PlayStation 4 Announced!

The PlayStation 4 Officially Announced!

Since early 2012, rumors have surfaced about Sony's next generation successor to the PlayStation 3, starting with claims that the new console would be called Orbis. Ever since then, speculation on Sony's intentions with the upcoming console ran rampantly.

Fans originally speculated the console would lack an optical drive and believed that it would greatly hinder backwards compatibility, causing concerns that Sony would overlook this feature with the upcoming console. In addition, Sony also had previously expressed interest in stopping the used games market by tying new games to your account, making it impossible to use the game on a different console or account. The specs of the PlayStation 4 have constantly changed, as inside sources and leaks provided new information on the hardware, accessories and even games.

Since the announcement of Orbis, it seemed like the rumors would never end. However, the time for rumors is finally over; at the Feburary 20th, 2013 PlayStation event Sony held in New York, the PlayStation 4 has finally been announced complete with several details.

PlayStation 4 Announced!At the PlayStation event, Sony announced that the upcoming PlayStation 4 console would sport what they call a "Supercharged PC Architecture," featuring an Enhanced PC GPU, 8GB of RAM for improved speed coupled with an X86 CPU. The system memory is also sporting GDDR5. Sony states the system will also feature a hard drive, but did not give specifications. Considering the specs that Sony announced for its console, it's safe to say that it will definitely be a considerably more powerful console than the PlayStation 3.

One new feature of the PlayStation 4 is that it has a suspend feature, similar to the Vita. When the power button is pressed, the system suspends play and relaunches right where you left off when you turn the system back on.

As previously speculated, the new controller for the PlayStation 4 console, dubbed the DualShock 4, comes with a Share button that will record and upload video when pressed while playing a game along with allowing you to browse live video of what your friends are playing. In addition, it features a touchscreen that serves as additional input for new gimmicks in supported upcoming games, a headphone jack and a lightbar to easily identify players.

Sony then went on to reveal its intention to redesign the PlayStation Network and the PlayStation Store in general, specifically looking to make the store more accessible by allowing you to play games while they are downloading. No information was given on whether the PlayStation Network will remain free or the future of PlayStation Plus.

In an effort to focus more on social integration, Sony announced the friends network on PS4 is now based on real social networks, such as Facebook and Ustream. Your PlayStation Network account will draw from your social networking friends list and use real names. The PlayStation Network will now recommend games based on what you previously played. One new feature is allowing a friend to take over your game online to help you get through a tough part you're struggling with.

Remote Play is a big part of the system, allowing you to transfer in-progress games from the PS4 to the PlayStation Vita. This technology is being powered by Gaikai. In addition to Remote Play, Sony is experimenting with using the Gaikai technology to stream PlayStation 3 and older games via the PlayStation Cloud. While not officially announced, it sounds like the PS4 is not backwards compatable with *any* previous PlayStation console.

In addition to the DualShock 4, the PS4 will also have support for the PlayStation Move.

The lineup of games that will release on the PlayStation 4 console is also a rather exciting group, consisting of the following titles:

Watch the full Playstation 4 Event:

Major questions were left unanswered, however: Will the PlayStation 4 use physical media? What is the cost? What is the release date? Sony states that we will learn the answers to these questions in the coming months, such as at PAX East and E3.

We will continue to bring you more news as Sony unveils it, so continue to watch our website for the latest news, rumors and developments on the PlayStation 4!

Article by - Joshua Phillips
Insert Date: 2/20/2012

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Comments

PS4

Submitted by Anonymous on

Not able to play PS3 game, no longer using disc(possibly), then no sales. Congratulations sony for MESSING UP WHAT WAS GREAT.

The article failed to mention

Submitted by Anonymous on

The article failed to mention Sony's solution for backwards compatability. If you own the ps3 disc you can just download the game onto your ps4. Thus removing the need for expensive extra hardware.

controllers

Submitted by Anonymous on

When the hell are these consoles going to create a decent controller like the "Spaceorb 360". leagues beyond anything coming out these days, and this was 10 years ago.

PS4 Social