In a two hour event that has ushered in the “next generation” of gaming, Sony unveiled their vision of the next few years of console entertainment. Unlike other blog posts about this event, I won’t sit around and cry about the fact that the console itself wasn’t shown, instead focusing on what we actually know. Take a deep breath, and let’s go.
First things first: the PlayStation 4 is scheduled to release by the end of the year. So read that as “Thanksgiving.” And if you are brave, you can watch the whole two hours of this event:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiNGZMx2vhY&w=760]
Hardware Speculations
Every time the next generation of consoles start bubbling up, everyone seems to want to know what kind of hardware will be pushing the new frontier. Sony was eager to share how many Flippyflops and Gigglebits the PS4 will push, and here is a list of those things:
- Main Processor
- Single-chip custom processor
- CPU : x86-64 AMD “Jaguar”, 8 cores
- GPU : 1.84 TFLOPS, AMD next-generation Radeon™ based graphics engine
- Memory
- GDDR5 8GB
- Hard Disk Drive
- Built-in
- Optical Drive
- (read only)
- BD 6xCAV
- DVD 8xCAV
- I/O
- Super-Speed USB (USB 3.0) 、AUX
- Communication
- Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
- IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth® 2.1 (EDR)
- AV output
- HDMI
- Analog-AV out
- Digital Output (optical)
*Specifications are subject to change without notice.
All of this business basically adds up to “more and faster” than the current line-up of consoles, which is what everyone pretty much expected. To what extent is all that we didn’t know, and an eight core processor and eight gigs of ram is the answer there. Also of note is that the Cell processor has been abandoned for x86 architecture. Or as the press release put it:
The PS4 system architecture is distinguished by its high performance and ease of development. PS4 is centered around a powerful custom chip that contains eight x86-64 cores and a state of the art graphics processor.
This is both good and bad: good because it should be way easier to develop for, and bad because existing PSN titles won’t run natively on the system, so don’t throw your PS3 out just yet if you have a lot of money invested in games like Journey and Pixeljunk Eden. Your PS3 game saves also won’t transfer over, but PS3 titles will not run natively on the system anyway, so that makes sense.
The console itself wasn’t shown in the slightest during the event, but you have to have something to show at E3, so we can give them a pass. Sony is probably still finalizing the ratio between shiny curved surfaces and rectangular square angles on the device. It takes time, people.
DUALSHOCK 4
What WAS shown, however, was the new DUALSHOCK 4, or the closest analogue to Darwin’s theories in the gaming world, i.e. the slow evolution of the thing. We wrote up a post a few days ago speculating on a prototype version of the controller, but now we have the real thing to look upon.
According to this PS blog post, the basic enhancements of the controller are these:
- Motion control is enabled by a new highly sensitive six-axis sensor
- Dual analog sticks fine-tuned for better precision plus improved surface materials and shape for more delicate manipulation
- L2/R2 buttons on the top of the controller employ a curved design for easier, smoother interaction
- A new “Options” button combines the functions of the DUALSHOCK 3’s “Select” and “Start” buttons for operating in-game menus
New to the controller are a front touchpad and Move-esque bar that lights up on the back of the controller. These are purported to add tons of functionality to the controller, but we will just have to see how that all pans out. I really don’t have much to say about these new additions other than they certainly are there.
Because of the touchpad, the Start and Select buttons have now been lost and changed into one button labeled Options on the upper right hand side of the touchpad. On the opposite side is a Share button, which we’ll get to in a minute (hint: it’ll allow you to share stuff).
Beyond the controller, a new camera accessory that incorporates two cameras enabling 3D tracking of the controllers.
DUALSHOCK 4 was developed alongside a second peripheral, a dual camera which can sense the depth of the environment in front of it and also track the 3D location of the controller via its light bar. The new camera incorporates four microphones capable of accurate sound detection and source origination, and it will support the PlayStation Move motion controller with more precision than ever before.
