The first PlayStation in seven years and it gets a head start on Microsoft’s new Xbox, it’ll be on shelves towards the end of the year. Not only is this product vitally important to the Japanese companies survival, it’s also “a moment of truth and a bold step forward for PlayStation and the company.” Bit rich?

The hardware
The only info that was released ITO hardware was that the PS4 will run on an X86 8-core CPU and have 8GB of memory.

In fact, they didn’t even bother to show off the new device, only the new Dual-Shock controller. Leaves a lot of questions in consumers’ minds, primary of which: did you forget it at home?

New development
Sony are pinning the PlayStation 4’s success on its ease of use for new developers to develop new games for the title. Their thinking is that the value of having a powerful computer on a single chip has grown less important, and instead the new PlayStation is going to be built on a traditional PCs architecture. This, they say, will make it incredibly easy for developers to create games for it.

Getting social
The PlayStation 3 suffered in the wake of the Xbox 360 for one simple, but very important reason: social gaming. The Xbox Live environment had it, the PS3 didn’t. That’s all going to change.

More than that, PS4 players will be able to explore and trial any game in the PS Store for free before buying. And you’ll be able to participate in some virtual spectating, watching your friends in-game action. That’s nifty.

And like the Wii U offered mobile gaming, with the PS4 you can likewise send your game to your mobile PS Vita device and carry on playing mobile-ly.

They also say the console “will get to know you”, incorporate in-game chat and include instant restart between sessions. Downloading games will be playable before the game finishes downloading. A big deal in SA broadband.

What else can it do
Finally Sony has realised that gamers do more than just game, they also watch movies and listen to music. The PS4 has become an entertainment hub with access to movies, music and pictures and services like Amazon, Netflix and Hulu.

Access to social networks like Facebook is also possible, keeping the PS4 relevant in this era of tablets and smartphones.

Good times ahead.

For more info: www.ign.com