220°
3.0

Toms Guide: Sony PlayStation TV Review - Mediocrity Awaits

"The PlayStation isnt exactly broken, but it is compromised, semi-functional and in dire need of more content."

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tomsguide.com
RG_Dubz3863d ago

"The device does not support 1080p resolution, and actually defaults to 720p — which is arguably better for games"

Highest level of stupidity confirmed.

gangsta_red3863d ago

Would you rather see the PS1 and Vita games in glorious 1080p? So you can see every flaw from an age old game possible?

Cupid_Viper_33863d ago

It has become so easy to spot when a website is hungry for hits. As far as the gaming industry is concerned, the review system is complete mess. There is absolutely no standard approach, beyond just putting out inflammatory headlines and scores to rile up clicks.

There is so much inconsistencies and double standards flying around nowadays. This review for instance talks about the fact that the PS TV is "just a paperweight" without the controller. Yet this device, like the PS Vita, is being marketed mainly towards people who already own PS devices. In other words, the reviewer chose something that the vast majority of the consumers won't have a problem with. Then he proceed to complain about the complicated nature of a gaming controller<-------like WTF?

In order for any review to be successful and relevant, it must first and foremost always keep in mind the target audience. Otherwise, you risks sounding like the idiot who wrote this review, in other words, ignorant.

Lastly, if 'The best way to describe the PlayStation TV is "half-baked."' You would think that the review score would show a 2.5/5 <----- Half-Baked right? Nope, there's also a need to exaggerate, otherwise, how else do you get people to click on your poor review?

I'm not even going to touch on the "resolution" bs he brought up in the review because it is simply too obvious how stupid he sounds.

porkChop3863d ago

Higher res would result in less rough edges though. So the games would be slightly easier on the eyes.

PS TV is a media device, and modern media is 1080p. Not supporting 1080p is a bit disappointing.

Volkama3863d ago (Edited 3863d ago )

You'll be seeing them in 1080p regardless, you can't change the number of pixels on a screen. The only difference is that the TV will handle the upscale, instead of the Playstation TV.

That's possibly a good thing if you have a TV from the last 2 or 3 years as most upscale very well, but older models aren't necessarily so good at it.

Ju3862d ago (Edited 3862d ago )

I'll be getting mine today. So I will reserve judgement. I don"t care about the resolution. I have it on a second screen which is a piece of crap anyway and all I want it for to extend my gaming and media streaming. A little bit disappointing in this regards are the missing media apps. I fully had expected Netflix to work - at least. The only second account I have is Amazon (Prime), which doesn't exist on the Vita. But Netflix does. So, this must be a licensing deal if anything. I hope Sony can sort this out, soon.

The alternative is Google TV (which isn't quite out yet) or FireTV, which this thing actually competes against - and Sony tries to redirect the focus on gaming and remote play instead of a fully media device. Understandable, given that it beats both in the gaming area - but with other type of games - and yet can't compete on the media level. And while the hard core games on the Vita/TV twarf those on those google devices, it also makes it quite apparent that the Vita platform must evolve: mobile devices exceed it technically now. 2GB and a faster GPU/CPU could make a Vita2 feasible ASAP.

As long as Sony makes money with the PS4 and this thing - if yet too powerful - will simply eat into the big platform sales - a Vita/TV is good enough to hold off GoogleTV/FireTV for a while (and is actually a nice expansion if you already have a PS4).

BTW: I got a 64GB mem card and this changes the game dramatically. The Vita either needs a 64GB build in card or the cards need to get cheaper - much cheaper. You get so much more (instant) choices with all games in one place.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3862d ago
Anon19743863d ago (Edited 3863d ago )

Well, by all means, can these guys point me to another gaming console that has a library of classic and modern games and that acts as a PS4 extender for under a hundred bucks. Because if there's another product out there that satisfies these needs in that price range, I'd love to see how it compares to the PSTV.

"You could drop $100 on the PlayStation TV and pat yourself on the back for getting the cheapest Sony console around. But if you can afford a Vita, or even a PlayStation 3 instead, do it."

Holy crap, this guy just doesn't get it. This is a budget priced device. Just like Sony makes high end and low end stereo receivers, of course if you can afford the better ones you're going to have a better experience. This is no different. PS4 is their top end device. PS3 is their mid-range gaming device. The Vita is their portable offering. The PSTV is a budget priced console and PS4 accessory. Every single one of these devices has it's place in the market. Comparing the Vita to the PS3 to the PSTV...they're all different gaming devices designed to appeal to different markets.

