I should give this one star since I haven't seen my boyfriend since Christmas, but I can't say I have enjoyed the time alone, I don't have to share the remote, I only need to cook for one :) meanwhile he doesn't leave the "man cave" often, he LOVES the Playstation and this game, it was well worth the $ to make him this happy..and get this much free time Lol
*** at the time of writing this review this bundle was $443 I would recommend buying the console and game separately as you can find The Last of Us for PS4 for about $20-$25 now.
As a longtime PlayStation owner I was going to go with the PlayStation 4 over the Xbox One just because all my friends/family are PlayStation gamers.But if you're somebody was looking to get into the new generation of consoles is a few reasons why like PlayStation over the Xbox.
Reason one: the ability to swap out the hard drive and add 2+ terabytes of storage. The PlayStation makes it very easy to upgrade your hard drive and add more space. With most AAA titles measuring in between 40-50 GB your 500 gig hard drive gets filled up rather quickly. But you can easily upgrade the hard drive in less than 30 minutes something Xbox does not allow you to do.
You can get an upgrade kit with everything you need to do it yourself right here OWC DIY 2.0TB Drive Upgrade Bundle for the PlayStation¨ 4
Reason two: PlayStation plus is the same price as Xbox Live at $50 a year (you can actually score PlayStation plus around the holidays for about $35) the thing with PlayStation plus is you a lot more free games every month. And not just independent and cheap games but the really nice AAA titles. It really pays for itself rather quickly in free games Alone.
Reason three: it generally is a more powerful system than the Xbox One. Now I know many will debate this fact but as a hardware and tech guy I know the fact that the PlayStation is able to play games at a higher resolution than the Xbox one. But now that the Xbox One has dropped support for the camera it has a little bit more power under its hood. With that being said the visual difference is minor to the untrained eye but the PlayStation is a more powerful system nonetheless.
Reason four: the PlayStation TV at the ability to remote play your PlayStation to another TV in your house all for only about $60. To me that's pretty amazing that in case somebody is using the TV that your PlayStation is attached to you can go to another room and still play your games. I recommend getting the bundle PlayStation TV as it comes with a game and a PS3 controller all for only about $20 more.
Reason five: Share Play is a game changer for console gaming. Basically allows you to share your screen with someone else who is playing on a PlayStation 4 console. They can take control of your console and help you through difficult part. Or you can play two player game at the same time. It truly is magnificent and a feature that was only recently added to the console.
Those are just A few of my reasons why I went with PlayStation 4 over the Xbox and maybe a few reasons why you might want to also.
Thanks for reading!
PS the one drawback to buying a PlayStation is the PlayStation network really is not very good. It goes down every few months for a day or two and is been the target of many hackers. It goes down more than most porn stars. Sony is pretty good about reimbursing you with discounts and free PlayStation plus. Microsoft deftly has a better network for Xbox users and it's my only complaint now the PlayStation network has become a pay service.
Let's just start with this: it is completely your opinion whether Xbox one or PS4 are better. There are ups and downs for both, but the main reason you buy one or another is what your friends get. This is why I don't get on xbox ones people's case, and I hope they don't get on mine.
After saying that, I'll talk about the bundle. There isn't really anything special about the bundle. You save like 10$, but even that is not true. You can buy a ps4 for 400 and the game new for 42, so it's cheaper to go that way. That said, if you are a person who likes bundles, there is a Black Friday bundle which includes: A BLACK 500GB PS4, GTA V, and THE LAST OF US. You can get this for only 400$. My recommendation is to go for that, and if you don't like gta v you can just sell it.
Didn't save much money with the bundle, but the console is totally worth it, beautiful design, very comfortable controller, and the interface is awesome! after 7 years with the 360, i couldn't go on with the microsoft company because i would be missing awesome games like Uncharted or The Last of Us, SO... I'M SO HAPPY I CHANGED to SONY! I have played the game for some hours, and since i didn't played it on ps3 i cannot mark differences, but i can say the graphics of thsi game are out of this world, i was playing and i had to stop sometimes just to see how water travelled in the ground, it was just like watching a movie or seeing it in real life, and the story is awesome too, i sometimes think i'm in the game when i have to be walking extremely silent so zombies don't see me! I'm just so happy with this game and this console.. it's awesome!
