Sony launched the latest salvo in its ongoing rivalry with Microsoft with the launch of the PlayStation 4, the first of a new generation of consoles. At an event held in the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York’s Manhattan Center, Sony revealed that the PlayStation 4 would go on sale this Christmas. It refused to set a price, or even show the console itself but it is unlikely to cost much less than £300.
With under-the bonnet power considerably in excess of that of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it will usher in a new breed of games with startlingly lifelike graphics, set in virtual worlds that operate in a much more believable manner than the current crop. But it will not have that ground to itself: Microsoft is applying the finishing touches to a successor for its Xbox 360 which, it is believed, it will unveil at the E3 Show in Los Angeles in June. That, too, is likely to go on sale this Christmas, unleashing a titanic battle for living room supremacy between Sony and Microsoft.
“Today marks a moment of truth and a bold step forward for PlayStation,” said Andrew House, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
Sony said the system will feature an eight-core processor that can juggle more tasks than the PlayStation 3 and be part of a new digital ecosystem that’s “the fastest, most powerful gaming network.”
There was no word on price or availability, other than a flash on the screen saying “holiday 2013.”
The PS4 is arriving amid declines in video game hardware, software and accessory sales. Research firm NPD Group said game sales fell 22 per cent to $13.3 billion in 2012. With the launch of the PS4, Sony is looking to attract audiences who may have shifted their attention to games on Facebook, tablet computers and mobile phones.
Beyond games, the PlayStation 4 will let people create animation in 3-D using a Move motion controller all in real time.
Full Specifications and Features
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.
Wireless Controller for PlayStation4 (DUALSHOCK4)
External Dimensions
- Approx. 162mm x 52mm x 98mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
Weight
- Approx. 210g (tentative)
Keys / Switches
- PS button, SHARE button, OPTIONS button
- Directional buttons (Up/Down/Left/Right)
- Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
- R1/L1/R2/L2 button, Left stick / L3 button, Right stick / R3 button, Pad Button
- Touch Pad 2 Point Touch Pad, Click Mechanism, Capacitive Type
- Motion Sensor Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, threeaxis accelerometer)
Other Features
- Light Bar, Vibration, Built-in Mono Speaker
- Ports: USB (Micro B), Extention Port, Stereo Headset Jack
- Wireless Communication Bluetooth Ver2.1+EDR
- Battery Type Built-in Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery Voltage DC3.7V (tentative) Capacity 1000mAh (tentative)
PlayStation 4 Eye
- External Dimension Approx. 186mm x 27mm x 27mm (width x height x depth)(tentative)
- Weight Approx. 183g (tentative)
- Video Pixel (Maximum) 1280 x 800 pixel x 2
- Video Frame Rate 1280×800 pixel @ 60fps
- 640×400 pixel @ 120fps
- 320×192 pixel @ 240fps
- Video Format RAW, YUV (uncompressed)
- Lens Dual Lenses, F value/F2.0 fixed focus
- Capture Range 30cm～∞
- Field-of-View 85
- Microphone 4 Channel Microphone Array
- Connection Type PS4 dedicated connector (AUX connector)
- Cable Length Approx. 2m (tentative) *Specifications are subject to change without notice.-