Again, if these guys know of a better device that manages all these needs for under a hundred bucks, by all means, run a comparison. In the meantime, it doesn't have all the functions you want for $100? Are you kidding me?

As a PS4 extender alone this is worth $100 to me. I probably spend more in a month on coffees.

Death3863d ago

And if you don't have a PS4 what do you do with it? Like you said, this is a budget device. Many that are looking at it as a cheap way to play Playstation games would be better off with a PS3 or Vita for a few bucks more.

Ju3862d ago (Edited 3862d ago )

Hm...I am not sure if that's so easy to say. I recently sold my PS3 (moving) and I was inbetween of getting this or another PS3 - I still have a lib to play there. ANd given I added a 64GB card and no controller the PS TV is actually more expensive than the PS3. I was close on the edge getting me a PS3 instead - sans remote play, but with the media playback - for $199. I think, eventually to make this an entry level device it must be _complete_ at $99. This includes a mem card > 8 GB and a DS4 controller. Else, and if your focus isn"t remote play, a PS3 just make more sense as an entry level console. Imagine Sony would add remote play - which they could do easily - to the PS3.

Back-to-Back3862d ago

If you like artificating, then yes a higher resolution would be better.

Fullmetalevolust3863d ago

It is a bit maddening that it doesn't have netflix, nor hulu plus...but if someone bought it for the vita games and the psn games/psone/psp and the psnow library then there's that incentive.
Other media will roll out.

Transporter473863d ago

Kind of sucks that some apps are missing, but i am sure they will roll out in time.

ThunderPulse3863d ago

If SONY gets NETFLIX on there it will probably sell a few more units.

Concertoine3863d ago

I have like 5 different ways to watch netflix, who needs another one?

Rogert3863d ago

why this doesn't have apps such as Netflix and Hulu Plus out of the box makes no sense at all.

uth113863d ago

I hear it actually has those apps, but they are disabled if you launch them. WTF?

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70°

Twitch App launches on PS Vita in Europe

The Twitch app has arrived on the PlayStation store for both the PS Vita and the PlayStation TV, due to hardware restrictions you will be unable to broadcast from the device however the app enables Vita and PlayStation TV owners to watch streams without having to use the browser. The app itself is 16.7MB and requires a Vita Memory card

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rectifygaming.com
Razzer3239d ago (Edited 3239d ago )

but.....vita is dead.

/s

140°

Sony discontinues PlayStation TV in US and Europe

If you’ve been holding off on buying a PlayStation TV but were planning on picking one up eventually, you better get moving.

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noobfeed.com
Forn3367d ago

If I could play EVERY PS 1/2 game along with PSP and Vita games I would have bought one.

miyamoto3366d ago

If only they put an A/V out cable on the PS Vita like they did with PSP.............. instant micro console for my 46" HD TV. Save Sony multi millions of dollars.

I told Shuhei Yoshida that was the way to go but they wouldn't listen.

KentBenMei3365d ago

It can play most and it is cheap. I hear you but it's a sweet deal, it gets hate for not being perfect which is unfair.

NarooN3366d ago

Why introduce it and then discontinue it like two seconds later? Lol wow.

XanderZane3366d ago

Because no one was really buying it. They even cut the price in 1/2 and PSTV's were just collecting dust on retail shelves from what I've heard. I wonder what they will do with all that overstock in their inventory? Well the Atari 2600 ET games have been all dugged up, so they can now bury this waste of hardware in it's spot. Oh well. Glad I didn't waste money on it.

TheColbertinator3366d ago

Too much hardware on the market. Sony needs to avoid Sega's mistake back in the 90s.

If Sony intends to compete with a focus,trimming out unprofitable hardware and features is quite efficient.

rezzah3366d ago

Plus casuals wouldn't understand what this is. this is more geared towards core gamers who wish to play older games, but it doesn't contain all the games they wish to play.

ZeekQuattro3366d ago

Surprised it lasted this long. Not even a name change made a difference.

The_Truth_24_73366d ago (Edited 3366d ago )

Sony really dropped the ball on this one. It couldn't even do Netflix and they killed the YouTube app.
Got one on day 1 and I've only used it a handful of times. Freedom Wars is what's keeping it from collecting dust recently.

Kribwalker3366d ago

Not to mention I can't get mine to stream the ps4 well in a room 20feet away......I bought one so my kids could play the ps4 in the other room, but it doesn't stream well

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100°

Why Did We All Tune Out of PlayStation TV?

Push Square: "When the PlayStation TV was announced, this author was on holiday. It was poor editorial director Damien McFerran that was left to man the fort during an explosive Tokyo Game Show press conference, which also played host to the reveal of the PlayStation Vita Slim. It was big, big news at the time, with the microconsole in particular drawing plenty of plaudits."