Hmm no helpful reviews on Amazon for the Z2 (right now)..Lets Change that :)
Background: I've pretty much had every flagship last year, watched every review and waited for every single flagship before making my pick in the end it was between this and the G3.
Day:4? : Got used to the size of this phone, sometimes I still think it's kinda big but overall was able to adjust my best way to describe it is to think of it as a smaller phablet, the front facing speakers are awesome and make watching vids much more enjoyable worth the extra height. Battery life is good, I havent been able to kill it in 1 day under heavy use (for me) it lasts about a day and a half to 2 days for med to light use. I think 3 would be only very light use. Overall really happy, the headphone sound quality is very good as well best I've heard on a phone (have not tried any iPhones).
Update Date 2: I took off 1 star because the call quality is pretty bad I made 3 calls and spent about an hr each time the person on the other end asked me to move the a few times because they said I sounded muffled, it may not be a big deal to some people but it gets annoying having to reposition the phone 2-3 times during a call and asking is that better?
The included headphones and sound quality through the jack is excellent I would compare the headphones to $50-60 ones.
There is also a defect on my phone which is pretty common, there is a small gap between the left corner screen and the bezel, I will most likely return it and get another one without the gap. I'm not sure if the muffled voice thing is due to the way I hold it or because of the phone but I've seen other users have this issue on XDA while others don't.
Besides that the docking station imo is not worth the extra money, it docks on it's side which is cool but if you just want to pick up your phone or check a few things becomes kind of a hassle.
Sony UI has been very smooth havent had any issues
Here we go!
I've spent about 4 hrs with this phone and I have to say it exceeded my expectations. I was originally intending on returning the phone after the G3 launch event (ordered it before) but after receiving it I'm definitely going with this over the G3. My biggest concern with the Z2 was the size, I tried the Z1 and it was just too big and bulky for my tastes I wanted something smaller so I got the Z1c....but that was too small (hate it when that happens) so decided on giving the Z2 a try even though it's only a little big thinner. My first impression is that while the Z2 is big (I'm 5'7 and have small to average hands) it is manageable, does it fit as good as the G2..No but surprisingly it feels a lot better in hand than the Z1 which my hands hated. I'm not gonna say whether I think it's too big or not but I'd just say buy from an verified Amazon seller so you don't have to pay a crazy restocking fee if you don't like the feel.
I'm not going to bother with specs like ram and gpu honestly if you have any flagship form the past 2-3 years it should be able to handle anything in the app store, same goes for 2-3 gbs of ram it really doesnt make a difference.
Build quality...here's where the Z2 really separates itself from the competition, if you used any other of the Z's you know what you're getting but the phone's build quality is on par with the HTC One. It's 10/10 in terms of build quality and the best looking phone imo at the moment. It does have some heft to it and I wish it was a little lighter but it isn't a deal breaker or a con.
Size: A little on the big size but manageable, you're gonna have to do some finger stretching.
Screen.... Wow, as soon as I turned it on I was Wow'd, it's the best screen that I've seen on a phone while colors and how bright/vibrant something is (cough sammy cough) is personal preference I can easily say it's one of the best screens out there. Compared to the HTC One M7, S4, G2, and Note 3 I can easily say this is the best (to my eyes)
Speakers: Very good currently the 2nd or 3rd best speakers on a phone....the HTC One M8 is currently the best and it's a tie between the One M7 and the Z2. Keep in mind there are some software issues that doesnt let you use both speakers when the phones ringing or when it's on speaker phone so it's not quite as loud when you're not using it for media hopefully they release a fix for this in the future..... Come On Sony!
Camera: Wow...again, this is the 1st phone that I've used that I'm actually impressed with the camera quality I used the Z1 and Z1c which had the same lens and was pretty disappointed but after taking a few test shots I was very impressed. From many camera comparisons this and the S5 are considered the best cameras on the market depending on how you like colors in your photos ( I think the S5 looks slightly better but once again just personal preference).
Battery: Battery on this is a beast...from everything I've read the battery will last you 1 day under heavy use, 2 days under med and 3 for light. I've been using the phone like crazy installing apps updating the firmware, testing out camera, speakers, texting for 4 hrs and it's only dropped 15%. You should have no issues with battery life what so ever.