The PlayStation Move controller will still be an option for developers to use, as this new tracking camera will come standard in the box. So that’s somethin’, right?
Sharing is Caring
Amid the buzzwords and investor speak came the big one that every company nowadays loves to be enamored with: sharing. Of course this means sharing game statuses and whatnot to Facebook, but luckily that’s not the only reason there is now a dedicated Share button on the controller.
Sony has given the PlayStation 4 the ability to quickly cut and share videos of in game footage, and it will allow you to live stream your games via Ustream.
Social interaction is central to PS4 experiences, so new features were built into the actual foundation of the system’s hardware architecture. PS4 provides dedicated, “always on” video compression and decompression systems that enables seamless uploading of gameplay. For the first time ever, gamers can share their epic triumphs with the press of a button. Gamers simply hit the “SHARE button” on the controller, scan through the last few minutes of gameplay, tag it and return to the game-the video uploads as the gamer plays. Gamers can share their images and videos to their friends on social networking services such as Facebook.
PS4 also enhances social spectating by enabling gamers to broadcast their gameplay in real-time to friends using live internet streaming services such as Ustream. During live broadcasts, friends can make comments on the streamed gameplay and, if a gamer gets stuck on a challenging level, friends can also join the game in completely new ways. For example, friends can offer health potions or special weapons when a player needs them most during actual gameplay.
During the event, it was mentioned that this sharing and streaming are handled off of the main processors, so they shouldn’t hinder your gameplay proper. This background processing also comes in handy when downloading games, which can be done while playing another title. It is also possible to start playing a game as it is being downloaded.
The Cloud
Last year Sony bought Gaikai, a game streaming company, and for the PS4 Sony is using their technology initially for access to demos on PSN. Now, instead of downloading that 2GB demo, you can simply play the full title of the game as it streams online. If you decide to buy it, then it’ll download fully to your console.
By combining PlayStation Network with Gaikai Inc’s cloud technology, it is SCE’s goal to make free exploration possible for various games. In the future, when a gamer sees a title of interest in PlayStation Store, they can immediately start playing a portion of the actual game – not a stripped down version of the game. With Gaikai and PlayStation Store, gamers will be able to experience appealing games and only pay for the games they actually love.
So that’s neat.
Odds & Ends
- Powering down the PS4 will put it a “suspend mode” that saves your game state rather than simply quitting the game. It’ll basically go “to sleep” in computer parlance. When powered back on, you return to where you left off.
- There will be “second screen gaming,” or Sony’s answer to the Wii U GamePad and Microsoft Smartglass. You’ll be able to download iOS and Android apps that let you check on game stuffs on the go, because heaven forbid you make it through that bread bowl at Panera without checking how many trophies XxXKiLla69XxX has.
- The PS4 will not require an always on internet connection.
- You can play used games on the PS4 in some capacity.
The Games
These are the games that were shown off during the event. We are hoping to get some posts up about them individually, so check back on those soon.
- Killzone: Shadow Fall – Guerilla Games
- InFamous Second Son – Sucker Punch
- Driveclub – Evolution Studios
- Knack – Japan Studio
- Destiny – Bungie
- Diablo III – Blizzard
- Deep Down – Capcom
- Watch_Dogs – Ubisoft
And there you have it. These are the majority of the things we now know about the PlayStation 4. What’s left are basically how the thing looks and what kind of mortgage you’ll need to afford one. Stay tuned for E3!
PS4’s Powerful System Architecture, Social Integration and Intelligent Personalization, Combined with PlayStation Network with Cloud Technology, Delivers Breakthrough
Gaming Experiences and Completely New Ways to Play
NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today introduced PlayStation®4 (PS4™), its next generation computer entertainment system that redefines rich and immersive gameplay with powerful graphics and speed, intelligent personalization, deeply integrated social capabilities, and innovative second-screen features. Combined with PlayStation®Network with cloud technology, PS4 offers an expansive gaming ecosystem that is centered on gamers, enabling them to play when, where and how they want. PS4 will be available this holiday season.
