I launched my PS4 the other day to see that there was a pending system update (1.7.1). I was so excited, thinking perhaps this was the much-needed update for DLNA and media support… unfortunately the update was a minor one and only addressed streaming issues.

Since owning the PS4, I’ve been pretty vocal about the disappointing new gaming console due to its inability to play MP3 (or even a Compact Disc!) or local media. It only does one thing well, and that’s to play games (which unfortunately there is also a lack of titles).

In conclusion, I believe the gaming system was rushed out the door before it was fully baked. I get it, they had to compete on a release window to match the Xbox, but it’s just very frustrating.

To me, if you’re just getting into the gaming market, I would recommend getting the PlayStation 3 for the superior gaming system. Sure, it’s not going to play games at full 1080/60 at the best graphics, but between you and me, it really doesn’t matter all that much. From my own personal experiences, the games on PS3 looks just as good as on the PS4. The only differences that I can tell is that apps and games launches much faster on the PS4, thanks to its beefier CPU and extra RAM.

Also, here’s another vote for the ability to download media onto your gaming console: over the Memorial Day weekend last week, I tried playing a movie that I bought on the PS4 and since their network was down, I was unable to view it. Fortunately, I previously downloaded the same movie on my PS3 (the PS3 lets you download videos from their store for offline usage) and was able to watch that film without any issues. Every time I see these network outages, I just have a little less faith in the ‘cloud’ mentality. Say what you will, but that’s a fair argument for investing in physical copies vs digital cloud version.

Comparison chart:

Compare	PS4	PS3	WINNER
Price	$399	$199	PS3
Game Titles	60+ games	1,700+ games	PS3
Hard Drive	500GB	60GB (current base model)	PS4
Game Resolution	1080p/60fps	720p/40fps	PS4
Remote Control	NO	YES	PS3
Blu-Ray	YES (HDCP must be enabled)	YES (with 3D)	PS3
DVD	YES	YES	TIE
CD	NO	YES	PS3
Media Formats (MP3, WAVE, MP4, AVI, Mpeg)	NO	YES	PS3
DLNA	NO	YES	PS3
Remote Control	NO	YES	PS3
Camera Addon	YES	YES	TIE
Multitasking	YES	NO	PS4
Browser	YES	YES (supports Flash)	PS3

As for Apps, PS3 offers more apps, including YouTube and HBO Go… however over time, I suspect PS4 will eventually catch up. The only ‘exclusive’ app on the PS4 that I like is the IGN app, which I do not believe is available on the PS3 (however, you can watch the same content on YouTube).

When it comes down to it, if you are a gamer that wants a PS4, you don’t care about the extra cost or limited games or media support… but just quickly looking over the comparison chart, you can easily see that the PS3, although an aging 8-year-old console, is, in fact, the better choice for the value and features. Especially because the old PS3 can handle and playback 3-D Blu-Ray and the PS4 cannot!

To argue for the PS4, I would like to add that they’ve massively improved the game controller. It has a built-in speakers (which currently only a few game titles uses this feature), and finger triggers… however, you can use the PS4 controller on the PS3!

Again, I should stress that this is as of June 2014. All this can easily be changed if Sony addresses many of these problems with future updates (which they have yet to announce.) Currently, if you are a music fan and want to rip your CDs to MP3s, the only option between the two consoles is the PS3.