Sony has announced the first official details of its upcoming Playstation 4 console, featuring a social sharing button, touch screen features, mobile compatibility and the ability to stream games via the web.
However, the Japanese electronics giant did not unveil images of the actual machine, and has been tight-lipped over its pricing strategy.
The PlayStation 4 console will go on sale during the Christmas holiday period of 2013.
At the launch event in New York, Sony did reveal a new DualShock 4 controller and a stereo camera.
The DualShock 4 controller includes a touchpad, a “share button” and a lightbar, which allows a separate camera to track its movement.
Social sharing
The console also includes new hardware dedicated to video compression to make it a more social device.
Users will be able to pause a game, select a few minutes of recorded video of their most recent activity, and instruct the clip to be uploaded to a social network.
This will then occur in the background while they can return to their game. The firm said it wanted to make sharing video clips as common as it is today to share screenshots.
The share button is central to Sony’s bid to position the PS4 as a social gaming machine. Sony’s announced Facebook and UStream integration for the console – with a tap of the Share button letting you broadcast your games in real-time to your friends. They’ll be able to view your game “over your shoulder”.
Friends can connect to their machine and take control of their character to help if they have got stuck, or allow several friends to watch their live progress as spectators. This facility uses technology from Gaikai – a cloud-based service Sony acquired last year for $380m.
Game streaming
Gaikai’s technology is also being used to allow PS4 games to be streamed and played via the PlayStation Vita handheld console, which may boost its sales.
Sony said it was also exploring the possibility of using its Gaikai unit to allow PlayStation 3 games to be played on the new machine as well as other devices.
However, at the moment PS3 games will not run on the new console.
The new ‘PlayStation Cloud’ tool will users instantly stream game demos for free, before they download the full title.
Processing power
The PlayStation 4 will pack in an X86 processor with eight CPU cores, an “enhanced PC GPU” and 8GB GDDR5 RAM.
The ramped up processing power means the PS4 will be capable of suspending and resuming gameplay simply by hitting the power button. The console will also be able to upload and download games in the background – even when the power button’s off.
New games line-up
Sony invited developers on stage to preview some of the PS4 games being worked on.
They included Killzone Shadowfall – an addition to its bestselling Killzone science fiction first-person shooter series; the racing game Driveclub; superhero game Infamous: Second Son; and Diablo 3.
Developer Ubisoft also confirmed that its much-discussed title WatchDogs, which involves a hacker taking control of a smart city’s systems, is indeed being developed for the PS4.
Rivals- consoles and mobiles?
Analysts also expect that tablets and other mobile devices will match the power and graphics of today’s games consoles within a few years.
Since the PS3 launched, the rise of smartphone gaming has changed the face of the market considerably. There are more people playing games but they are gravitating towards cheap titles, such as Angry Birds, and playing on their phones.
Nintendo launched its Wii U console in November last year and though the company cut its sales forecast for the new console earlier this week, Sony will be reluctant to allow its rival to have the newest console on the market for another Christmas.
Microsoft, Sony’s other big rival in the console market, is also expected to unveil its next generation games machine this year. The successor to the Xbox 360, dubbed the Xbox 720, could be revealed at E3 this year.
Watch this BBC report on the PS4 below:
