• Posted December 11th, 2013 at 11:54 EDT by Michael Harradence

The Lows

PSN overload

This is to be expected, but still a bit of a pain in the neck for early adopters. Due to the amount of PS4 users logging into Sony’s online service, PSN suffered some frustrating downtime, meaning users were unable to play online or indeed download the necessary patch to get their system up and running to its full potential. The company aimed to improve the situation for the European launch, and to some degree was successful; however, users still reported various issues and overall PSN proved to be in a bit of a mess on launch day. Fortunately, the issue was quickly resolved.

PS4 hardware hiccups

While not reaching the stratospheric failure rate as the Xbox 360, PS4 did run into a few hiccups with hardware at launch. Fortunately, the failure rate clocked in at about “under 1%” according to Sony, a mild increase from the original estimation of 0.4%. Still, as small as this figure is, it still means that a number of consumers were met with non-functional and/or dodgy PS4s at launch -- never a good thing when you’ve forked out hundreds of dollars/pounds on a new gaming console. The issues varied, with some users reporting outright systems crashing while others experienced niggles with HDMI connections.

Criminal rampage

Unfortunately, the launch of any new swanky piece of technology - be it a games console, iPad, laptop or TV - brings out the worst of humanity as criminals endeavour to rob some poor bugger of his new possession. Sony’s PS4 is no exception to this trend, and much like the PS3 before it, the launch of the console was plagued by some reported robberies over in the U.S. Specifically, an individual who was making his way home after purchasing the PS4 was robbed by two suspects, who were soon apprehended by authorities after a brief chase. The PS4 was discovered at a nearby apartment. Over in Kansas, a group of thieves barged into the home of Jordan S. Vincent, 22, at 1.30am and made off with his new PS4. More alarming is that a few weeks after the U.S. launch, a man who was attempting to sell his PS4 was shot and killed.

Let us know your thoughts on the PS4's launch below.

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