"PS4" announced at Playstation Meeting 2013

[Deleted_171835]

​

Sony just unveiled their latest home console, named (unsurprisingly) the Playstation 4.

There's a wealth of info, including technical specs, upcoming games (some new, some already announced, some from old franchises you'll see anew), some explanation of features, and how it will interact with developers.

You can read all the raw details in the rest of this post.

[prebreak]Continue reading[/prebreak]

Technical Details:

Spoiler

- Features 8GB of GDDR5 ram, 8-core x86 CPU
- GPU can be used as a GPGPU
- Supports Unreal Engine 4

- Features a secondary custom chip for background downloading and uploading even while gaming
- Dedicated video compression hardware so that you can upload recordings of gameplay using the Share button on the controller

Controller (DualShock 4):

Spoiler: Images of the Controller

Additional camera utility to sense depth

- Additional camera utility to sense depth
- Touch-pad
- Share button (for social interaction, can broadcast the game with a press of a button (support for UStream as well), friends can post comments, developers can insert command buttons where friends can drop certain items for you
- Light-bar (to identify players)

User Interface:

Spoiler: User interface

The user-interface is said to feature "personalization" with tailored content as the PS4 gets to know your tastes. There is support for various video services such as Netflix, Hulu, Video and Music Unlimited, Amazon Instant Video, Cinema Now. There is also Facebook integration with the PS4 although we do not yet know the extent of that.

Gaikai/Cloud:

PS3 titles are not natively supported on PS4 but they are exploring the possibility of accessing PS3 games with the cloud on different Playstation devices. Thanks to Gaikai, Sony says that games can be accessed instantaneously. They also expanded this concept to Playstation and Playstation 2 games, as well as across multiple platforms.

Users can also spectate their friends' games, help them through levels, and even be given control of the game and play it themselves.

Remote Play:

Support with the PS Vita. Every PS4 title to be playable on the Vita. Transmission times reduced from Remote play on the PS3 so there won't be as much lag with help from Gaikai.

Games:

- Developer list for the Playstation 4
- Killzone: Shadow Fall (Gameplay video) [1] [2] [3]
- Knack (Video)
- Drive Club (Video: WARNING: Contains erotic car porn)
- inFAMOUS: Second Son (Video)
- The Witness (Braid dev) (Gameplay video) (Timed exclusive)
- Deep Down (working title, new IP from Capcom) (Gameplay video)
- Watch_Dogs (multiplatform, Ubisoft) (Gameplay video)
- Diablo 3 (PS3 and PS4)
- Destiny (multiplatform, Activision) (Gameplay video): Exclusive playable content for "Playstation community". Will launch with PS3 version.

Release Date:

Holiday 2013.

Price:

UNCONFIRMED $429.99 retail?


A huge thanks to soulx from Guild McCommunist and the rest of the staff for the write-up!

 

[Latiken]

Holy shit already? Just kidding.

 

[nukeboy95]

Controller features:

Touch-pad
Share button (for social interaction)
Light-bar (to identify players)

soo its a wii u tablet

 

[chris888222]

So the touch pad controller is real? Damn.

soo its a wii u tablet

Touch screen =/= touch pad

 

[Deleted_171835]

soo its a wii u tablet

More like a Vita back-touch. Not touch screen.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

If you don't mind keeping this updated soulx, I'll do some formatting and move it to frontpage when you're done.

 

[ProtoKun7]

The new controller actually doesn't look that bad.

soo its a wii u tablet

Read the words in front of you. It's a pad, not a screen.

 

[FireEmblemGuy]

Apparently they learned nothing from the 3DS and Vita, because there's no way this'll be reasonably priced at those specs.

 

[FAST6191]

Some interesting choices (I do not know if I would have gone with 8 gigs of RAM), I eagerly await the eventual media player/DVR versions.

Also as I am too bone idle to look it up do we have proper triggers?

With this seemingly being a PC in all but name I am now actually very interested to see Microsoft's counter.

 

[Latiken]

I think touch pads are a lot more unique then touch screens

 

[KingVamp]

I think touch pads are a lot more unique then touch screens

What is your reasoning behind that?

 

[chris888222]

Personally, I think the console is just an overall OK. It does have pretty decent improvements, but the gap doesn't feel as big as PS2->3, Wii-> Wii U.

The only thing is the controller. The analogs look neat, but the touch pad position seems horribly awkward and chances are you need to stretch your fingers to reach it. The controller in the camera utility photo looks like a freaking dildo.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

I got bored of the presentation. The controller looks horrendous.

Also with all of that stuff they're putting into it, I can see it being a fairly expensive machine. My guess is $450.

 

[Foxi4]

I'm sorry, where's the end of the PS4 queue?

 

[ProtoKun7]

The ability to play a game whilst it's being downloaded is rather an intriguing one, I must admit.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

The ability to play a game whilst it's being downloaded is rather an intriguing one, I must admit.

Um.. doesn't Steam already do it though?

 

[ProtoKun7]

Um.. doesn't Steam already do it though?

If it does I've not noticed. It's still a good feature either way though.

 

[Fishaman P]

I got bored of the presentation. The controller looks horrendous.

Also with all of that stuff they're putting into it, I can see it being a fairly expensive machine. My guess is $450.

8GB of GDDR5 VRAM (at least I think it's on the GPU...?) and a decent x86 CPU?
We're looking at a $600+ launch price.

As for the dedicated video compression hardware, I highly doubt it uses the HEVC codec, so I'm guessing the GPU is an AMD 7000/8000 series with the dedicated H.264 encoder, which conveniently has access to the card's framebuffer.

 

[McHaggis]

Supercharged PC architecture... awesome! x86 processor? Cool... Enhanced GPU capable of 2 teraflops... WOW! 8GB memory? Fuck me, I'm sold. Wait... HOW MUCH!?

I realise they haven't announced a price yet but I see them making the same mistake they made with the PS3 and the Vita all over again. I have absolutely no doubt that this is going to be a great console, but it worries me that history repeating seems all but inevitable at the moment. I can't see it launching for less than £400 and I think that would probably be at a loss, and I won't touch it until it drops to below £300. Another thing to think about is, even if they do launch it at less than £400, how much do you want to bet that Nintendo will announce an enticing price drop on the Wii U to coincide with that date?

All that's left now is to see what the "Durango" is like. I usually buy Sony and Nintendo each generation, but I'm leaving my options completely open at this point.

 

[weavile001]

looks cool,but the price might be high as hell(or heaven).....