Prior to the start of the video game heavy E3 gaming event in Los Angeles, electronics conglomerate Sony revealed in greater depth the details of its much-hyped next-generation gaming console, the PlayStation 4. Sony only gave its fan-base a taste of what it had up its sleeve back in February, sparking numerous rumors of what specs the console might posses and for how much, though now we have a clearer picture of the release date and price with the PS4 to hit the retail shelves by the holiday season at $399.
It was close to three weeks ago that Microsoft unveiled its rival Xbox One console to much fanfare and a substantially more affordable price at $399 to PS4’s $499. But while Microsoft appears hellbent on turning its console into an all-in-one entertainment center, Sony is seemingly sticking to its roots looking to create an upgraded, entertaining video game console.
The console specs are nothing short of impressive, but whether or not they compete evenly with those of the Xbox One is up to you. The PS4 will run on an X86 octa-core processor, exhibit an enhanced 1.84 T-FLOPS GPU for ultimate picture clarity, and will offer 8GB of high-speed unified memory.
Perhaps the most intriguing feature, one sure to be in the good graces of gamers and PS4 fans, is the dual shock controller complete with touchpad, share button, lightbar and headphone jack. The lightbar corresponds with the console’s camera, similar to how Nintendo’s Wii operates, and tracks movement and depth.
The share button affords users the ability to take photos and footage of in-game play, and share it with their friends via the PS4 network or their favorite social media sites. The console’s always-on video compression allows for fast sharing on the fly and let’s the user’s friends watch the footage remotely or even take-over the user’s controller and finish whatever game or level they’re competing in.
But if the user decides instead to switch their TV screen to whatever show or movie they see fit, they can seamlessly transfer their gaming onto the mobile PlayStation Vita without so much as a hiccup.
PS4 fans should expect 140 new games to debut on the next-gen console with 100 available by next year. In a move not characteristic of Sony and its gaming devices, the PlayStation 4 will cost an affordable $399–compare that to Microsoft’s more expensive $499 Xbox One, whose devices are historically cheaper.
Sony made no word of a hard release date, though it expects to launch the PS4 just in time for the holiday season. Similarly, the Xbox One is poised for consumer availability in November.
To illustrate how different the directions the rival companies and their respective consoles are headed, consider how Microsoft is playing up its new Xbox. The Xbox One is being touted as an entertainment hub with cross-platform streaming, integrating all things internet, gaming, television, and hand-held devices. PlayStation 4 meanwhile, opened up the hood and performed open heart surgery, upping RAM, storage, GPU, camera, and controller power–all the makings for optimum gaming.
Because of the fact that both consoles may be serving different, however closely related, functions it may be the hardest time period in both companies’ gaming histories to compare them eye-to-eye. But either way, let’s hear from you gamers and loyalists out there. What do you think of the PlayStation 4? Will it compete viably with the Xbox One? Or will the Xbox One be the one competing with the PS4? Let us know all of your thoughts in the comments section below.
