Just a day before Microsoft is to unveil its next-generation Xbox 720 console, Sony debuted a PlayStation 4 teaser trailer giving everyone a mere glimpse of what the Japanese electronics corporation has in store for its loyal user-base. PlayStation is looking at a ‘holiday 2013’ release but like Microsoft, Sony has yet to confirm any rumors floating around keeping much of its technical specs completely under wraps.
The video depicts a purposefully blurry PlayStation 4 with quick cuts to various angles and branding on the actual console itself. It ends with the date of E3 (June 10, 6pm PT) where Sony, like Microsoft and Xbox, will give an in-depth examination of the PS4 with demonstrations and a sure line of games including Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag by Ubisoft. Stoking the fiery competition between the two was Ubisoft assistant producer Sylvain Trottier who called the new PS4 “a perfect jewel in our hand.”
As for what’s under the hood, here’s what we know and can determine from various insider sources. Sony will include with the PS4 a 1000amAh 210G six-axis sensing DualShock 4 controller with 2 point touchpad. The controller is supposed to be the answer to the new Xbox’s Kinect 2.0 motion sensing camera and the Wii’s signature wireless controller. The rumble pack is said to be as vibrant as ever and the device will feature a share button which will likely afford users the ability to capture footage and snapshots of their live gameplay and upload it to social media platforms.
The PlayStation 4 console will probably run on an octa-core X86 AMD Jaguar processor and a 1.84 T-FLOPS, AMD Radeon Graphics Core Next Engine GPU for optimal graphics and multimedia. Also expect 8GB of memory.
There’s been absolutely no word yet on a price tag but that will likely appear at E3 as well with the rest of the demo package. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think that Sony will price the PlayStation 4 somewhere in the neighborhood as Xbox 720, which will reportedly go for $499 for the next-gen console or $299 for customers who also buy a two-year Xbox Live Gold subscription for an additional $10 per month.
Retail availability is also still in question but a June release is likely to mean it’ll hit the shelves just in time for the holiday season. Ubisoft reported that Sony is looking at a hard date of November 22, though there’s no actual validation from Sony. Sony will certainly not rush things, however, as it has time to perfect its gaming experience courtesy of Nintendo’s poor earnings report and poor Wii U sales in general as well as Microsoft being the first to pull the trigger on releasing its console–for better or for worse. This gives Sony the ability to see any marketing mistakes by Microsoft in hindsight and spin it to its advantage.
So what are you all hoping to see from the PlayStation 4 at E3 next month? Will it be able to usurp Xbox as being the best selling game console? What are you expecting from Microsoft’s reveal event tomorrow? Will you be trading in your current console for the next-generation? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments section below.
Check out the PlayStation 4 teaser trailer below:
Check out some of the PS4 and Xbox 720 photo mocks. *Take these with a grain of salt. They’re artistic mock-ups.
