Sony may be planning to reveal the PS4 before E3, if a report from PC Mag is to be believed. Aside from the PS4 specification and new DualShock 4 controller, Sony has yet to reveal the console’s physical form and pricing, so its likely that Sony will reveal both before E3 in June. The site says to “expect a big announcement from Sony about its next-gen PlayStation 4 console this month or possibly in early May.”
During a conference call with financial analysts last week, Michael Hogan, Executive Vice President of Strategy Business and Brand Development at GameStop revealed that “Sony will introduce the PlayStation 4 globally in 2013.” The company has “scenarios with one console introduction, as well as with two,” but is still waiting to see what Microsoft’s plans are with the next-gen Xbox.
In a brand new interview with Sony’s Mark Cerny, the man who designed the hardware and functionality of the PS4, has revealed new information about the console, including the motivation behind removing backwards compatibility and using the new UI at 4K resolution. The interview’s in Japanese, but translations exist, though we cannot verify all the facts. We’ve summarised the main points below.
Sony revealed more details about the PS4 and the accompanying peripherals that come with the console. Sony revealed a number of specific details about the new DualShock 4 controller as well as revealing the specification of the new camera bar. We break down the information for you below. With each new reveal from Sony, we can’t help but get a little bit more excited about the PS4.
Zombie Studios are bringing Blacklight: Retribution, a free to play first person shooter, to PlayStation 4. The game has been available on the PC for over a year now, but the developers revealed that the PS4 was always their system of choice. The PC like architecture on the PS4 will make the game easy to port over for the studio.
A new report from Digitimes claims that Sony is planning to ship a massive 16 million PS4 units before the end of the year, with mass shipments starting as early as August. The ambitious target suggests that a European release of the console could be on the cards, and appear on shelves just towards the end of 2013. The report also points out that the console will be manufactured by Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) and Pegatron Technology.
The PS4 is set to be the front-runner in 4K technology, with the console being able to support 4K videos and photos. According to The Verge, Sony will be releasing a 4K video download service alongside the PS4, becoming the first service to offer downloadable 4K content. However, initial content downloads will exceed 100 GB.
Sony has released high resolution screens (or mock-ups) of the PS4’s user interface show at the PlayStation Meeting last week. The new interface looks similar to the XMB used in newer Sony televisions and also the updated PlayStation Store, with larger icons and a horizontal layout. The new screenshots also show what the user profile and PlayStation Network will look when viewed on other compatible devices, including mobiles and tablets.
Sony’s PlayStation 4 press release has confirmed that the new console will include cross-game chat – one of the most requested features on the PS3. ‘Through PS4, users are able to deepen their connections through co-op play or “cross-game chat”,’ says the press release.
A new inFamous title was announced for the PlayStation 4 last week at Sony’s PlayStation Meeting. The sequel, inFamous: Second Son will take place seven years after the events from inFamous 2, and will follow a new protagonist Delsin Rowe. As Cole McGrath story ends, conduits continue to crop up around the world, and Delsin is one of them.
