What exactly does this new piece of hardware have that makes it so unique? What makes it different from the PS3, more importantly from any other console? We will pinpoint every aspect that Sony has revealed to us:
the Console_____________________________________
Sony revealed everything, except the physical appearance of the console (which we'll expect to see at this years E3 2013). However, Sony did give a precise perscription on what the Hardware will have and be able to do. Post-event, Sony revealed the system runs on a single-chip custom processor and utilizes eight x86-64 AMD Jaguar CPU cores, with a next-gen AMD Radeon based graphics engine powering the way. The "highly enhanced PC GPU" packs 18 GCN units, the GPU packs 18 processing clusters, each packing up to 64 cores. That provides a lot of parallel processing power, and will thus handle the majority of the PS4's grunt work. It hits 1.84 TFLOPS of processing mojo. The console will use GPU compute features to take advantage of this components raw power - it'll be used for general computation tasks as well as building graphics.
We're also looking at Blu-ray disk support plus good ol' DVD, plus HDMI output support as well as Analog-AV out and an optical digital output. It will also have AMD too! It's possible that the console will also be 4K enabled, but it isn't confirmed yet.
the Memory____________________________________
PS4 will ship packing 8GB of GDDR5 memory, basically as powerful as many game based PC servers allowing to save a butt ton of stuff. Sony has revealed that you will be able to power down the PS4 mid-game and then switch it on again in seconds and pick up right where you left off. That's the sort of loading power that this memory enables.
the Controller___________________________________
Remember the leaked PS4 controller images? They were true to an extent! Say hello to the sexy Dualshock 4 controller! The company's Lead System Architect Mark Cerny took to the stage to reveal the all-new companion, which has been redesigned and now features a more rounded form factor as well as what appears to be a slightly rubberized grip with "enhanced rumble capabilities." There's also a touchpad now (clearly taking a cue from the Vita), a headphone jack, the long-rumored share button, a light bar that, according to Cerny, will be utilized as a "more friendly way to identify players" and a stereo camera which is used to track the 3D position of the Move-compatible controller.
Goodbye legendary "start" and "select" buttons, which are now replaced by the "share" and "options" buttons. Also the D-pad has been somewhat redesigned into a larger and more button precise functionality for games (the D-pad was already excellent for the past 16 years, so this must be even better). The analog sticks are said to be more straight and functional, defeating what was used before without making it them Xbox 360 mocks. Obviously, the iconic triangle, circle, x, and square buttons remain the same. The R1 and L1 buttons are also comparatively large and more rounded, potentially improving responsiveness and usability.
Unlike the leaked rumor images, the touch pad now sports a textured finish and is no longer recessed into the design, but rather stands slightly above the rest of the frame, making it easier to distinguish and more visually recognizable. The LED is no longer juts out at the top of the controller, but rather is built into the frame itself. It has also been given a more stylized triangular shape instead of a bland rounded bar.
the Compatability________________________________
Get ready lucky PS Vita owners,
Sony has revealed that the PS4 will launch with the ability to stream games directly to your PS Vita. In exactly the same way as the Wii U allows you to switch off your TV and continue playing on the tablet controller, the PS4 will wirelessly send your games to the Vita.
There will be similar synergy between "all Sony devices" which means Xperia handsets and tablets, Bravia TVs and BD players.
Sony hinted that there will be more announcements in this area, too. The obvious next reveal in this area is the ability to play PS4 games on your Vita from any location using a wireless connection.
the Instant________________________________________
It will have an instant on/off feature allowing your to shut down during a game and then boot up from scratch in seconds and resume where you left off. The days of waiting 60 seconds as your console loads up are about to end.
the Move________________________________________
Sony has confirmed that PlayStation Move will play a big part in the PS4 ecosystem. However, it has not yet been revealed whether the PS4 will launch alongside a new PS Eye camera and new Move controllers or whether the peripherals are staying the same with all the enhancements made console-side.
the GaiKai_______________________________________
PS4 will utilize a cloud computing system, so far the first major gaming platform to do so. The cloud computing will utilize Gaikai streaming technology.
Gaikai was a tiny, optimistic company throwing everything at the wall, desperate to find a use for its cloud gaming technology. Today, those dreams have been fulfilled: Gaikai's David Perry walked out on stage at Sony's PlayStation 4 event, confirming that the new PlayStation 4 will use that tech to stream games over the internet, with no need for discs or downloads.
the Appraisal
In the end, Sony attacked us with everything they've had. Many gamers are obviously excited, but even many game publishers are appraising the console, particularly Blizzard and Capcom. Sure we already had the Wii U and rumors of the Xbox 720, but PS4 was the first to really show us what to expect from the upcoming next Generation.... uh, Generation.
Games
Obviously games will be coming out for it, but so far only a handful of games have been announced. Happily, each one sounds awesome! We will make a post talking about each game, but here is a list of each game announced officially (so far):
- Deep Down (working title) / Capcom
- Destiny / Bungie
- Diablo III / Blizzard
- Drive Club / Evolution
- Untitled Final Fantasy / Square Enix
- Infamous: Second Son / Sucker Punch
- Killzone: Shadow Fall / Guerrilla
- Knak / Japan
- the Witness / Thekla inc
- Watch Dogs / UbiSoft
UPDATE: Despite rumors, the Playstation 4 will NOT block used games! Hooray!!!
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