Waterproofing: If this is important to you and you're debating between this and the S5 get this...there have been reports with the S5 again that the waterproofing did not work as advertised and damaged the phone. Not sure how many but Sammy has had this issue in the past with the Active. I've never heard a Sony phone having issues with waterproofing yes you may have to deal with flaps but at least you wont have to deal with trying to get your device exchanged.
Conclusion: This is the best phone (alndthe most expensive) I've used if I had to rate it I'd give it a 9/10 only taking 1 star off because of the size (size may be an issue for some, may not for others). The main reason I chose this over the G3 was size...the G3 while beautiful is a bit wider than the Z2 and the Z2 to me is the absolute max I'd go in terms of width if I had bigger hands I might have gone with the G3. Right now there is no perfect phone for me they all come with some sort of draw backs but this is as close as it gets to perfection.....With all the flagships being released I can happily say my search for a phone is over, I'll be keeping this for the foreseeable future unless release a Z2 compact with a 4.7-5 in screen (fingers crossed)
Side Notes: There are a few different versions of the phone an Asia version that comes with noise cancelling headphones and a charging dock and a Euro version that does not come with the dock. I think the dock goes for about $30-50 on Amazon not sure but you might want to keep that in terms of pricing from sellers.
Might get a slim case, not sure how easily the back scratches but using finger stretching I worry that it'll slip out my hands on accident.
Important: From the reviews I've seen the white version as a staining issue where the sides of the phone stain when you put them in your jean pocket so you may want to check and due routine cleaning to prevent any permanent staining.
The cheapest I've seen this is 600 on a bay from a excellent seller. I was able to get it from a verified Amazon seller with prime for 670, worth the extra money since I used my Amazon card, no hassle returns and it came with the charging dock. (As of 5/28/14)
Feel free to ask any questions, I'll update if I find any issues or anything worth mentioning.
Amazing phone. But I'm disappointing, because I didn't receive the magnetic base. I received the phone in the original box, but I realized lots of free space inside the box because of some missing items.
Unfortunately I did not receive any of the cool accessories like the magnetic dock and noise canceling ear buds... But either way this phone is amazing beautiful screen and the battery usually lasts me 2 days with moderate usage also I'm not even rooted
I love this phone. Finally a decent camera in a cell phone! As a sailor, waterproofness matters to me, so I don't want to be opening the usb port all the time. It has taken some time for me to get used to the magnetic connector thing but now that I found those magnector cables (you can find them here on Amazon) I'm all good there. My phone came from Hong Kong, and sadly did not include the spiffy noise canceling earbuds. But that's ok, I found a set fairly cheap elsewhere so I'm good. I'm using on T-Mobile USA, and getting it up and running there was quite painless.
Absolutely the best phone I have ever owned. It is lightning fast, very responsive, holds a charge all day after heavy use, has the best screen resolution and color I have ever seen, great camera that is easy to use.
I can not say enough good things about this phone. I have AT&T and my monthly fees have actually gone down with having a larger data plan and no contract.
If I had any quibbles at all, it night be that the phone without a case is a very slick and slides due to the tempered glass back. I did however purchase MOTOMO case that fits snugly and solves this issue without giving up the good looks.
Most don't recognize the Sony Xperia z2 because it's more foreign. Like foreign cars, the Sony Xperia z2 is the best.
-the best! camera with 20mp takes gorgeous photos that kills those of the s5, iPhone 6 AND HTC m8
-The battery is excellent! Better than the top brands I have just named
-The screen is gorgeous
-Waterproof, not resistant, waterPROO
waterPROOF waterPROOF. There was a news story to prove it. This guy lost it in a lake for Two months, and went driving to find it two months later to find it still working perfectly.
