Sony announced the PS4 last night in New York, but the missing piece seems to be the device itself.
Sony announced the PlayStation 4 last night in New York in front of a crowd of more than 2,000 developers, partners, and reporters. The two-hour event included details on the platform's hardware architecture, upgrades to the PlayStation network, and a sneak peek at upcoming games, but there was a notable omission: we didn't actually see the device. So, while we learned plenty of specifics, many in the audience—and thousands of fans watching at home—were left unsatisfied. Having sorted through the details, here is what you need to know.
The "PlayStation" Name Is Official
This isn't much of a surprise. The product was code-named Orbis, but there was never much chance it would hit the market with that name. Sony has spent nearly 20 years building the PlayStation brand, and the PS4 is a natural evolution. Still, it is nice to have an official name.
The PS4 Will Be Available by Christmas
Again, not a surprise, but we are still waiting on an exact date. No doubt Sony is trying to position itself against Microsoft and its upcoming Xbox launch. Don't expect a firm launch date until E3, at the earliest.
The PS4 Is a PC
I'm sure that will sound like a bad thing but it really isn't. The system will run an x86-64 AMD Jaguar CPU with eight cores. It will also come with a 1.84 teraflop Radeon graphics processor and 8GB of RAM. Despite the increased focus on downloadable content, the 6xCAV Blu-ray drive stays. The system will also come with USB 3.0, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, as well as the predictable HDMI, Analog AV out, and Digital Output. Although this configuration can't compete with a state-of-the-art gaming PC, it is a big step up from the PS3.
DualShock 4 Controller
The only real hardware we got to see was the DualShock 4 controller, but there are a number of upgrades here. Although it has the same general form factor as the DualShock 3, the internals have been upgraded. Motion control has been improved with a more sensitive six-axis controller and the analog sticks will allow for more precise control. The company also combined the "Select" and "Start" into a single "Options" button and added an LED light bar to the front of the controller. The light bar will match the color of your character in the game, and can change color based on in-game actions.
The Share Button
Sony added a Share button to the DualShock 4, which could be one of the most important upgrades to the controller and the PlayStation ecosystem as a whole. Hitting the Share button will stop your game and enable you to share the video/audio of your gameplay through networks like Ustream and Facebook. You can do this in real time or even after you perform a particularly impressive in-game feat. The system includes hardware for continual background video compression. Until now, capturing game screen shots and videos has been a pretty labor-intensive process, but now it just takes a click.
For example, here is a video of the upcoming KillZone: Shadow Fall that was recorded last night at the event and shared with two clicks.
The Cloud Will Play Heavily in PlayStation's Future
Cloud computing is changing every other industry, so why not gaming, too? Last year Sony paid $380 million for Gaikai, a specialist in cloud-based game distribution. At last night's event, Gaikai CEO David Perry said that Sony has committed to building the fastest gaming network in the world to support the distribution of online games. The model will be to offer users access to complete games, not just demos. "Try for free and buy only the games you really love," Perry said.
Launch Titles Are Falling Into Place
As soon as Sony finished with its modest hardware and platform announcements, the parade of developers started. Obviously, without a strong set of launch partners, the PS4 would be in trouble. The two-hour event succeeded in making the number of developers behind the PS4 feel endless.
Guerilla Games showed off the amazing Killzone: Shadow Fall, Sucker Punch previewed inFAMOUS: Second Son, and Evolution Studios unveiled a Driveclub, a team driving game with an "insane" level of car detail. Activision/Bungie showed some video from its much-anticipated Halo sequel, Destiny, but that title won't be available for the PS4s launch this year. Developers promised, however, that when Destiny launches, it will do so on both the PS3 and the PS4.
What We Don't Know
Last night's event included lots of details, but it left many of the big questions unanswered. When exactly is the PS4 going to hit shelves? What is it going to cost? There have been reports that it will costs $400, but there will undoubtedly be multiple configurations. And, what exactly will it look like?
There are several gaming shows coming up—PAX East, Game Developers Conference, and E3—and Sony will have to make news at each of them to keep developers and its huge user base engaged until the PS4 launches. PCMag will be on the scene to report all the latest news.
Until then, let us know what you think of the PS4's chances in the comments.
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