Sony has just announced the strongly-rumoured PlayStation 4, the company’s next gaming console to succeed the successful PlayStation 3 that was launched way back in 2006. Interestingly, the two-hour announcement did not show off what the new PS4 even looks like.
However, there are several interesting details about the upcoming gaming console, such as the new DualShock 4 (well, what else were you going to name it?) controller, the PS4’s ability to stream legacy games, as well as the new camera that also tracks the movement of the DualShock 4 controllers. Oh, and Diablo 3 will be available as a PS4 title.
Head on after the break to find out more.
While there isn’t any tangible hardware for the world to see, Sony has briefly announced the PS4’s hardware internals. The PS4 will feature a “supercharged PC architecture”, featuring an x86 eight-core processor and 8GB of RAM, PC-style GPU as well as a “massive” hard drive. It will also feature a quick suspend/resume system simply by pressing the power button, bypassing the long boot-up times that are the norm with today’s PlayStation 3. The PS4 will also sport a dedicated chip that handles uploads and downloads, even when the power is off.
Also, like the Steam gaming platform, users can download PS4 titles and play them as they are being downloaded. In addition, users can also try out a game before purchasing them on the PlayStation Store. Legacy games for the PS1, PS2 and PS3 will not be compatible with the PS4, but will be playable on the new console via live streaming – Sony is planning for a greater deployment of this streaming service to allow older PlayStation games to be playable on any device. Also, there is some good news for PS Vita owners: you can play PS4 titles on your Vita via the “Remote Play” function, in line with Sony’s long term goal of making every PS4 title available to play on the Vita. The company is also touting an “integrated gaming experience”, where gaming does not end when you leave your console, and instead accessible on other Sony mobile devices.
On to the one piece of PS4 hardware that was shown off. The DualShock 4 controller features pretty much the same ergonomics as previous DualShock controllers, but with the addition of two new buttons: “Share” and “Options”. While the latter button is self-explanatory, the “Share” button allows users to instantly share a screenshot or video of the inevitable epic gaming moment with their friends on PlayStation Network. Also, another new addition of the DualShock 4 is the capacitative touch pad, as well as a “light bar” that can not only be used identifies individual players, but also works with the new PlayStation 4 Eye camera that tracks the motion of the controller. Finally, there’s also an integrated headphone jack built into the DualShock 4.
Socially, Sony is banking a lot more than just being able to broadcast videos and screenshots in real-time. PS4 gamers can now spectate games being played by others in real-time, as well as joining games that other friends are currently playing, a la Steam. Companion apps are also available on mobile devices such as smartphones to, among others, view recently uploaded videos. In addition, Sony also mentioned that the PS4 has support for Ustream and Facebook. In addition, users will also get notifications whenever their friends purchase a title on the PlayStation Store.
Naturally, some titles were also announced that will be available when the PS4 eventually launches. Ubisoft’s “Watch Dogs” and Bungie’s “Destiny” were already known PS4 titles, but Sony has also announced a new “Final Fantasy” title for the PS4 and will be demoed at the coming E3. Other confirmed titles include “Killzone: Shadow Fall”, “Infamous: Second Son”, “Driveclub” and “Deep Down”. Interestingly, Blizzard has announced that “Diablo III” will be available for the PS4 and the PS3.
Unfortunately, seeing as the PS4 was not to be seen anywhere during the announcement, there are no concrete details on availability, other than a “holiday 2013” time frame. Pricing details were also not revealed. The company is expected to show off more on the PS4 in the upcoming E3.
