It has been seven years since the release of the Xbox 360 and PS3. Seven years since we first laid eyes on graphics that blew our minds away, and encountered the promise of connectivity with friends while gaming. Our consoles have served us well, but their time has ended, and the time for the next generation of consoles has arrived.
On Wednesday, February 20, Sony made their first announcement regarding the PS4, their new flagship piece of gaming hardware. The announcement said little about the actual design of the console, but stuck mostly with the numerous capabilities that the PS4 would be able to offer. Incredible graphics and new games were obviously on list, but other features seemed to stick out.
One of these features was the introduction of the new controller, the Dualshock-4. The controller comes complete with a new design, a sensitivity bar along the top, and even a touchpad in the center of the device. Sony expects the controller to be an integral part in the next generation of games. They also introduced new services that allow your friends to be even more immersed in your own experience of the game. These include allowing your friends to take control of your game from another console and playing through a part in which you’re having trouble.
The new Dualshock 4 controller, source: IGN
A major downside of the system was leaked a few days after the announcement. The PS4 will not be backwards compatible. This means that all your favorite PS3 games will be unplayable in your new PS4. This is a huge disappointment to many, but there is a chance that there will be a maneuver around this in the future. You can expect that some type of emulator or “cloud” service will allow you to go back to your PS3 favorites a few years from now.
Unfortunately, Sony refused to comment on pricing as well as the release date for the PS4, and it will most likely remain that way until early this summer when Sony’s competitor, Microsoft, will reveal their “Xbox 720”. Until then, take a look at some of the gameplay footage showing the graphics of the PS4 on YouTube, it makes current games look like Pong.
