It’s all conspiracies, allegations and secret sources in the next-gen console war. The electronics giant Sony is “allegedly” conducting super secret briefings and shipping dev kits to developers.
It’s quite a gnarly business when you’re developing new hardware, especially when you have big competition. As expected Sony wants to keep everything hush-hush, but multiple sources have told VG247 that stuff is going down. Specifically, PlayStation 4 (codename: Orbis) stuff. Let me tell you about it in my best Morgan Freeman voice.
VG247 reports that Sony has begun sharing its plans and specs with key partners. They are believed to be conducting briefing sessions with select US software developers on the capabilities of the PlayStation 4. It has also been said that select game publishers have taken delivery of an enhanced version of the console’s development kit, version one believed to be little more than a graphics card.
The new, improved, enhanced and “modified PC” update, and an upcoming third-time-lucky refresh is said to be indicative of the final specs. It is said that the final unit will be provided in the United State’s “next summer”, ahead of a predicted pre-E3 reveal of the device to us mere common folk.
Now that all that stuff that I don’t really care about is over with, but here are some juicy deets on the actual hardware : The super secret multiple sources have disclosed that “The Console” (dun dun duuuunnn!) will be powered by AMD’s A10 APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), the love child (combination) of a CPU and GPU single chip. Development kits will feature either 8GB or 16BG RAM, a Blue-ray optical drive and a 256GB hard disk drive.
Some other stuff mentioned includes that Ethernet, HDMI, and Wi-Fi functionality will be the same as with the PS3, but the User Interface will be overhauled. Players will be able to press the PS button mid-game and travel “anywhere” (don’t think that includes space travel) on the system (oh right, on the system).
For example,one can buy DLC from the store and then seamlessly return to play. Sources have been told that the system will be designed to accept system and product updates in the background, and that it will always be in standby mode. Apparently the hardware will also NOT be made in Japan.
Last Updated: November 2, 2012
