A European source has laid hands on the stat sheet of PlayStation 4, and if what’s listed on said sheet rings true, PS4 will be the machine gamers have been dreaming about.
The last time supposed specs of PS4 was leaked, many questioned whether Sony’s strategy was a viable one, especially since the rumor claimed PS4 wouldn’t play PS3 games, and would include some kind of used game-blocking technology.
These specs, if you choose to believe them, are what will be under the hood of PS4:
– An “advanced Cell processor” equipped with “10GB of working memory.”
– Max 2D resolution to be 3840 x 2160; max 3D resolution to be 1080p.
– Two custom Nvidia graphics chips provide “video display and plenty of power.”
– Backwards compatibility is included: “The aim is older PS discs without problems.”
The stat sheet even includes a release window, pinning the console down for a Q4 2013 release.
Previously:
Back in late March, Kotaku said it’d gotten much of PS4′s internals from a trusted source, here’s what it said:
It’s codename Orbis, and a reveal could be just months away, however a 2013 holiday release is already in order.
According to Kotaku, “the details in this story come from a reliable source who is not authorized to talk publicly about next-gen hardware but has shared correct information with us before.”
Meanwhile, when reached for comment, a Sony spokesperson told the site the firm does not comment on rumor and speculation.
Orbis
In Latin, the word Orbis means circle, or ring, or even orbit – not nothing to grab clues from, but like Kotaku pointed out, considering that PS Vita was also derived from Latin, literally meaning “Life”, Orbis isn’t too far fetched. I personally like the sound of it.
Combine circle and life, you get the circle of life. Maybe, just maybe, PS Vita is an integral part of PS4 Orbis.
Infact, if you visit orbis.scedev.net, you’ll see this PlayStation screen:
Specs
– AMD x64 CPU
According to the source, “the PS4′s GPU in particular will be capable of displaying Orbis games at a resolution of up to 4096×2160, which is far in excess of the needs of most current HDTV sets. It’ll also be capable of playing 3D games in 1080p (the PS3 could only safely manage 3D at 720p).”
2013
“Select” developers have been receiving developer kits since the beginning of 2012, and revised and improved versions were given at GDC, and finalized betas will be sent our at the end of this year.
That being the case, developers should have ample time to get ready their games for a holiday 2013 release, (sometime in November, just like PS3 back in 2006). It will also be the PS3′s seventh year on the market.
Won’t Run PS3 Games
Orbis won’t be able to play PS3 games, says the Kotaku source, and Sony has no plans to make the console backwards compatible on already available PS3 games, either.
Used Games Are Dead On Orbis’ Arrival
Many sources have informed Kotaku that Orbis will have some kind of used games-blocking feature. Here’s how the main source says it’ll work:
“New games for the system will be available one of two ways, either on a Blu-Ray disc or as a PSN download (yes, even full retail titles). If you buy the disc, it must be locked to a single PSN account, after which you can play the game, save the whole thing to your HDD, or peg it as “downloaded” in your account history and be free to download it at a later date.”
You’ll also need to be online to even start up the games, so PSN account and internet access are paramount.
“If you then decide to trade that disc in, the pre-owned customer picking it up will be limited in what they can do.”
It’s not clear how exactly things will work for the person buying the used games, what features they’ll be locked out of, and what will be made available, but according to the source, “used games will be limited to a trial mode or some other form of content restriction, with consumers having to pay a fee to unlock/register the full game.”
Earlier in the week, Epic Games said it had seen the specs of both PS3 and 360, and concluded that the consoles weren’t ready for primetime.
