On Wednesday (20th February), Sony launched the PS3 successor in a controversial way-launch in absentia. The PS4 will redefine rich and immersive game play coupled with high speed and powerful graphics, integrated social capabilities, intelligent personalization and innovative second-screen features. The PS4 will also have a cheaper production cost compared to its predecessors. The new PlayStation will run on a generic hardware unlike the PS3 that ran on chips that were specifically designed for the Sony console.
Integrated social capabilities
The PlayStation 4 console will completely revolutionize how you interact with your friends while you play. With a single press on the DUALSHOCK 4 controller’s “share” button, PlayStation 4 will allow you to instantly share images and videos of your favorite game play moments on social sites such as Facebook. You can use Ustream for real-time broadcasting while you play; this gives your friends a chance to comment or jump into your game in new ways.
Fast ‘suspend mode’
With PlayStation 4, you will also access your games quicker than ever before. The “suspend mode” on the PS4 eliminates the load time on your saved game and allows you to immediately return to where you left off by pressing the power button.
Using the PS4, you will be able to immediately play digital titles as they download as this device has background downloading and updating capabilities, you will also be able to update the system when the hardware is powered off.
PlayStation App
Sony also plans to introduce a “PlayStation App” for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices that acts as a second screen, giving way for unique game play possibilities such as viewing maps during an adventure game or remotely watching friends play during an epic battle—right from a smartphone or tablet.
Memory
PS4 will pack 8GB of unified system memory, with a “highly enhanced” PC GPU “containing a unified array of 18 compute units that will be able to produce 1.84 Teraflops of processing power that will be used for graphics, simulation tasks, or some mixture of the two”.
Cloud Services and networking
PlayStation cloud services will be rolled out gradually in phases; the aim of this is allow players to access all their favorite PSone, PS2 and PS3 titles.
Integrating the PlayStation Network with Gaikai technology, PS4 will make it easier for players to play their favorite games and access content wherever they are. PS Vita is the ultimate companion device for PS4 and as a long term plan, Sony wants to ensure most PS4 games can be played on the PS vita, therefore you will be able to transfer your favorite games from the big screen TV to the PS Vita over Wi-Fi.
Supports even 2nd hand games!
Through this new console, users will be able to play most second-hand games. Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida said that restrictions would in the end hurt Sony if its console blocked used games and competitor consoles from Microsoft and Nintendo while the two do not restrict their consoles. Sony fears that if they did restrict used games Microsoft would take advantage of Sony’s prospective decision by marketing that its own next generation did NOT block used games.
The Games!
The future of PlayStation is all about great games and entertainment. A partial initial lineup for PlayStation 4 includes first-party games from Guerilla Games (Killzone: Shadow Fall), Sucker Punch (inFamous Second Son), Evolution Studios (Driveclub), and Japan Studio (Knack), as well as titles from partners such as Activision/Bungie (Destiny), Blizzard Entertainment (Diablo III), Capcom (Deep Down), and Ubisoft (Watch_Dogs).
