Mon, Apr 02, 2012 | 14:18 BST
PlayStation 4: Sony “confident” of pre-Xbox 720 release
VG247 has been told that Sony is aiming to release PlayStation 4 before Xbox 720 next Christmas, and that certain developers have been invited to reveal meetings in the US in May and June.
“Sony are completely in the belief that they have the jump on Microsoft this time. You should be watching the timing of next year’s E3 keynotes, and who’s going to go first.”
Following continued reports last week that PlayStation 4 is to be based on AMD hardware and is being planned for a 2013 release, a VG247 source has said Sony is aiming to get the machine to market ahead of Microsoft’s next generation Xbox.
The design goalposts for PS4, including specs, were in place at least two years ago, we were told. Our source said that Sony is “confident” it will have the console at market ahead of the next generation Xbox next Christmas.
VG247 reported this morning that developers and publishers have been told that Xbox 720 will be released for Holiday 2013.
“Sony are completely in the belief that they have the jump on Microsoft this time,” they said. “You should be watching the timing of next year’s E3 keynotes, and who’s going to go first.”
A second source said this morning that all next-generation systems will be in place “by 2014″.
Sony has apparently already put its favoured partners in the frame as to PlayStation 4.
“Top line publishers already know about it,” our source said. “Developers working with publishers – like Ubisoft, for example – already know what’s going on. They’re already working on it.”
While “most developers” will be fully briefed “by the end of this year,” some have been invited to events in May and June in the US.
Another source has told us more information is going to be issued about PS4 to developers under NDA in May.
MCV reported earlier this year that both PS4 and Xbox 720 “will be shown at E3 2012,” but both Microsoft and Sony have both said nothing consumer-facing about the next generation will happen at the LA event this year.
Direct to drive
In addition, a rumour is circulating that PlayStation 4 will use DirectX as opposed to a proprietary Sony API. It was reported last week that PlayStation 4 will not be based on PS3′s Cell processor in any way, and will instead use standard AMD hardware.
We were told today that Crytek was scaling its tech on the assumption that PS4 was going to be using a 24-core Cell processor as opposed to the eight-core unit in PS3. The studio was forced to halt development and start afresh when it was informed PlayStation 4 won’t be using Cell at all.
Indications are that PlayStation 4 will provide a development environment similar to that of the Xbox consoles and PC.
In addition VG247 has been told that elements of Vita’s launch hardware were changed to ensure that PS4 and Vita will be able to connect in a similar style to Nintendo’s Wii U and its controller – due for release this year – with Vita’s being used to control PS4 games with both twin sticks and touch.
59 comments
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#51
Sini
02/04/12, 8:22 pm
God of War 4 better be mind blowing and launch release or no one cares sony.
#52
Erthazus
02/04/12, 8:25 pm
@49, lol wut? 16x anti-aliasing? Haha, mhm… okay.
@OlderGamer, agree with everything except that there won’t be a huge leap in graphics. This is not true at all.
Just look at the Samaritan demo and it is 3.975 unreal engine, not the 4th one.
#53
The_Red
02/04/12, 8:58 pm
@49
Dude, it’s not like that you can add 24 or 36 cores to the same architecture and expect results. Cell has a unique architecture and based it bus limitation and other things, you can’t just add “more” to make it more powerful. Also what unique 16x AA!?
#54
shogoz
02/04/12, 10:57 pm
youre right, sony should have instead built a time machine so they can get computer chips from the future so when they come back they can bring it out right away and it can be the latest technology. noones ever happy. i’m just glad the graphics will be better.
#55
Dannybuoy
02/04/12, 11:12 pm
I’m bored of this, I’m going for a poo
#56
TheOutcastWolf
02/04/12, 11:35 pm
If I do remmember they said they would give the PS3 a life cycle of 10 years, so the “PS4″ would be launched arround 2 or 1 year before the end of the PS3 cycle…
Shall we also remmember that those news about new consoles started to be rummored EVEN MORE this weekend? Why would just now? :3
#57
bo_7md
03/04/12, 1:26 am
It is good that they are learning from their PS3 mistakes.
Reverting to DX is a good move, while we so PS3 exclusives with better graphics than other games there wasn’t enough game publishers willing to put the resources for a dedicated PS3 programmer = Buggy PS3 games.
#58
DSB
03/04/12, 2:04 am
@57 I missed that initially.
Yup, it really sounds like Sony are getting serious.
If they’re looking to beat Microsoft to the punch then that’s also the ultimately invalidation of the approach they had with the PS3.
If you’re going to justify a more powerful console then it also needs to last longer. Pretty games are all well and good, but I think most people favor functionality.
It’s going to be really interesting to see where this goes. Sony seem to be getting back on track.
#59
Eddie Rodrigues
03/04/12, 11:48 pm
@Everyone
Well, it seems unlikelly that this is true, they said 10 YEAR LIFE CYCLE for the PS3 and that’s what the fans want. Most people just bought their PS3 and sony is very aware of that, they just started the REAL life cycle of the console. Not to mention what they invested in the cells (but I did anyway).
PLUS THIS IS JUST AN APRIL’S FOOLS JOKE! REALLY GUYS, VG247 HARDLY POST ANYTHING ON THE WEEKEND SO THEY DECIDED TO POST ON MONDAY THEIR “NEWS” ABOUT NEXT-GEN CONSOLES, JUST SO EVERYONE THINK THAT THIS IS REAL…
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