Sony Reveals PlayStation 4

It was probably the worst-kept secret in gaming, but Sony finally revealed quite a lot of information about the PlayStation 4. One of the biggest reveals was probably that the system would in fact, be called the PS4. But there were many others.

Todd Hargosh is working on a column for Friday that goes into all the details, and also what was left out of the presentation. But for now, this is what we know about the PS4.

  • It will be called the PS4.
  • There is a new controller called the DualShock 4 which will ship with the PS4. Every console will also have a built-in sensor which makes the pad a motion device. The whole thing will be tracked by a camera that looks a bit like a Kinect. Sony is calling the new setup a Light Bar.
  • Each PS4 will have always-on video recording, so that if you make a killer move and want to share it with friends, you can send them the video.
  • The PS4 will have a sleep mode. If you turn the console off, it will remember exactly where you were, and resume play right away from that point.
  • The online service that goes along with the console will allow for icons and anonymity like it does now, but the main network will use real names and links with major social networks. It was mentioned that the PS4 will likely import your friend’s lists from those social sites, automatically linking you in with friends from the real world.
  • The PS4 will not be backwards compatible with PS3 games. However, Sony is using the Gaikai Cloud-based online service, which should allow PS3 games to stream to the PS4 eventually.
  • Not a lot of specific specifications were given, other than what system architect Mark Cerny called a supercharged PC architecture. That means the PS4 will have an X86-based CPU, an enhanced PC-based graphical processor and 8G of memory. It will also have a secondary processor which will be used to enable game downloads and patches while a user is still playing.
  • Over 70 companies from Square to Activision, along with most of the big and smaller players in the market are making games for the PS4. One of the most impressive demos of the show was Ubisoft’s Watchdogs, which demonstrated some of the feats that the PS4 could accomplish that would not be possible on the PS3.
  • Unfortunately, Sony didn’t show any photos of what the new hardware would look like, and didn’t discuss price. They did say that it would be available for the holidays this year.
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