PS4 vs. Xbox 720: 5 Features the PS4 has that the Xbox 720 May Also Be Aiming For
While there still hasn't been any reveal of the PS4 box nor are there any reports on when the reveal may be, it's good to look at the confirmed specs and features that the Sony has in store for its next-gen PS4.
Processor and memory: Next-gen beats the current by a long shot
Off the bat, what you'd notice that Sony has invested in the next-gen's memory and processor capabilities.
In a face-off of specs, Digital Trends reports that the PS4 has a whopping eight-core x86 AMMD Jaguar CPU, and a GPU of 1.84 T-FLOPS, AMD Radeon Graphics Core Next Engine.
Compare this with the current gen's 3.2 GHz Cell Broadband Engine and GPU of RSX "Reality Synthesizer" @ 550MHz, 1.8 T-FLOPS floating point performance.
The memory capability is also something to behold, with the PS4's 8GB GDDR5 RAM, compared to the PS3's 256MB XDR Main RAM.
PlayStation 4 Eye
If there's one innovation that's worth taking notice, it would have to be the PlayStation 4 Eye.
According to EndGadget, this camera accessory is part of the parcel of four microphone, 85-degrees of field view, and two 1,280x800 cameras, which will be used to triangulate 3D space, among other functions.
The dual cameras allow one to capture the action onscreen with good quality picture, while the other is responsible for motion tracking. This goes on a full play-on-play with the Kinect and the DualShock 4 controller.
"It's an extension of the PS Move technology that w incorporated into the DualShock so that the camera can see where it is, said Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Studios.
PS4 goes social, keeps you linked
When it was first released in 2005, social networking did not have as much power or relevance to people's lives, with the more mainstream means of communication still being the Internet-and only emails and chats, to boot back then.
Fast forward to eight years after, when everything social seems to be hip, apps and devices are being created to keep you connected everywhere you go, and the routine services offering social connectivity as a staple rather than an add-on.
The PS4 ups this ante for its gaming by introducing the Share button for its controller, the DuaShock 4. Polygon reports that, the share button will allow players to capture the gameplay that they are currently enjoying and share it to their Facebook friends online.
By default, this also means that you'll be doing away with anonymity when playing so you can brag to your PlayStation Network friends just what level you are already playing in your game.
PSN friend limit and the DualShock 4 controller
Part of the social advocacy of the next-gen console also encapsulates the increase in friend limit. Computer and Video Games reports that the current 100 PSN friend limit will increase with the coming of the PS4. However, the new number is yet to be revealed.
At the February PS4 event, only the DualShock 4 controller took the stage, but it did feature key differences that optimize the console as a whole.
According to TechRadar, you get two new buttons, the Share and the Option button. In addition, the analogue sticks have been restructured to become more precise, and the controller has a three-axis accelerometer to enable motion sensors and a more immersive experience.
Better, next-gen games
Putting the PS4's kicking new features to good use would be the upcoming games that many developers are currently hard at work creating in time for the holiday release.
So far, titles for the next-gen console include Watch Dogs, Doom 4, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, reports GameSpot. Since the actual release of the console is still in November, there will surely be other games that will be announced in the coming months.
"PlayStation 4 really comes as a pleasant surprise because indeed, it's a very familiar architecture," said Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat to GameSpot. "I think it's paying off for us deciding to develop on high-end PCs early. It's a less complex transition."