Sony Playstation 4 Rumor Round-Up
The Sony Playstation 4 is expected to be announced on February 20, 2013. In anticipation of that release, we have collected some of the most widely spread rumors pertaining to the devices features, pricing, release date, and more.
Sony will show off its new gaming console at 5pm Central time via us.playstation.com/meeting2013.
Sony Playstation 4 Naming Convention
So what can we expect? The most likely rumor to be true is that the system will be named the Sony Playstation 4 / PS4. Sony users have gotten so use to the naming convention that changing it now would be silly. However, the names “Orbis” and “Thebes” have also surfaced as possible names. We already known that the internal codename for the Sony PS4 was “Thebes.” We also know that gaming consoles across the board almost never sticks with its production names; for example, the Katana became the Sega Dreamcast and the Dolphin later became the Xbox 360.
Release Date
No clue on this one. The best guess from various outlets is that Sony will push out the PS4 right at the start of the holiday buying season. This strategy would probably be best. By choking supply based on extremely high demand, Sony can lead with large sales to reel in customers who don’t want to be left out for months to come.
Kotaku recently spoke with a reliable source who claimed the console could launch in the US by late 2013 and then delay shipments to the UK until early 2014.
Another source says Sony will stagger supply across all regions.
The Hardware
With every new Sony Playstation release, we have witnessed better graphics, faster processors, and overall better multimedia integration. The Sony PS4 will be no different.
AMD is expected to provide Sony with its competent CPU and GPU hardware. AMD has become more competent in recent years in terms of combining CPU and graphic elements to produce streamlined products.
According to reports, the new Playstation 4 will run 1080P support at 60fps, possibly with 3D support.
To process its high power needs, Sony is believe to be taking advantage of an 8-core 1.6GHz processor that complements a 7-series GPU hardware setup. According to reports, the GPU will be based around the AMD Radeon HD 7850 (pictured below).
Also helping power the PS4 will be 4GB RAM that is placed in a single GDDR5 setup for better speed and reliability.
Blue-Ray is expected to stay in place since Sony helped usher in the technology and can now include it with very little overall cost additions.
Used Game and Second Hand Game Support
In 2012, Sony filed US Patent Application 20130007892, which describes “a game playing system [including] a use permission tag provided for use in a game disk for a user of a game, a disk drive, and a reproduction device for reproducing the game.”
That patent filing if used for the Playstation 4 could potentially mean that second hand games will not be available for resale, a move that GameStop has railed against because of the damage it would cause to their business, which earns most of its top revenue from used game purchasing and sales. The new patent filing could also mean legacy games will not work on the new PS4 gaming console.
Users may fight back against such a system if announced. For example, a broken console would tie the users game to their broken system, forcing them to purchase another copy of the game they already own. Unless this issue is dealt with, Sony could face some serious backlash.
Sony Dual Shock Controller
As we recently reported, the Sony Dual-Shock controller is expected to remain largely the same. The biggest rumored change is a new touchpad on the front of the controller and redesigned L2 and R2 buttons. The trackpad would also move the start and select buttons.
A second PS4 controller debuted one day after the original “leak” and showcases a similar topside touchpad along with a 3.5mm jack.
Here is a closer look at the second PS4 controller to be leaked in the last week (notice the difference in trackpad size and design):
Sony PS3 gamers are very comfortable with the Dual Shock controller, and changing it completely would be foolish at this time.
Another rumor claims that the PS4 controller will feature the dual-camera HD EyeToy bundle to provide gamers with improved motion-sensitive controls along with traditional gaming controller options.
How the PS4 Will Connect To Multimedia
The Sony Playstation 4 will feature HDMI connectivity. We are 100 percent prepared to confirm this option. With 1080P a must have feature and 3D support likely, the company needs to include HDMI if it plans to impress video-friendly gamers who demand the best connectivity for what is sure to be a kick-butt AMD GPU.
Sony is also expected to include Wi-Fi and an Ethernet port.
The team at BGR recently claimed that Sony would even include 4K video resolution support, which it recently rolled out via Ultra HDTVs (UHDTV). Should that support be included, it would mean HDMI 1.4 support for the PS4 gaming console.
Sony PS4 Pricing
Your guess is at good as ours. Rumors have pointed to a $400 launch price. Just keep in mind that the PS3 gaming console was rumored to cost Sony $900 to make and then sold for around $600 at launch time. The Sony PS3 was a loss leader, and the Sony PS4 is likely to also lose the company money upon initial sale.
Keep in mind that Sony now has more ways than ever to capitalize on future returns. When the PS3 launched, Sony was hoping to earn back its revenue through game licenses. Now the company earns gaming revenue, video streaming revenue, download revenue, and other forms of cash generating schemes thanks to the connectivity users now seek.
From a historical standpoint, we are probably look at a device priced between $350 to $600. If the gaming console is released in time for Christmas, Sony may have no problem capitalizing on the high end of those price points.
The official launch of the Sony Playstation 4 will be upon us in 27 hours. Until then, we only have rumors and our hopes for cutting edge technology to hold onto.
In the meantime, Sony is trying to reach out to our nostalgic leanings with this “Evolution of the Playstation” new teaser video:
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