Buying a PS4 just for Pinball Arcade

[funchords]

I've been playing Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection on my Wii and I just love it. It takes me back to days past and is just awesome. However, I've played the hell out of those tables now and I want more.

(I think) I'm buying a 500GB PS4 just for the Pinball Arcade, but there are a few things I want to check with you PS4 owners. I've never even seen one.

Any reason not to do this?

Do I buy the Pinball Arcade disks on Amazon (used from $15)? -- 20+ tables for $15, yes please! !

What else should I know or ask? What else should I consider?

The XBOX looked like a competing choice but the controller doesn't look as pinball friendly as the PS4 controller looks. Am I right about that?

Thanks

Robb, age 54 and loving the Pinball on the screen!!

 

[Jeff Strong]

Welcome! You're in for a real treat as the tables play much, MUCH better than the hall of fame and the graphics are of course vastly improved as well...and of course the sheer amount of tables is simply mind-blowing.

As someone who owns both the Xbone and PS4, I would definitely recommend the PS4. The controller is higher quality for sure. The sticks on the Xbox periodically stick in one direction for me (happens with two different controllers) and the sticks just feel cheaper in general.

As for the best deal, I'm not sure if it's cheaper/better to get the discs or not. Maybe someone else can chime in on this.

 

[lio]

Not sure how locked down you are on playing on a console but if PC is an option at all I'd go with that.
PC has the fastest and most frequent updates, you can run at higher resolution/image quality settings (if you've got a halfway decent video card) and the tabled are cheaper (steam sales etc.).
If you want console just for TPA I guess PS4 is better than XBox One (tables more up to date).

 

[psykil]

If you can go PC with a controller then do that. PS4 always lags behind by months and is frankly pretty buggy. Comparing to iOS the tables also seem to play slower, even after the recent update that moved them all to the new physics. The resolutions are lower (I can't read any of the text on the tables on my 55" tv but it's crystal clear on the ipad) and even the view settings seem to be different. The only reason I don't play much on the ipad is the lack of controller.

You should be able to find a low-profile media-center-type pc that can sit in your home theatre and run TPA for about the same cost as a PS4.

 

[neglectoid]

I bought a ps4 just to play the stern pinball arcade. im happy with my purchase. I did pick up a season 1 disc used off ebay for about 20 bucks and im happy with that also.

sorry to contradict good ole jeff here, but I think the ps3/ps4 controllers are pieces of crap. while they are more comfortable than an xbox controller, I seem to go thru about 3-4 controllers a year. either the trigger buttons go out or the 4 main buttons start to stick. (haven't had to much problems with the analog sticks) I use to think it was just my gameplay, or I just didn't take care of them as much as I could of, but I last controller I bought for my ps4 I took extra precaution and in less than 3 weeks the "x" button was already sticking. luckily I have found a way to get new controllers for a fraction of the price, since new controllers cost about $55 plus tax.

if you can find the discs for $15 on amazon like you said, grab em, that's a great deal.

 

[BBIAJ]

As an owner of both, I far prefer the Xbox One pad for pinball, as the bumpers are too spongy on the PS4, whereas they have a nice clicky feedback on Xbox One.

Also, the sticks on PS4 are prone to deteriorating, so I have caps on mine, as well as on the Xbox One.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Jeff Strong]

Yeah, I've also had problems with the rubber on the sticks wearing out. I still think the PS4 controller overall is better quality when brand new. Both my Xbone controllers drive me nuts when playing Madden for instance (the right stick will get stuck in one direction which is really infuriating when your running back is trying to juke lol).

I also agree with the guys who recommended the PC version. If you aren't interested in any other console games, it is the way to go.

 

[wolfson]

agree with Jeff on this.i bought the new XBOX 1 Elite controller , fixed all my problems , they cost $200 au that`s $150 us ,hair triggers and 4 paddles on the back . it leaves the old XBOX 1contrller for dead

 

[funchords]

Thank you all for your replies. I have read every one and taken in the information. Mucho appreciado!

You should be able to find a low-profile media-center-type pc that can sit in your home theatre and run TPA for about the same cost as a PS4.

Can you point me to something with equal or better graphics and play that you think would be roughly the equivilent price? $250 USD is what I'm planning on spending on the PS4. TIA

 

[wolfson]

funchords , sorry I did not answer your question the other day .I have all 3 PC , PS4 and XBOX 1. I love my consoles ,I only use my PC when I go away ,all though my PC does a great job graphics wise , I still use the consoles . bottom line is what would you prefer to use . also on console you can get for $80 au a year on XBOX LIVE and PLAYSTATION PLUS about 4 games a month for free. there yours as long as you have the subscription on going . whatever you select have fun

 

[Worf]

Playstation Plus games are crap. Don't get it for the games. They've been crap 6 months after the PS4 was released. Only get Playstation plus if you need multiplayer.

At least the Xbox Live Gold games are decent. But PS4 PS+ games have been crappy indie games for the past few years and not worth getting. Maybe there's one good game in the entire year, but it'll be cheaper to just buy it.