Just face it, the HTC m8 is a close competitor, but it's just outmatched by specs. Any iPhone or Samsung is NO match. Thank You
Manuel A. Email: manuelallston9@gmail.com
I lost my S5 when I went jet skiing with my girlfriend (water damage). I needed a new phone. Being an android lover and lover of big screens and a major techie who loves being able to use my phone as a computer, I tried the HTC m8. It was really good but the camera sucked so I got rid of it. I tried the IPhone like my gf suggested and I didn't like the restrictive (but super smooth) iOS and the tiny screen. Then I thought about this phone and I decided to get it by looking at the spec sheet and the brand. Sony products I have owned have been great so it helped my decision. I can't believe I'm saying this but this phone is so much better than all the others!!!!! Seriously, I'd never thought I'd love another phone more than my S5 but I do! The camera kicks butt, the UI is mega smooth, the screen is gorgeous (it doesn't get super dim like my S5 though. The lowest brightness of my Xperia is 16nits as opposed to 4nits on my S5), the design is beautiful and useful (water proof in this rainy weather), and it's overall super slick and quick. I am VERY picky with my technology but this phone is amazing. I love it and it will easily be my daily driver for 2 yes. Then I will get the next Xperia. This is the first sony phone I've ever had and it didn't disappoint. It totally took out all competition from other flagships. To be honest, the only fault I find in this phone is the high low brightness problem I mentioned earlier. If you want a beautiful, powerful, durable, and big screen phone, you can't go wrong. I give this phone a 9.5/10 easily. If you have any questions, email me at newengland11@live.com!
Two parts to this review. First the seller, second the phone.
I bought from FGS Trading, they might of cost $5.00 more but was well worth it, I changed my mind and wanted a different color so I emailed them. They emailed back and told me if the could the would, and still make sure it shipped that day. Well they did, I switched from white to purple, because of some staining issues I found out about during some research done after the fact.
Also FGS sold me a phone that had over $80 worth of accessories, the sony magnetic dock, and the noise canceling headphone. What a great surprise, and well worth the extra $5 i spent.
This phone, the Sony Z2 D6503, wow. I am using a nexus 5 as my daily, and have a note 3, and Z Ultra as alternatives.
Size - The phone is larger, but coming from the nexus which has squared corners, its very usable. If you don't mind using the nexus 5 you won't mind the Z2.
Display - clarity seems the same as the nexus, but better that the note 3, and z ultra. The colors are so much better than the nexus5, and the Z ultra, and not near as artificial as the AMOLED on the note 3.
-processing power - even though it has the snapdragon 801 chipset, and the other 3 have the snapdragon 800, it feels about the same, if not a tad slower (the other 3 are all rooted and running stock KitKat) sometimes when I pull down the notification tray and i get a stutter.
Camera - I knew what I was getting, a 20.7MP sensor, but it still blew me away, I took photos with all 4 phones, the same photo, the Sony Z2 using superior auto, which yields an 8MP image, the nexus 5, and Z Ultra at 8MP and the note 3 at 13MP. The Sony destroyed them all, better color reproduction, more detail, and less noise, especially when cropped. All images where viewed on a 1080p 27" monitor. When I set the Z2 to manual and used the full 20.7MP setting I noticed zero improvement over the 8MP sampled pic.
Build quality - not quite to the level of my old HTC one M8, or iPhone 5/5s, but very much the same quality of the iPhone 4/4s and HTC one m7.
Sound - the front facing speakers are not any louder than the other phones, but the clarity is taken to a whole new level, but defintaly still below the HTC one both m7/m8, but remember these are waterproof. The Sony noise canceling headphones included from FGS Trading (model mdr-nc31e) are amazing, as good as any in ear buds I've ever bought or used in terms of noise canceling, and the sound quality from them is a few levels better than those typically included with phones(looking at you apple)
Battery life, both my nexus 5 and Z2 were at 100% at 10am, and right now it is 9pm, I'm sure I've used the Z2 30% more than the nexus over this time, and the nexus is at 40%, and the Sony at 70%, wow, color me impressed.
So far I love this phone, and I have owned the HTC one m7/m8, and the galaxy s3/s4/s5 (the s5 for 10 days, most over rated phone I have used) the Z2 beats the S5 in every way so far as I've experienced, but I didn't use the fingerprint scanner.
I hope they make a compact 4.5 inch version that still uses a 1080p screen, because I would buy that for my wife, as she loves this phone too(but uses the iPhone 5s currently)
Improvements - shrink the side bezels, the lg g2 did it. Get rid of the xperia link when you swipe up, as it shares space with google now, but is about 0.00001% as useful. Why go with the snapdragon 801 AB, and not the AC. I know its only 0.2ghz difference, but come on Sony why go 99% when making a flagship. Why have this amazing camera but not offer a duel led "true tone" style flash like my HTC one M8, or wife's 5s, and flagship, with best camera ever on a android device, why go 99%
I purchased the Xperia Z2 Factory Unlocked with International Warranty: I received the phone Yesterday. I've used the Sony Xperia Z and Z1, and I love both, In fact, I passed my older phones to my sister and my mom, because I really love it, and I didn't wanna sell my xperia's.
