Sony and Panasonic have announced that they’re working on a new optical disc with the capacity to hold a minimum of 300 gigabytes of content. The work on the new format is expected to be completed before the end of 2015, and will be the successor to the Blu-ray disc, which has a maximum capacity of 50GB in dual-layer format.
Once again, PlayStation Access have created a useful Q&A video answering 10 questions about the upcoming console, revealing some new information about the PS4. The video reveals new details on some of the PS4’s features, like party chat and increased friends list. It also clarifies some older points, like DualShock 3 support and PlayStation Move compatibility, and 3D games.
The PS4 will have 8GB of RAM to use on the system, but Sony has clarified that only 5GB of this will be available to developers to use with games. Of the 5GB available, 4.5GB will be “Direct Memory” and 512MB will be “Flexible Memory”, managed by the PS4 OS on the game’s behalf, but 100% available to the game.
New screenshots of the PS4’s Dynamic Menu have appeared on flickr, showing off more of what the system will look like, including how the mobile version of the system will work. The screens follow on from the others released in the past and what you may have seen in the PS4 Interface video.
Engadget reports that Sony’s PlayStation 4 console has passed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US, certifying that the console’s radio and wi-fi hardware is compliant in the States. The labels filed with the FCC indicate the final model number for the console is CUH-1001A, and that the console will have a maximum clock frequency of 2.75GHz – same as the dev kits.
Sony’s cloud gaming strategy was revealed at E3, which will game use of Gaikai’s streaming technology to give PS4, PS3 and PS Vita gamers access to library of PS3 games. However, it’s been clarified that only “critically acclaimed” games will be available via the service. The latest video from the PlayStation Access team also reveals that the service will later be expanded to include more legacy PlayStation titles.
Sony and Guerilla Games have detailed the pre-order bonuses that will come with Killzone: Shadow Fall on the PS4. Pre-ordering the game at selected retailers will give gamers access to exclusive content, including exclusive skins for the OWL combat drone, special victory move and the game’s official soundtrack.
Two interesting videos have surfaces revealing more information about the PS4 console. The first video, from PlayStation Access, goes over 20 facts about the PS4, from things we’ve already covered to new titbits like the name for the PS4’s menus system. The second video comes from T3, and covers the PS4 from every angle imaginable – giving you a unique look at the console before you get your hands on the real thing.
In a post on Official Playstation Magazine UK, Sony’s R&D senior team leader Neil Brown announced that users can access their digitally purchased PS4 games on any console. Speaking at the Develop Conference, Brown also revealed that gamers could make use of the ‘play as you download’ feature to start playing games before the full title is downloaded onto the console, reducing the waiting time.
If you haven’t pre-ordered a PS4 yet, chances are that you have some trouble getting your hands on a launch day unit. Several retailers are starting to report that their pre-order allocations of the PS4 have run out. This week alone, US retailers Amazon.com and GameStop have both stopped pre-orders on launch day units after fulfilling their allocations.
