Eight years after Sony launched its PlayStation 3 at the E3 conference, we are ready for Sony’s new gaming console that the Japanese company is expected to unveil tonight at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. As our wait for the next-gen console enters the last few hours, we present you a compilation of all the data we gathered on the console in the last few months.
Specifications
From what we’ve reported before, the PS4 is expected to be powered by an eight-core AMD x64 processor along with AMD’s Southern Islands GPU. This architecture, reports suggest, is cheaper than the cell structure on the PS3 which should help Sony keep the price down. This architecture is also said to be capable of rendering games at 4K resolution and support 1080p 3D graphics, which could be a strategic move considering Sony is planning to release its first 4K TV, the XBR 80-inch LED TV.
The Controller
There have been a lot of things said about Sony’s next-gen DualShock controller which is expected to feature a small touchpad in place of the Start, Select and PlayStation buttons on the current controller. This touchpad is said to be based on the technology used in the PS Vita’s rear touchpad and will also have a new ‘Share’ button that will allow users to share screenshots and video online, in order to incorporate more social gaming aspects into the new machine.
The Games
One of the biggest deciding factors when buying a gaming consoleis the range of exclusive gaming titles associated with it. Sony has come up top in this regard with its massive exclusive titles like Grand Turismo, God of War, Shadow of the Colossus and many more. The Internet has been abuzz about potential new titles like a new Gran Turismo, Unchartered 4, Last Guardian, LittleBigPlanet 3 and many more. All eyes will be on Sony to reveal what us gamers could expect in the coming year or two.
It is rumored that PS4 won’t be backwards compatible as the next-gen architecture is different to PS3’s cell structure. That said, another report has stated that Sony will utilize Gaikai’s (a company it bought last year) cloud-streaming technology to enable backwards compatibility so gamers can play PS3 games on their PS4. Exactly how this will work is unclear at the moment and hopefully we will find out more about it tonight
Price and Release date
Reports have suggested that the next-gen console will be cheaper than what the PS3 cost when it was launched and should retail around $350 (Rs 18,900 approximately). The exact price is likely to change or remain the same, depending upon when Microsoft launches their next-gen Xbox. Reports have also claimed that the console is likely to hit retail markets in the US and Japan by Christmas, in time to compete with Microsoft’s new Xbox. However, it further claims that the console won’t launch in Europe until early 2014.