Gamer Focused, Developer Inspired
PS4 was designed from the ground up to ensure that the very best games and the most immersive experiences reach PlayStation gamers. PS4 accomplishes this by enabling the greatest game developers in the world to unlock their creativity and push the boundaries of play through a system that is tuned specifically to their needs.
PS4 also fluidly connects players to the larger world of experiences offered by PlayStation, across the console and mobile spaces, and PlayStation® Network (PSN).
The PS4 system architecture is distinguished by its high performance and ease of development. PS4 is centered around a powerful custom chip that contains eight x86-64 cores and a state of the art graphics processor.
The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) has been enhanced in a number of ways, principally to allow for easier use of the GPU for general purpose computing (GPGPU) such as physics simulation. The GPU contains a unified array of 18 compute units, which collectively generate 1.84 Teraflops of processing power that can freely be applied to graphics, simulation tasks, or some mixture of the two.
PS4 is equipped with 8 GB of unified system memory, easing game creation and increasing the richness of content achievable on the platform. GDDR5 is used for this memory, giving the system 176 GB/second of bandwidth and providing a further boost to graphics performance.
The end result for gamers is new games with rich, high-fidelity graphics and deeply immersive experiences that shatter expectations.
Shared Game Experiences
Social interaction is central to PS4 experiences, so new features were built into the actual foundation of the system’s hardware architecture. PS4 provides dedicated, “always on” video compression and decompression systems that enables seamless uploading of gameplay. For the first time ever, gamers can share their epic triumphs with the press of a button. Gamers simply hit the “SHARE button” on the controller, scan through the last few minutes of gameplay, tag it and return to the game-the video uploads as the gamer plays. Gamers can share their images and videos to their friends on social networking services such as Facebook.
PS4 also enhances social spectating by enabling gamers to broadcast their gameplay in real-time to friends using live internet streaming services such as Ustream. During live broadcasts, friends can make comments on the streamed gameplay and, if a gamer gets stuck on a challenging level, friends can also join the game in completely new ways. For example, friends can offer health potions or special weapons when a player needs them most during actual gameplay.
Furthermore, users can connect their Facebook account with Sony Entertainment Network account. Through PS4, users are able to deepen their connections through co-op play or “cross-game chat”.
PS4 Second Screens
PS4 integrates second screens, including PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita), smartphones and tablets, to wrap gamers in their favorite content wherever they are. A key feature enabled by second screens is “Remote Play” and PS4 fully unlocks its potential by making PS Vita the ultimate companion device. With PS Vita, gamers will be able to seamlessly pull PS4 titles from their living room TVs and play them on PS Vita’s beautiful 5-inch display and intuitive dual analog sticks over Wi-Fi networks*1. It is SCEI’s long-term vision is to make most PS4 titles playable on PS Vita*2.
A new application from SCE called “PlayStation®App” will enable iPhone, iPad, and AndroidTM based smartphones and tablets*3 to become second screens. Once installed on these devices, users can, for example, see maps on their second screens when playing an adventure game, purchase PS4 games while away from home and download it directly to the console at home, or remotely watch other gamers playing on their devices.
Immediate Gameplay
PS4 radically reduces the lag time between players and their content. PS4 features “suspend mode” which keeps the system in a low power state while preserving the game session. The time it takes today to boot a console and load a saved game will be a thing of the past. With PS4, gamers just hit the power button again and are promptly back playing the game at the exact point where they left off. Additionally, users can boot a variety of applications including a web browser when playing a game on PS4.
PS4 also enables games to be downloaded or updated in the background, or even in stand-by mode. The system takes it one step further by making digital titles playable as they are being downloaded. When a player purchases a game, PS4 downloads just a fraction of the data so gamers can start playing immediately, and the rest is downloaded in the background during actual gameplay.
