PS Gold Wireless Stereo Headset Review

by. UnderBreex

  I was looking for a PlayStation 4 at the Sony Store. Since I need a new power brick for my Xbox 360, I don’t currently have a console for gaming. I was hanging around the shop and talking with two good friends of mine, hoping that there’d be a store employee available. After a few minutes, a young man asks if he could help me, so of course I ask for a PS4. The store rep returns from the storage room about five minutes later, and told me that the store had sold the last one the previous day, and no one knew when the store would be getting new units. And that was Japan’s fault, since the next day was the console release in that country. Gee, thanks Japan.

  We were somewhat disappointed because the three of us wanted to spend that weekend enjoying the new console and to top it off I’ve been sick. After hanging around the store for a while, chatting and looking at basically all their merchandise, the employee asked me if I wanted to buy some accessories for the PS4 until they restock the console. I didn’t see the harm in that, so the employee told me that the new PS Gold Wireless Stereo Headsets had arrived that day. I gladly took it, and after using it for a bit, I can give my personal verdict on how they fare.

  This new headset is priced at $99 at Sony stores and most other retailers. The box includes the headset, a mini-USB cable charger, a wireless adaptor, a 3.5mm headphone jack cable, and a carrying pouch. The first thing I noticed with these headphones was the quality of the plastics and the fabric around the body of the ear cups. Considering the fact that I wear glasses and use pretty big earplugs, I thought they were very comfortable, and the headband doesn’t mess up my hair too much.

  Then I tried putting the headphones in the accompanying carrying pouch. Most modern headsets can bend to fit carrying cases. In this case, these headphones give cause for concern that they might break when bent. You do get used to it after several attempts, though. They also have faceplates that you can use replace the default ones, or to customize your headphones. The left ear cup has every button that you'd need to fit your needs, such as to toggle sound and chat, the microphone, the power and audio switches, a toggle for virtual surround sound (VSS), volume adjusting buttons, a mute button, the mini-USB connector, the audio input jack, and a status indicator light.

  I tested the sound quality on a few platforms (PS3, PS Vita, smartphones, PC, and Mac). The sound was tested with inFamous, Grand Theft Auto, Tearaway, and a dubstep song (for the heavy bass). The quality with each scenario is excellent compared to other, sometimes more expensive, headsets on the market. It’s easy to hear every detail clearly, and the headset gives you a real perception of what's around you. Unfortunately, the sound bleeds at higher volumes, so others around you can also hear your music. The quality of the microphone could be better, but it’s definitely average.

In the end, I give this headset a 9/10.

Pros:

- Good quality for the price

- Excellent materials that don’t get in the way

- High quality sound

- Can be used with multiple devices

- Customizable

Cons:

- Microphone could be better

- Feels like it can break when collapsing to put in case

A game that should be rebooted or remade to come back

By Dr. Sparta

          As you all know brothers and sisters, it’s high time we saw some remakes and reboots. for adventures that were too farfetched or just too ridiculous for their time. Now, more than ever, would be the perfect moment to take a golden story from the past and return it with new spin to give it a modern edge. After Tomb Raider’s success and new re-releases on the new generation consoles, I ask myself: “What other game should make this leap once more?”

            As a fan of stealth and silent warfare www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiyRfj35S8k/, I can't help but miss one game in particular that actually should be rebooted. In this case, I mean Syphon Filter. Initially, the game started out as a very far away and very violent clone of Metal Gear Solid. Syphon Filter followed the extreme battles between Gabe Logan, who I liken to Jack Bauer with less  of a conscience mixed with some bio-terrorism. Sure it gave us covert missions, but it also gave us probably the bests shootouts in PlayStation One history. All in the name of justice and anti-terrorism, Logan and his handler (or Coms expert) Lian Xing went into scenarios severely outnumbered and outgunned and would single handedly beat terrorism one game at a time.

            From PlayStation One, it made a jump to one game on the PlayStation 2 and then to the PSP, but it ended there.  Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow ends with a cliffhanger. That last game was almost a decade ago, though. There is no way explain the frustration I have from how Logan's Shadow ended. I don’t know if Gabe Logan lived or died by those multiple gunshot wound with Lian worried over him, and that kinda hurts. I don’t usually beg but I'll make an exception this time. With Sony Bend being secretive about an upcoming action adventure game and to panic about it, them being the fathers of this series, I can't help but wonder if this magnificent series will come back or if it's all burned out.

            I smile as I remember how the taser would set a bad guy on fire, if kept on for too long. Or even how a shotgun could hold 25 shells, and if it it wouldn't reload you'd just find a new shotgun. And how glorious it felt to give those cowards with flak jackets a very bloody and rewarding headshot (which game so politely let players know when this was possible). And especially blowing up multiple enemies with a M79 grenade launcher and watch their bodies rain from the skies like Persian arrows! It's true they don't need to put it back in a new game, but it'd be great as an Easter egg somewhere, for a few laughs. 

