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Sony officially announced the PlayStation 4 on Wednesday February 20, 2013 in N.Y.C.. The console itself was never shown, and a vague "Holiday 2013" release date was given. But Sony did announce plans to release a "PlayStation App" for iOS and Android devices. The app will allow users to download companion maps on their iPhone or iPad to use while playing certain games. Players will also be able to download content on the go, or watch and challenge other players. The PlayStation Vita will also act as a "second screen". Much like the Wii U's GamePad controller, this will allows users to stream PS4 titles from their T.V. to play on the 5-inch PS Vita display.
While Sony never actually unveiled the actual console, they did announce the system's specs, and gave the world a glimpse of the new controller. The PS4 is powered by an eight-core x86 processor and 8GB of RAM. The Bluetooth 2.1+EDR-equipped Dualshock 4 controller looks like past PlayStation controllers, but features a share button, three color LEDs and corresponds with the PlayStation Move depth-and-motion sensor to track player movement. The share button allows users to to stream live gameplay, and upload directly to social media sites like Facebook.
Sony did announce a few games including Knack, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Driveclub and inFamous: Second Son. A new first-person shooter entitled Destiny, Diablo III and a new installment of the Final Fantasy franchise were also mentioned.
Both the PS4 and Xbox 720 are expected to be two of the most hotly anticipated items this year. The Sony's mysterious "Holiday 2013" release date has prompted online tracking services like whohas.it to launch product trackers for both consoles. Nervous gamers can already start following both the Sony PS4 and Xbox 720 to be notified when pre-orders open.
The newly released Wii U saw shortages during the 2012 holiday shopping season. It's unknown if the same will happen to the PS4 or Xbox 720, but using a free product tracker ensures you will not miss getting your hands on a console.Official PlayStation 4 Press Release:
New York City, New York, February 20, 2013 –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.
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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.
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*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 consumerbased 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 highquality 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 and are a trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. Sony Entertainment Network is a trademark of Sony Corporation. 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.