Personalized, Curated Content
On the newly designed PS4 menu screen, players can look over game-related information shared by friends, view friends’ gameplay with ease, or obtain information of recommended content, including games, TV shows and movies. The long-term goal of PS4 is to reduce download times of digital titles to zero: if the system knows enough about a player to predict the next game they will purchase, then that game can be loaded and ready to go before they even click the “buy” button. PS4 will further enrich users’ entertainment experiences, by meeting their potential needs.
Gaming in the Cloud
Launched in November 2006, PlayStation Network, a network service for PlayStation users, now operates in 67 countries and regions*4 around the world with the total number of downloaded content of more than 2.8 billion*5. In addition to a variety of games available in PlayStation®Store, PS4 users will be able to enjoy a variety of services offered by PSN, such as Sony Corporation’s Music Unlimited, a cloud-based music subscription service and Video Unlimited, a premium video service, as well as various content distribution services.
By combining PlayStation Network with Gaikai Inc’s cloud technology, it is SCE’s goal to make free exploration possible for various games. In the future, when a gamer sees a title of interest in PlayStation Store, they can immediately start playing a portion of the actual game – not a stripped down version of the game. With Gaikai and PlayStation Store, gamers will be able to experience appealing games and only pay for the games they actually love. PlayStation Network and the cloud will offer additional value to PlayStation gamers. SCE is exploring unique opportunities enabled by cloud technology with the long-term vision of making PlayStation libraries including an incredible catalog of more than 3000 PS3 titles*6 that is unmatched in the industry, mostly ubiquitous on PS4.
SCE will announce new details of PS4 and its robust lineup of games from 3rd party developers and publishers, the independent gaming community and SCE Worldwide Studios, as well as further enhancements to the entire PlayStation ecosystem between now and the holiday 2013 launch.
*1
Depending on network environment or titles, users may not be able to play games outside comfortably.
*2
Exept games that require peripherals such as PlayStation®4 Eye ).
*3
Depending on the version of OS or other conditions, users cannot use the application.
*4
Number as of December 31st , 2012
*5
Number as of February 19st , 2013
*6
Number as of December 31st , 2012, including free trials.
Main Processor
Single-chip custom processor
CPU : x86-64 AMD “Jaguar”, 8 cores
GPU : 1.84 TFLOPS, AMD next-generation Radeon™ based graphics engine
Memory
GDDR5 8GB
Hard Disk Drive
Built-in
Optical Drive
(read only)
BD 6xCAV
DVD 8xCAV
I/O
Super-Speed USB (USB 3.0) 、AUX
Communication
Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth® 2.1 (EDR)
AV output
HDMI
Analog-AV out
Digital Output (optical)
*Specifications are subject to change without notice.
About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufactures, distributes, develop and markets the PlayStation®2 (PS2®) computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system and the PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system. SCEI has revolutionized home entertainment since they launched PlayStation in 1994. PS2® further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP® is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games with high-quality full-motion video and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3® is an advanced computer system, incorporating the powerful Cell Broadband Engine and RSX processors. PS Vita is an ultimate portable entertainment system that offers a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context. SCEI also delivers the PlayStation® experience to open operating systems through PlayStation®Mobile, a cross device platform. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, SCEI, along with its affiliated companies, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC., and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and its division companies, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan and Sony Computer Entertainment Asia develops, publishes, markets and distributes hardware and software, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the respective markets worldwide.
PlayStation and PS3 are registered trademarks and PS4 is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. Facebook is a trademark or registered trademark of Facebook, Inc. Ustream is a trademark or registered trademark of Ustream, Inc. iPhone and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark or registered trademark of Google.Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
I was impressed by their take on miiverse, but otherwise this looks like a system I’ll need to wait on. Just like with the PS3, I probably won’t feel a need for it unless they announced MGS5 as an exclusive.
But does that mean you don’t have a need for the next Xbox either? Or would that be your preferable console?