For the longest of time, we have known that Sony has been preparing a new console launch, which was finally confirmed when the company held an event in New York City late last month showing off the technical aspects of the upcoming PlayStation 4. It has not, however, shown off the new hardware design, leaving many to speculate what the next console may look like. A new artist-created render shows off just what might be in store for the next PlayStation.
The words of analysts are, more often than not, to be taken with a pinch of salt; especially in a technology industry where most supposition is based on little more than educated guesswork. Gamers will be hoping Michael Pachter has gotten his numbers muddled up somewhere, after the game financial analyst, of Wedbush Securities, suggested that games for the PlayStation 4 and unannounced next-gen Xbox console could tip the scales at a hefty $70. Speaking to a panel in Austin, Texas, he also foresees Microsoft coming out on top in the battle of the next-gen consoles, as it has done with the Xbox 360.
Unless you've been in hiding for the past fortnight, you will have caught Sony's announcement of the PlayStation 4 last week, and since the big unveiling left quite a few elements to the imagination (namely, what the console actually looks like), chins have been wagging in gaming circles ever since. Shortly following the event, we heard of the interesting development that while it would not apply to games, the PlayStation 4 would support 4K video playback, and today, that has been confirmed by the Japanese company's COO Phil Molyneux.
New screenshots showing off Sony's recently announced PlayStation 4 have been released, giving gamers a new insight into what they will be gazing at come release day.
The PlayStation 4 event earlier this week threw up as many questions as it answered, notably pertaining to what it looks like, how much it will cost, and when it will be available. We have no real idea of what form the console will take, its price, or any real details on ETA except "in time for the holidays," yet many retailers have deemed this information enough to begin taking pre-orders and running competitions as they try and take advantage of the PS4 Mania.
Sony finally ended the speculation pertaining to the future of the PlayStation by announcing the PS4 late on Wednesday, and now, the replay of the event can be viewed - in its entirety - on YouTube. The event was, compared to the vast majority of such launch conferences, quite late in the day, so if you missed it, now's your chance to relive the announcement as it unfolded.
The announcement of the PlayStation 4 may have passed, but plenty of questions pertaining to the upcoming console remain unanswered. New details are emerging by the hour, and Joystiq has learned that while the PS4 will offer 4K output for video, the same cannot be said for games. This has its pros and cons, of course, notably that while you're not going to be forced to spend big bucks on a gleaming new 4K TV, it also means you're not going to be seeing games run at that incredibly high resolution, at least not yet.
During the big announcement of the PlayStation 4 yesterday, game developer Evolution Studios mentioned that companion app for Android tablets to its Drive Club title would allow gamers to communicate with others from a tablet running Google's software. At the time, it wasn't clear how far compatibility would go with other mobile devices, but Sony has just announced a new version of its ”PlayStation App”, which in turn offers a little more information on the matter. As well as being available to both the Android and iOS-using faithful, it will turn tablets and smartphones into 'second screen' controllers.
Finally, after all the fanfare, Sony put all of the PS4 rumors to rest with the official announcement a short while ago, and if you're looking for the when, where, and what, we'll be clarifying all of the available key details in the following post. With so many new features and implementations, it is a lot to digest, but stay tuned for the full round-up after the break.
Sony just took to the stage to announce their much-awaited next-gen console; the PlayStation 4 and its accompanying new controller; the DualShock 4.
