We might not have a price, release date or a photo of what the console looks like but we finally have a glimpse at the PlayStation 4. GQ was at Sony's unveiling event in New York last night, as a capacity crowd of tech reporters and bloggers thirsty for information (and just plain thirsty - put that many laptops in a room and watch it dry out faster than you can say "WiFi password") filled Lincoln Centre for our first glimpse at the next-gen console. While there was no hands-on just yet, we certainly liked what we saw. Here are our highlights...
1. The controller is finally changing. After nearly two decades of being unchanged (remember the PS3's "boomerang" prototype? The Dual Shock 4 features some major upgrades: including a touch panel, a PlayStation Move-type light sensor to go with a new and improved Move camera and other features such as a Share button and headphone jack. It's a smart move; rather than force one gimmick onto players, the new Dualshock will allow developers to use it as they choose.
2. The graphics are sensational. Sony lead system architect Mark Cerny spent much of the presentation showing off tech specs, including a hyped up PC-style GPU and 8GB of on board RAM - basically translating into a real step-up from the current generation. The trailer for Killzone: Shadowfall (presumably Adele is recording the soundtrack as we speak) was incredible, with sumptuous lighting, realistic explosions and ultra-detailed characters. Capcom's trailer for Deep Down, a Hobbit-meets-Monster Hunter style cave adventure, offered mind-blowing faces and the most impressive looking dragons you've seen in a video game.
3. Developers love it and that's good news for gamers. With no hardware in sight, Sony's announcement was all about the games. Other than the aforementioned Killzone, highlights included ultra-realistic social racing game DriveClub, a deeper look at Bungie's stunning shooter Destiny, intriguing platformer Knack and Ubisoft's truly unique hacking game Watch Dogs. Plus, with the likes of Square Enix announcing a next-gen Final Fantasy and virtually every developer going confirming their support, expect some unmissable launch titles.
4. Social media comes to consoles. We lost count of the number of times we heard the word "sharing" but PlayStation have bet big on social gaming. The online Playstation Network now offers a Pinterest-style friends feed. The new share button, combined with an innovative built-in video chip, will allow you to record and upload highlights to your friends. It's a promising premise and one that developers will take far beyond the inevitable FIFA-bragging.
5. Online gaming just stepped up a notch. Sony have bet big on the revamped PlayStation Network and its looks to have paid off. Beyond third-party video apps like Netflix, the PS4 will let gamers try any game for free, via Internet streaming, before purchase. Similarly, online streaming of games to the PS Vita (much like the Wii U controller) is a nice touch.
6. It'll be out by Christmas... probably. While there was no announcement, a final screen of the presentation promised PS4 is coming "Holiday 2013". While that could mean anytime before Christmas (our money is late November), Sony haven't confirmed whether we'll get a simultaneous UK launch or have to wait, as we did the the PS3. Either way, we can't wait to get our hands on one...
The PlayStation 4 is expected by Christmas 2013.
Oliver Franklin
Oliver Franklin is GQ.com’s features assistant. He has also written for Wired, Men’s Health and the London Evening Standard.
No comments:
Post a Comment