            With that I take my leave fellow whales. I ask you, should Syphon Filter be brought back from its long leave? This is Dr. Sparta, recommending a strict third person EPIC play-through.

The NEW generation (2013)

By. DLaw

    As time passes, we say goodbye to the old and hello to the new. This year we are graced with the arrival of the modern generation of gaming with the PlayStation 4 (PS4) and Xbox One (that I shall call Juan since it’s easier than typing Xbone, X1, or something like that). Here I’ll present a basic review of both consoles while going into more detail about each of them in future articles.

   Design: In terms of design, both consoles look sleek in black, but in my opinion the PS4 takes this round. The Xbox One is big, built like a tank. It’s heftier than my laptop even, and that is saying a lot. Meanwhile, the PS4 is sleek, small and doesn’t weigh a lot, unlike the Xbox. The weight of the Juan is close to the original Xbox, which was released in 2001. For a console released in 2013, being gigantic isn’t a good thing; especially in this day and age where technology is much more powerful, but also comes in small and ergonomic packages. The Xbox One also includes a Kinect in the package, which is also huge and apparently necessary to properly use all available features in the system. I’m not a huge fan of the Kinect and I don’t think I ever will be, but even still I feel like its inclusion was forced. Once connected, the Kinect stays on and remains listening even while it’s supposed to be off and not listening. So gone are the days of playing in your underwear since the thing is always watching (creepy), and some games are affected negatively because of it. For example, cursing in NBA gets you technical fouls, and if you pause while playing Dead Rising 3, the Kinect will unpause the game if it hears something.

   Controls: Here I have a slight preference for the PS4 instead of the Xbox One. The PS4 controller feels much better, literally applying the concept of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, while making a few adjustments to better treat a gamer’s hand. The Xbox One, on the other hand, just decided to ditch the almost perfect design from its predecessor, the Xbox 360, and tried to go with a more modern look, which sadly hurts after playing for a while. The controller’s left and right Bumpers don’t feel sturdy enough for a shooting game, but that might just be me. On the plus side, the XBone already has available a fightstick for your fighting game needs. This was one of the reasons I got excited for a Xbox One since I’m a fighting game fanatic. The stick will be reviewed in a future article.

   Operating System/Dashboard: Here is where my real gripes begin. The Xbox One’s dashboard is horrible! It’s not user friendly at all and is even less detailed when you try to explore it. Up to the point of this writing, I haven’t managed to have a properly working party, and playing with friends is one of the main reasons people play video games. The design overhaul from the 360 to One is not very good in my opinion. I know that Microsoft tried to incorporate the Windows 8 design into the system, but it makes everything hard to use. Gone is the easy access to a store where everything is separated and you could easily decide what to get. Gone also is the accessibility of your game library if you have downloaded anything, and it’s not even possible to see your previous downloads, or maybe I haven’t found it since it’s so frustrating using it. I’m just sort of glad that opening a game is easy but when I try to play any of my downloaded games, it becomes a huge hassle and I lose all interest in even trying to play them.

   The PS4, however, went for a more iPhone-esque design. Everything you download and install, the disc you have inserted in the console, apps and more appear below with their own space like a block, BUT to access any other options not available in the main menu, you just press up and everything is a breeze to locate. The store keeps the same design from the PS3, while the system settings are on the far right. The notifications tab lets you know what you’re downloading and uploading, if you’ve received any messages, or unlocked trophies. These are basic changes that actually make everything enjoyable.

   

   Games: While it’s hard to believe now, the games, the granddaddy of them all, are still the reason you buy a new system in the first place, the basis for which you’ll go to a midnight launch. Unfortunately, the PS4 had a limited release on launch day and so far lacks exclusives like the Xbox One. There are still many games that are either free to play, or at least just fun, but they lack that hook to keep you playing over time. The Xbox One has more exclusives and the games are good enough to keep you coming back for more. The likes of Killer Instinct, Dead Rising 3, Forza 5, Ryse: Son of Rome and Crimson Dragon in the XBone were far more attractive than Knack, Killzone: Shadowfall, Warframe, DC Universe Online and Flower on the PS4. When comparing the games, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the Xbox One had the better launch titles, but since that was due to time restraints on Sony’s part, it could all change in a future!

  In the end, it all comes down personal preferences. My heart favors the PS4 because it’s simple and not much of a hassle to play what limited games it has. But my head knows that, since games are what ultimately matters, the Xbox One is the better console for now, with its much better game library as of launch, and of course Killer Instinct. I did say I was a fighting game fanatic.