The display is big, but not too much... is perfect for me, bright and provides a feeling of naturalness, the view angles are excellent, and the level of darkness of the black color improves significantly. Thanks to the IPS RGB display (Z and Z1 have TFT displays)
The sound is AWESOME, comparing with the xperia Z and the Z1 (And all the galaxy's), this phone sounds terrific.
NFC's technologies work's Fine transferring Photos, music and other archives with other phones, my smart tags work well too.
I use a Sony 64 Gig SD card so total usable storage on the phone is about 75Gb.
Battery life is awesome! 3200mAh... I finish my days with 30 or 40% of battery
The better Feature: It's waterproof, like Z and Z1, The earphone jack is uncovered and doesn't affect the waterproofing at all. In my Xperia z I have to remove the jack cover for listening music, but no more... To prevent closing and opening this little covers I bought a Sony Dock
The 20.7 mp Camera is Awesome!!! and the secondary camera is better than Z and Z1 too. Photographs are utterly brilliant and very VERY fine detail, The Colors are so Natural, better than Galaxy S5, S4 and S3 that seems to use an Ultra artificial coloring.
I really like this phone and I have nothing negative to say. I bought it in Black, because my older phones are White... I have to change it... Is really beautiful, Gorgeous, and the materials are really amazing too, it makes me feel the heaven in my hands =). I think that the Z2 is the most beautiful and powerful phone in the market.
with 3Gb of Ram, and a 2.3 GHZ 801 processor, is SO fast, nothing negative to say... It's ultra fast
I ordered the phone from "WorldWide Distributors" because I emailed EVERY seller, to find the correct one that include the noise cancell headset and the dock in the phone box, this seller told me: "Yes it comes with both and has a 1yr manufactures warranty through Sony" then I did the purchase, and immediately I sent other e-mail to the seller confirming that the accessories was include in the box, surprisingly, The seller told me two days after: "Unfortunately, the phone does not come with the noise cancelling headset and the magnetic dock. We do apologize for any inconvenience on this matter". I had to talk with amazon and now Amazon have to refund the amount of the accessories that the seller offered me. This seller is a liar, and I'll never do transactions with them.
I live In Venezuela and the phone Works Fine in every Company, gets 4G (LTE) in Digitel (Unique with LTE, and is not so good =s)
If you're looking for the best 2014 phone, z2 is a great choice, M8 is also an excellent choice but isn't waterproof, that in my case, is not a choice, I really hated the Galaxy S5 when I hold it in my hands, so plastic, and the display and Camera have unrealistic colors
Sorry for my English Level, I hope you Understand
My fiancé and I bought these rings and they're perfect. We got our little saying to each other engraved in them and it came out nice. We love tungsten because it's affordable and still looks great plus it's practical! I can't wait to exchange vows and these rings on March 7!
This system has seen it all in a short amount of time as it pertains to controversy and scrutiny, but rest assured that it's a great system worthy of the price tag.
First off, when you power it up you'll notice the spectacular UI (user interface) that comes packaged in that delivers the Windows 8 OS-like setup. It's easy to to get to where you want, and it has a nice clean look to it. Very attractive.
If you buy the Kinect (optional) you'll be walked through a quick setup that'll have you ready to go in about a minute or two. The Kinect makes navigating the UI that much more simple if you don't mind talking to a device that is. I personally don't and it's so cool in action. It has a fair share of people who refuse to give it a chance ranging from tin foil theories of being spied on to feeling silly talking or moving around to have it function in specific games but the device is impressive.
But if you're not interested in the Kinect, you still have quick access to wherever by use of the excellent controller and it's "Menu" button, which was formerly the "start" button.
The Xbox One also allows for different apps to run simultaneously via a feature called "Snap". It's nifty if a bit cumbersome in certain areas.
