Hard-core gamers waiting for Sony’s new PlayStation 4 (PS4) can expect to get their hands on it on December 31st. That is the date given by online retailer Amazon, but Sony has yet to reveal a specific date for the PS4 release.
At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the annual trade exhibition of the video-game industry, Sony gave some insight into its new gaming console. Sony announced a $399 price, a thought-provoking feature for ardent gamers, especially because it is $100 less than its rival, the Xbox One.
At first glance, the console looks elegant with sharp angles and black color. It includes a Controller and a PlayStation 4 camera that will cost $59. Yet another appealing feature of the PS4 is that gamers need not stay online all the time. In other words, you can play without having to sign in online. Sony is expected to let owners trade PS4 game discs and opt for cheaper pre-owned games.
Sony already revealed a few specs of the PS4 at a February event. A few mock-up designs also emerged at the 2013 Games Developers Conference, giving an idea of the revamped controller and the PS4 Eye.
The E3 event demoed quite a few games for the new console, including Killzone Shadowfall, Second Son and the Order 1866. It also touted a GTA-branded headset that will make the GTA 5 a blockbuster. Sony announced twelve new IPs for the new gaming platform.
Under the hood, PS4 will be powered by AMD x86 octa-core CPU providing 1.84 TLFOPS. The console will have the next gen Radeon-based graphics engine and an 8GB iGDDR5 RAM, which can provide 176GB/sec bandwidth. The console’s power will be “unparalleled” as Sony CEO Andrew House put it.
How much impact will the long-awaited PS4 have on the gaming industry? Will it do better than the Xbox One?