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pushsquare.com
ArchangelMike3367d ago

This is the problem with Sony Playstation, fingers in too many pies. Just focus on games and supporting the platform you already have out there. They are letting the PSVita die a slow and painful death, and instead of investing in it, went to come up with PlaystationTV? Surprise, surprise! Sony didn't support that either!
When will they learn that gamers just want to play good games?

get2sammyb3367d ago

I agree that sometimes it feels like they're spinning too many plates. I do think this was an experiment, though, so you can't really blame them.

Junebug3367d ago Show
FamilyGuy3367d ago (Edited 3367d ago )

wtf are you talking about? The Playstation TV was a console version of the vita. It didn't need its own support when it just played vita games. I'm not a handheld sort of gamer so its release was a welcome edition to me. A mini hmdi out port on the vita would've been nice but the PS TV was a cheaper option. It gave me the opportunity to play some of those monster hunter-like games that the vita was getting that weren't showing up on the PS3 or PS4.

Seems like you have no idea what the system even was

Seraphim3367d ago

I don't think that's the problem at all. I see it twofold. One being necessity and the other being confusion. Necessity in that who needs it for Remote Play, to play Vita games on their tv, and so on. Confusion being exactly that. What is it? What does it do? And so on. Guess there could be some other issues. Price. Marketing. Price wasn't terrible but back to necessity. Do I really to spend that much for this and is it really useful to me. Lack of marketing. I bet a vast majority have no idea this product is available and if you were to ask gamers what PSTV was they'd think it's some video service offered by PS they never heard of.

I think it's a great concept. Back when I was a kid this would have been fantastic. With the price drops I have considered picking one up for $40-50. My problem is I really have no use for one. I don't have a spare tv anymore and even when I did I never really had any desire to game on it. I have my setup. Secondly most Vita games I enjoy playing on the Vita. Though some it would be cool to play on the big screen so I might have just talked myself into buying one.

rainslacker3367d ago

They brought out PSTV before they abandoned the Vita. The PSTV by it's very nature could have bolstered the Vita install base, thus making it get more support.

While I agree, Sony did fumble support for VIta in general in the West, it wasn't because they happen to bring out a different version of the Vita...which only expanded the market base for the system.

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3367d ago
isarai3367d ago

Well many reasons, a hefty chunk of vita games are incompatible, memory cards are still pricey as hell, doesn't come with a controller which is required, doesn't stream netflix even thou standard vita does, and most of all people really aren't that interested in playing handheld visuals on a big screen. Especially now that every vita game is also getting a ps4 release, sony is really just slowly but steadily turning the knife they stabbed it withat this point

gangsta_red3367d ago

It was a great idea, just executed very poorly. Hardly any exposure and not enough support.

Just another peripheral in a long list from Sony that has been unsupported and eventually dropped. This is why people should be cautious about PSVR.

u4one3367d ago (Edited 3367d ago )

it was a solution for a problem that didn't really exist. if you own a ps4 (or a sony smart tv), you already have the best features of the pstv anyway. if you own a vita, then you have vita games, and they can be streamed via ps4. as a media streamer, it was a joke and could in no realistic way compete with Roku, Apple, Google, Amazon etc.

as for psvr - i really hope it succeeds, but you're right. a product needs a reason to exist and people need a reason to want it. same thing kinda happened with kinect as well.

donwel3367d ago

Vita games can be streamed via PS4?
PS4 games can be streamed to Vita through remote play but I've never heard it the other way round.

ziggurcat3367d ago

it also didn't help that not all vita games were compatible. I bought one thinking I would just play my vita titles on my TV, but I honestly haven't used it at all - it's my own fault for not really researching it thoroughly enough!

rainslacker3367d ago

I think it's execution was fine, just it didn't get much exposure in terms of marketing. I mean, even when the price dropped to a point only a hater could argue it wasn't worth it, the thing barely sold.

I think some people found it redundant. Some found it less capable than the handheld.

Mostly though, I think Sony had a great idea, and then didn't bother to make it into a better device as time went by. All their efforts went to PS4, and new compelling features...although probably redundant on a game console, never made their way to the device to entice the more mainstream casual customer to choose it over something like Roku or AmazonTV. Rather silly really, as much of the success of the PS1 and PS2 was due to how they made it more appealing than other devices which did the same thing...except the PS1 and PS2 could also play games.

user66660473367d ago

I'd take one of these for 3DS games.

3367d ago
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