There are a number of ways to use Snap, such as making a Skype call to a loved one or friend while watching Netflix, or playing a game and playing music through Microsoft's "Xbox Music" app. It's fairly intuitive and unique but they could use an update minimizing the sizes you choose to dedicate to it in my opinion.
Going back to the controller, it's hands down one of the best ever created keeping up the trend of great controllers for Microsoft systems since the Controller S from the first Xbox, leading the way to the second system's controller in Xbox 360's revered pad to now.
Completely comfortable and now a bit lighter due to the removal of the battery hump from the 360's pad as it's now within the body of the controller.
It now sports rumble triggers which vibrate and move depending on the game giving you specific feedback. A prime example is in Forza 5 where the triggers feedback rumbles while racing around and hitting curbs or other cars and it all feels so spectacular.
The controller features 40+ new improvements from the 360 controllers features which honestly had me scratching my head in what possible improvements they could add as it was already so good.
The only cons I can think of for the controller is the D-Pad, though improved from the 360's stiff and at times unresponsive D-Pad, and the fact that it still requires batteries (2) to operate, unless you purchase the "Play and Charge Kit" that comes with a rechargeable lithium battery, which I'd highly recommend.
Design-wise, the system is fairly large, though surprisingly lighter than I would've imagined. It measures 274 x 79 x 333 mm, making it longer and taller than a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox 360, so be ware that if you plan on setting this up in your entertainment setup to have a bit of space ready for it.
It has been criticized, and rightly so for it's less sleek design and "vcr"-like appearance and I can understand the criticisms, especially coming from the ultra sleek Xbox 360 design.
The system houses more than a few ports. It has all your standard nodes: ethernet, HDMI out, power, S/PDIF (commonly used for optical audio), dual USB 3.0 ports and an IR out. Additionally, there are two proprietary ports, one for hooking in the Kinect, and an HDMI-in, for use if you decide to plug in your cable or satellite signal. There's also a third USB 3.0 port found on the system's right side.
Within the box, you'll get the console (obviously), a power cable and adapter (a.k.a. the power brick), a decent headset, the headset adapter, an HDMI cable and controller with batteries. You'll also get a 14-day free trial of Xbox Live Gold. Fairly solid packaging for the price honestly.
You can record gameplay clips of your various adventures by using the systems "Game DVR" which is Youtube friendly and easy to use and if set up with the Snap function allows up to 5 minutes of recording which then goes to the systems "Upload Studio" which features a bunch of editing tools, and allows you to record a voice over commentary if you so choose. You can also share your stuff over Xbox Live for other gamers to view and rate.
Xbox OneGuide is a built in guide, you can navigate channels and search for specific shows, using the controller or your voice via Kinect as the HDMI-in turns the Xbox One into a cable box essentially.
It's fairly cool and extremely easy to use but as I learned, you need to have your Xbox on all the time while watching long with your cable box. It's not exactly an energy saver.
You can also use an app for tablets and phones called "Smartglass" in conjunction with this as a remote control, as well as send messages to friends, check uploading videos of yours, etc. if you have such a device. It's unique and a nice free little app if you choose to use it but not necessary.
For the systems core components, the Xbox One is powered by an 8 core AMD processor, backed by 8GB of DDR3 and 32MB of ultra fast ESRAM. For storage, there's a 500GB hard drive to keep your media, gameplay videos and game installs. Unlike the PlayStation 4, there's no swapping out that mechanical drive for solid state without some trouble, and of course voiding your warranty, though it's entirely unnecessary to begin with as another positive for the system is that they regularly update it and the newest update as of June 9th 2014, allows for external Hard drives up to 16TB's. You'll never run out of room in other words.
Speaking of the most recent update, there is no longer a need to have an Xbox Live Gold membership to access paid apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and such which was one of the smartest things Microsoft could've done.
Games. The system boasts some of the best exclusives at launch with many more recently announced and still being developed with some of the most breathe taking, air gasping visuals I've ever seen.
You have the ultra gorgeous Forza 5 for racing fans and aficionados, the life-like and beautiful Ryse: Son of Rome that top that list immediately.
You also have the killer apps in, Titanfall, Dead Rising 3 and the well received Killer Instinct for first person shooter, action/adventure zombie and fighting fans.
Future exclusives include...
The Master Chief Collection, containing all 4 Master Chief focused games from Halo 1-4, which includes the anniversary version of Halo 2 with improved graphics and increased frame rates, and over 100 multiplayer maps to fight with and against others on.