 

[Gord Lacey]

Totally off topic, but if you guys have PS4 sticks that wear out, just buy replacements off Amazon (or another site). I replaced mine in about 10 mins for a couple of bucks.

 

[Kratos3]

If you're interested in buying a console, then yes the PS4 is the way to go for TPA, IMO.

Also, PS4 controller is better than the Xbone controller.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BBIAJ]

This is purely personal preference here, but not only would I say that the bumpers (and d-pad placement), of the Xbox One controller are superior to the PS4's controller, but the newly redesigned Xbox One S pad, and especially the Elite Controller, are far superior to the PS4 pad, if you can afford one.

At the end of the day, the PlayStation controller has barely changed since it launched with the PSone 22 years ago!

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Jeff Strong]

I bought the Xbone S controller hoping it would fix my stick issue...it did not. Fast action games like Madden are literally unplayable for me. Never had that issue playing Madden on PS4, but one of my best friends only has an Xbone. I have a Cronus though so I need to set it up so that I can use my PS4 controller on Xbone.

 

[shutyertrap]

My 2 cents...

Know going in that with the consoles, you might only receive blocks of new tables twice a year. That also means bug fixes or game issues won't be addressed except for when those tables drop. I can't stress enough that you'd be better off purchasing the game for PC on Steam, but I understand if you don't have a computer that can handle it then it's a moot point.

I am a huge fan of the Dual Shock controller of Sony's, as it fits in my hand the way I like to grip a controller, which is very relaxed. With the Xbox controllers I always felt like I had to grip it more, and my hand suffered fatigue much sooner. With pinball, I need my left thumb to be able to use the analogue stick for nudging and with how I hold that controller, my thumb wants to hit the D-pad. I also have always preferred the shoulder buttons on the Dual Shock. Main point here is, it's a preference and one often formed by the type of games you are playing. If I were an FPS player, the Xbox controller would certainly be my preference. Oh, and I have my DS4 controller hooked up to my PC too!

As for buying a PS4 just for TPA, you are going to eventually check out some other titles. When it comes to PS4 exclusives, be sure to check out the Uncharted series, as well as The Last Guardian.

 

[tomwaits]

As for buying a PS4 just for TPA, you are going to eventually check out some other titles.

Don't forget Zen Pinball... not 'real' pinball, but there are a lot of quality tables.

If you're only interested in pinball, another option would be the PSTV. Graphics would be a step down from PS4, it probably won't see anything after season 6, and no Stern Pinball Arcade. But it's super cheap and can play Pinball Arcade, Zen Pinball, and many other games just fine. A lot fewer bugs in the Vita version of Pinball Arcade vs PS4 too.

 

[rehtroboi40]

My 2 cents...

Know going in that with the consoles, you might only receive blocks of new tables twice a year. That also means bug fixes or game issues won't be addressed except for when those tables drop. I can't stress enough that you'd be better off purchasing the game for PC on Steam, but I understand if you don't have a computer that can handle it then it's a moot point.

I am a huge fan of the Dual Shock controller of Sony's, as it fits in my hand the way I like to grip a controller, which is very relaxed. With the Xbox controllers I always felt like I had to grip it more, and my hand suffered fatigue much sooner. With pinball, I need my left thumb to be able to use the analogue stick for nudging and with how I hold that controller, my thumb wants to hit the D-pad. I also have always preferred the shoulder buttons on the Dual Shock. Main point here is, it's a preference and one often formed by the type of games you are playing. If I were an FPS player, the Xbox controller would certainly be my preference. Oh, and I have my DS4 controller hooked up to my PC too!

As for buying a PS4 just for TPA, you are going to eventually check out some other titles. When it comes to PS4 exclusives, be sure to check out the Uncharted series, as well as The Last Guardian.

IMO, the PC has the largest selection of available Pinball simulation games. If you want to go the legal route, you have TPA and SPA, Pinball FX2, Zaccaria, Timeshock Ultra, and many others. The last two are not on any console and I'm not sure they're going to be.

I initially supported the PS4 version of TPA, but was underwhelmed by the bugs and the fact that costly patches resulted in minimal support from FarSight. But at least with a console, there's less guesswork as to setting it up. I bought a new computer in early 2015, but had to get a new GPU in order to fully enjoy DX11 at 60 fps. But the PS4 does have it's share of great games to enjoy. It all depends on what you're willing to spend and what you're willing to trade off to enjoy TPA on the PS4.

BTW Mr. Trap, do you remember playing video pinball with the old NES/Genesis/or TG-16 controllers? You know, the left D-pad for left flipper and right button for right flipper?
Bonus points (or you're in your forties, like me) if you remember moving the 2600 joystick to use flippers.

 

[psykil]

Bonus points (or you're in your forties, like me) if you remember moving the 2600 joystick to use flippers.

Ah Midnight Magic. I played that before I knew what pinball was.

 

[mpad]

Look into steam boxes. Great little gaming PCs with console feel.