Sony has been very open regarding details surrounding their next generation gaming console, the PlayStation 4. From content policies to hardware features, Sony has left very little for fans and media to decipher on their own regarding Sony's entry into the next generation.
One area they have oddly chosen to ignore discussion on is the unavoidable side effects of stuffing such potent hardware into such a compact package. With the current generation of consoles being notorious for hardware failure due to heat management issues on top of disk drives that seemingly sound like vacuum cleaners, it may not be a popular topic to discuss, but it's an important one non-the-less.
Oddly enough, both Nintendo and Microsoft have done just that, in detail. Nintendo is extremely quick to point out the low power consumption of the Wii U while Microsoft is quick to make note of just how quiet and cool the Xbox One runs.
So how about Sony? Just how quiet will their PlayStation 4 be, and at what power level? Well, we sadly don't have exact numbers just yet, but thanks to Masayasu Ito, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan and Asia Senior Vice president and Director of Business Unit 1 (yes, that is his actual job title), we have an idea of what to expect.
In a recent interview with AV Watch, Masayasu goes into several of the question asked regarding the PlayStation 4's power consumption, heat production and hardware sound levels. Some key highlights of the interview are as follows (translated via DuelShockers):
- While being always online is not necessary, a network connection is important to fully enjoy the features of the PS4.
- The PS4 will initially act as a stand-alone web server for the PlayStation App. In the future there’s the possibility of this to be expanded through the cloud, with the PS4 and PlayStation App interacting through the cloud, allowing cooperative play between multiple players.
- The secondary chip for ultra-low power operation will mostly activate at night from 1 to 4 AM and download any required update automatically. It will also activate when software is purchased through external means like the PlayStation App.
- Power consumption will vary greatly depending on the performance of the game played.
- The noise level of the console during operation is generally much smaller than it was on the PS3.
- The PS4′s cooling fan has a low noise level and step less speed control (meaning that it will increase its speed to match heat smoothly and not in sudden steps like the one on the PS3).
- Since the Blu-Ray player is 6x instead of 2x in speed (like the one on the PS3 was) the initial spinning noise is actually louder, but that will be countered by using the hard disk drive.
- The Audio/Video performance (for movies and music) of the PS4 will target PS3 levels at launch, but will be improved through updates, for instance with the addition of 4K, as Sony is also an Audio/Video company.
- The theme of the PS4 is “Personalization”, meaning that it will offer an experience tailored to each individual.
Now, as mentioned before, these are not base line figures that we can use to compare to both current generation and next generation competitors, but it's nice to see Sony at least thinking about such things.
What are your thoughts on this? Do heat and audio levels concern you as a consumer? Let me know by subscribing to me here, on YouTube at YouTube/Pitmonkey and by following me on Twitter @NicholasGigante.