Halo 5: Guardians, which continues the epic tale of the Master Chief and Halo lore. A beta will be included in the MCC mentioned above that goes live later this year in December..
Quantum Break, which is a third person action adventure game developed by the creators of Alan Wake and Max Payne 1-2 with stunning visuals and from what has been shown interesting and unique gameplay mechanics controlling time.
Sunset Overdrive, from Insomniac Games, the creators of the Spyro, Rachet and Clank, and Resistance games, is an over the top action/adventure game in a colorful and vibrant city where you create your own character to take down zombie-like creatures who mutated from drinking this new flavored drink called Overcharge Delirium XT all while blazing around anywhere you want to go with flair and relative ease. It looks extremely fun.
Forza Horizon 2, The sequel to Forza Horizon, an open-world driving game where you get to sit behind the wheel of some of the world's most fastest and gorgeous cars. It's set in southern Europe, where a musical festival is taking place. A day and night cycle also brings with it a new dynamic weather system, so you could be tearing up the roads with the friends in your club when you suddenly have some wet roads to contend with.
Fable Legends, which is a new addition to the Fable franchise from Peter Molyneux's Lionhead Studios. However, this game is different to the previous titles, as its bringing co-op play to the forefront of the experience and not directly tied to past Fable lore.
Scalebound, developed by Platinum Games, creators of Bayonetta which apparently features a character in the vein ofDante from DMC, who uses a dragon to help take down various large screen filling monsters.
Ori and the Blind Forest, which is a beautiful 2D side-scroller which sees you playing as a white guardian spirit named Ori. Inspired by classic games of old such as Metroid.
Phantom Dust, which was a game released in Japan on the original Xbox back in 2004, and later in North America in 2005. Created by Yukio Futatsugi, who directed Panzer Dragoon on the Sega Saturn, Phantom Dust was set in a post-apocalyptic Earth where a dust that covers its surface renders it an unlivable wasteland. A few humans, Espers, have the ability to harness the dust, meaning they can survive on the Earth's surface and leave their underground homes. The Espers search the wasteland to find clues to how the planet became the way it is.
And last but not least, Crackdown, which had two releases to varying results on the Xbox 360 was announced which is more or less, Saints's Row 4 with powers and fully destructible environment.
The system has it's share of flaws, such as not being as powerful graphically as the main competition in the Playstation 4, but the gap isn't so wide that it's worthy of a con.
If you were reluctant to try this before with the Kinect, all of your worries should be alleviated with this Kinect-less version here.
The Xbox One is a great system and well worth a purchase.
I bought the signature edition of the HP Stream 7 from the Microsoft store after stumbling upon this device on a few tech blogs. At first I was mystified because of the low price! A full WIndows 8.1 tablet and 1-year free of Office 365.... all for $99??? I have other tablets (Nexus 7 2012, Nexus 7 2013, Ipad 3rd Generation, Kindle Fire HDX 7 and a Barnes and Noble Nook HD+). I know it is silly to have so many devices especially when some go unused for months at a time but eventually I pick them all up and use them while others are charging. The only thing missing from my collection at the time was a Windows tablet. I heard horrible things about RT and other full-Windows tablets were a little pricier so I thought maybe this would be the one thing I could not have. I have seen other "budget" Windows tablets recently but the reviews have been horrible. I decided to give this a shot because the early adopters raved about it. I have had this baby since November so I will give my insight on it now.
When the device arrived I was excited and tore into the box as soon as I could. Normally I hate to unwrap my tablets until my case and screen protectors arrive (ALL my tablets are still pristine), but I could not wait on this one. On first observation there was really nothing flashy about the look and feel of the device. It was boxy and somewhat thicker than most newer 7-inch tablets of recent memory. When picking it up you will notice the weight of this thing. It is heavier than all my small tablets for sure but it felt solidly built! There was a little flex when pressing on the back of the device but that I owe to the fact you have to pry the tablet open to access the micro-SD slot to expand the memory (which was an awesome add-on because Windows can take up a decent amount of storage). All in all I was happy that this budget device did not feel cheap (way to go HP).
