 guide that covers this many bases. Thankfully, they don’t pull any punches here or beat around the bushes too much. We’re talking about mostly hard yes/no answers with a bit of explanation where needed. The unfortunate thing is that several of these announcements have taken quite a bit of wind out of my PS4 hype sails.

Just about everything you could ever want to know about the PS4 has been covered in this FAQ, covering categories that range from the system size and launch lineup to the controller, additional peripherals, download requirements and additional info on PlayStation Plus benefits. But, like I said, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It seems like Sony hasn’t fully learned their lesson following what went down with the Xbox One during this year’s E3 press conference. Sony execs took the stage at their own show and strutted around all sorts of wonderful stats and figures concerning their upcoming console. There were a few things they neglected to mention, however, which are only now coming to light in the form of this FAQ I’ve been going on about.

As I said, the post is massive, but anyone planning to get a PS4 or considering a purchase will want to give it a full read. There’s a lot to digest, but it’s all been laid out in black and white for your full consideration. I’ll do my best to touch on some of the biggest announcements here.

First up, the hard drive is 500GB, but you can replace it with a larger size if you like, just like with the PS3. We already knew that, but we didn’t know until today that games will frequently require a large chunk of cached memory. Killzone: Shadow Fall, for instance, requires 50 GB. That means that you’ll only be able to keep a small collection of games in your regular lineup without needing to constantly delete that cached memory to make space for new titles. I, for one, am already shopping around for a bigger hard drive to install before ever booting the thing up. And did I mention you can’t use an external HD this time around? Also, you can no longer stream content from a home server. Lame.

The PS4 won’t have a power “brick,” which is good to hear, and supposedly runs quieter than the already quiet PS3. As stated during E3, you’ll be able to buy, trade and rent games to your heart’s content. But, again, they’ll likely eat up lots of hard drive space.

The PS4 can’t play CDs and has no support for MP3s. If you want to listen to music in the background (or at all, apparently), you’ll need to get Music Unlimited. Another odd restriction is that you won’t be able to upload your saved videos to Youtube. That’s for Twitch only.

The PS4 and PS3 will be able to communicate, but only through text. Your trophies and profile, however, will carry over just fine. Some games may even allow the PS3 and PS4 communities to play together, but that’s up to the developers.

Again, this is only scratching the surface. Give the FAQ a read if you want all of the nitty-gritties. Much of the “negative” news won’t have an impact on the average gamer, but it can be upsetting for those who utilized certain features on the PS3 and won’t be able to do so with the PlayStation 4.