PlayStation 2013 Event – Our PS4 Predictions

After Sony announced that they will be making an announcement about PlayStation’s future last Friday, and tons of rumors about the PlayStation 4‘s specifications, capabilities and pricing have been floating around the internet, we just HAD to give our two cents to all this mambo jambo!

If you spend some time and search the hash-tag #PlayStation2013, you will find just about every rumor, opinion and leaked information about Sony’s new console.  Of course nothing has been confirmed, nor will it be anytime before the February 20th event which will be held in New York City and also live stream here.

We usually don’t comment on rumors and speculation – yeah I went there – but we simply cannot resist as new hardware has been longed for so desperately for months now. The PlayStation 3 is a perfectly capable console and will have blockbuster games coming out like God of War: Ascension, The Last of Us, BioShock Infinite and Grand Theft Auto V but we can’t help it continue to peak over to those high end PC’s running our favorite multiplatform games at such stellar frame rate, superior lighting and resolution.

Sure, the technical excellence of the PC isn’t all and that’s exactly the point. With the alleged 8 core processor with 2.2 GB Video Card and 8 GB or Memory, the PS4 will be a powerful machine and right up there with high end PC’s – affordable ones – not the NASA rigs that will take a second mortgage to afford, so hold your comments on that one please.

The PlayStation 4 has to do a lot more than just run games at superior technical specs compared to the current generation of hardware – it will need to have a more innovative and meaningful platform and service than ever before.

Here are our predictions (we will do a follow up after the event on the 14th to see how close we were – or whether we totally missed):

1. The PlayStation 4 – currently code named ‘ORBIS’ will be called PS4 or PlayStation 4 and not ORBIS or simply PlayStation
2. Sony will show the device but not confirm any specs, pricing, release dates or regions for the launch – this info will be made available at E3 later this year.
3. The Dual Shock will still be the PS4’s controller of choice and will have a share button – potentially in the form or a touch pad for navigation similar to the Vita’s back touch or the Blackberry’s thumb pad.
4. Sony will announce the implementation of cloud computing using the acquired GAIKAI platform for sharing content similar to OnLive’s highlight feature and similar uses as well as playing classic games through this service as part of PlayStation Plus.
5. Sony will lose the XMB and go to a more pretty, yet functional system similar to the redesigned PlayStation Store – except it will run faster.
6. There will be game demos shown off for some of the blockbuster franchises like the Uncharted and Killzone series as well as MotorStorm and something from Sucker Punch – maybe InFamous. We will also see some third party games from Ubisoft like Watch Dogs as well as The Last Guardian (fingers crossed) and of course a glimpse at the new Call of Duty from Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games. Before we forget – Kojima will show off Metal Gear 5 and a brand new franchise will be revealed with an incredible on screen demo.
7. The PlayStation 4 will also have a much deeper social platform that intertwines your Twitter and Facebook friends list with the PSN friends list you have already.
8. Sony will announce a partnership with Comcast or another cable provider to bring Television content to the console as it will also act as some kind of set top box.
9. The PS Vita will become a peripheral to be used for games with the PlayStation 4 a la WiiU Pad and more cross game titles will be teased or included in the above mentioned titles.
10. Lastly, Sony will not comment on PSN Plus being required for online play but will go over just how successful the PS3 has been and reiterate the 10 year life cycle.

Of course all of this is simply based on rumors and we are speculating heavily but some of these points seem like logical steps when looking at past Sony conference reveals.

What do you think will be announced? Could it be something completely different and a major disappointment to fans, press and investors? We will find out on February 20th.

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