It came with a good charge on it when I powered it on and it immediately began setting itself up. It transfers all of your settings (including your screensaver) if you have a windows laptop or desktop. I thought this was pretty awesome as it looked like a mini version of my Lenovo laptop after it finished setting up. I was pleasantly surprised with how crisp the screen looked. I guess things look pretty decent on a 7 inch screen but still for a budget tablet the screen quality was nice. Using the device was also a pleasant experience. Many people have complained about a lack of touch screen responsiveness and the text being too small to be productive. Though the latter argument is valid I still do not have much trouble navigating the text at all. The Windows store is still lagging far behind all the other major operating systems out there but all the ones I generally use are there (Netflix, C-Net, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, etc). Movies playback fine without any lag. I have heard reports of weak Wi-Fi but the only time I have seen this is when I try to use my job's Wi-Fi which sucks to begin with. At home this thing is zippy fast. Another negative I have heard is that since this device only has 1GB of RAM then it will be sluggish if you have too many things running. Since it is such a small device I can't imagine doing anything hardcore on it so I haven't had a sluggish moment yet. I have had 3 web pages, Netflix and a social app running with no troubles. So performance wise I have been thrilled with the decent graphics and snappy performance. I do not do any gaming on my tablets so I can't comment on how it handles graphic intensive games.
Now for a few negatives. The first was beyond the device's control and that was initially the lack of decent cases and screen protectors. It tok a month after for actual products to become available on Amazon. I chose a lime green Infiland case with removable bluetooth keyboard that came with a free OTG dongle cable (it plugs into the power port and has a USB plug-in). With the OTG dongle I plugged in a wireless mouse and with the keyboard case the HP Stream 7 becomes literally a mini-laptop. Using a wireless mouse makes it A LOT easier to navigate around the device. A LOT. Using the mouse makes clicking on small font a breeze and zipping towards the corner of the screen to activate many of Windows operating features is a breeze! So the first negative is technically solved. The second negative is the battery life. While using the device it does seem to drain somewhat fast but I expected this due to the cost cutting HP had to do to keep this thing budget. The battery is not the best in the world but it lasts the way I expected. My Lenovo laptop is the same way so I was not turned off by the shorter life. What I was apprehensive about was the way the battery drains when the device is NOT turned on. My other tablets can be turned off for a month and still have a decent charge when I finally do pick them up again. The HP Stream 7 I noticed dies after being turned off for a couple days prompting you to have to recharge it again. If you just hibernate this thing without turning it off then it is curtains EVEN faster than that! I suggest shutting down the device after every use and always carrying the included charger with you at all times in your bag, man-purse, pocketbook etc. just in case. The device charges a little slow but not bad when you use the proprietary charger. i have heard horror stories of people using 3rd party chargers or chargers from other devices that make charging painfully slow. So now I carry my charger around so it is not that big of a deal.
My final negative is one that caused me to almost return this device. As many people have reported when you are using headphones there is a very loud and constant static/buzzing noise. I generally always use headphones because I have never been fond of any tablet's speakers (thought the Kindle HDX 7 is good). When I plugged my headphones in I heard the noise right away. it would come and go depending on what I was doing. When just navigating webpages (and being lazy to take them off) I will hear the static. If I am watching YouTube videos or Netflix and I am watching quiet scenes or low speaking scenes I can really hear the annoying background static. If I am watching things with decent sound, action or just watching anything loud you will not really notice the background static as much. I contacted HP about this and they offered sending me a new device. I waited for the new one to arrive and when it did I set it up and plugged my headphones in and same problem. I am thinking this is an effect of the cost cutting measures to keep this device at a competitive price. I decided to return the second tablet HP sent me and keep the first because the HP device had bloatware on it that my original Signature edition was free of. I am dealing with this unfortunate sound issue but this would be the biggest negative about the device in my opinion.
Overall for the money you pay for the HP Stream 7 you are getting a great device for your buck. It is fully functional, built solidly, offers a great quality screen and graphics, and allows for expandable storage AND ability to use OTG cables to add a wireless mouse or even keyboard. The flaw with the battery and sound is daunting but with the free Office 365 for a year (in which you can also activate on a desktop/laptop as well) makes this a definite must-have for those wanting a Windows tablet or for people looking to gift a loved one with a tablet that allows them to enjoy entertainment and be productive at the same time.
