Let's start with the specs. They're, well, vague to be frank. It's going to have a 'supercharged PC architecture , which makes it seem like it's going to have a decent amount of whammy behind it. It'll also have 8 Gigabytes of unified memory, with an X86 CPU running the show. It also boasts an 'enhanced PC GPU'....Yeah, I won't lie. I don't know what that is. Moving on!
My greatest fears have been realized The Playstation 4 is NOT backwards compatible. So don't chuck away your older hardware. It looks like you'll be needing it after all. However, it seems like you will be able to stream your older games from the Cloud, which would be a good way to get around the whole issue. Although, for what it would have been worth, perhaps they should have just made it backwards compatible...Food for thought, Sony.
The new controller has a slightly more rigid shape than gamepads of old, but actually looks decent. I was worried about the addition of a touch-pad, but it looks like it may just work after all. There is also a headphone jack at the bottom for headsets and any other peripherals Sony release. It also has a dedicated share button, so you can post images, videos and the like directly to your favourite social network. Not really something I felt my games needed to have, but we'll see how it goes. They also want to link the new console to the PS Vita as a controller, and also to stream games...Sony, no amount of pushing will get me to buy your handheld. I am sorry, but no. Stop.
Video sharing is becoming a more integral part of the Playstation experience. Using their new Eye Toy (I know it has a better name, but it's an Eye toy. Let's not beat around the bush), you can not only watch a live stream of your friend's game while they play it but can also take over if they allow it to help out. I could see this being incredibly helpful in certain circumstances, but also opens the door for a lot of ruined friendships. Who wouldn't just chuck their friend into a lava pit? You would, don't lie.
You can now download games while you play, while you stream other games and even while the thing is off! This is a big yes for me. A huge yes. No longer will I be stuck on the main menu. Heavenly. Socially, you can use your Facebook alias instead of your game title if you so wish. Not really fussed about that either to be honest, but I can see why it's in there. Game-wise, the roster sounds decent: Diablo 3 (Not a great game, but I'll let it slide), a new Infamous game, a new Killzone and Watch Dogs. That is a decent lineup, Diablo 3 aside.
And now, the moment of truth has arrived: What does it look like? This new masterpiece, this titan, this slice of sweet, sweet Heaven? Well, we have no idea. Yup. They didn't give us diddily squat. I like to think it will be a gelatinous blue blob that just connects directly into your nervous system. Let your imagination roam. We did, however, get a rough release date: Late 2013, just in time for the festive season.
So there is the round-up for you. Personally, it sounds like the PS4 will be the greatest yet, social gimmicks aside. But who knows, maybe those new features will grow on me. I'm willing to give it a try, and I am excited to learn more about it as release days gets closer.
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