As noted earlier today, the PlayStation 4 is officially unveiled later tonight. So, how about we go over what we know thus far, and what to expect?
Sony Computer Entertainment
We’ve speculated as to what to expect not that long ago either, but now that we’re in the home stretch, some rumors are starting to sound like fact.
- There is indeed a new controller. There have been leaked pics of the prototype floating around for the past few days, and it’s basically what everyone has been expecting: a Dual Shock with a touch-sensitive area in the middle.
- It will come out by the end of this year. This is practically a gimme, given that the unveil is happening in February. The question now remains is if Microsoft is up for going head to head with Sony with box 720, or if they wait till next year.
- There is a slight chance that it won’t be called the PlayStation 4. The codename of the system is Orbis, that much has been known for some time now. Though many just figured that the final name will be PS4 and that’s that. But as Kotaku has brought up in their rundown, the number four is unlucky in Japan, so it might sport another name after-all.
- It will be at least cheaper than when the PlayStation 3 made its debut. One reason why many believe the PS3′s sales was so sluggish in the beginning (and which might have led to it being ultimately dominated by the 360) was because it cost so damn much upfront. And the recently released Vita? Everyone loves it, but it costs too damn much. So Sony might have finally learned a few lessons about pricing by now. Maybe.
- It might stream PS3 games. This one is one of the wackier rumors, but one that makes lots of sense. As also noted earlier today, backwards compatibility was what really helped the PS2 dominate. But the PS3′s tech is still complicated and expensive, so added the appropriate hardware to the PS4 architecture is perhaps not feasible. So why not utilize streaming gaming service that Sony purchased last year?
- Speaking of, the cloud will play a very considerable part in the grand scheme of things. It has recently discovered that Sony has just snatched up a bunch of domains that point towards somewhat called PlayStation Cloud. So we all know what that means: off site storage for saves and DLC. It also helps to keep the cost of the actual hardware down (see above).
Anyhow, we’ll all find out if any of the above is true, as well as the good stuff… what it looks like and what games it will have… at 6PM EST. There are several places that will be livestreaming it, though I’d recommend just playstation.com.