5 things we still don't know about the PS4

A lot of the conference was dedicated to the improvements that Sony is making to the Playstation Network (or SEN, or whatever). New chat options, sharing features, streaming games, all kinds of stuff. Only problem is, Sony didn’t exactly explain how. Be nice to know if I’m going to need to rewire my house, or pay a subscription fee to use the PS4.The XMB served the PS3 and PSP well for the last half decade or so, but it’s time to move on to new things. The PS3’s UI wasn’t much of mystery, since the PSP had come out some time before, but the Vita’s UI is designed for a touch screen, which the PS4 doesn’t have. Some recent screenshots have shined a little light on the situation, but nothing resembling a unified UI experience.The games shown at the conference all looked beautiful to be sure. Killzone, Infamous, the Witness, gorgeous games all. Wish we could say the same for the console itself, but we can’t because it wasn’t there. It’s hard to imagine the PS4 sitting in my entertainment center if I don’t know what it looks like.View the list »
The PS4 announcement was a tantalizing as it was unspecific.

Consoles newsletter

It’s been over a week since Sony’s big announcement. The PS4 is here! It’s new, it’s fast, and it’s… um. Well, it turns out Sony kept more than a few things to themselves on the 20th. Click the list to see five things we have yet to learn about the future of Playstation.

Related topics

Advertisement
View the list
  • The games shown at the conference all looked beautiful to be sure. Killzone, Infamous, the Witness, gorgeous games all. Wish we could say the same for the console itself, but we can’t because it wasn’t there. It’s hard to imagine the PS4 sitting in my entertainment center if I don’t know what it looks like.
  • The XMB served the PS3 and PSP well for the last half decade or so, but it’s time to move on to new things. The PS3’s UI wasn’t much of mystery, since the PSP had come out some time before, but the Vita’s UI is designed for a touch screen, which the PS4 doesn’t have. Some recent screenshots have shined a little light on the situation, but nothing resembling a unified UI experience.
  • A lot of the conference was dedicated to the improvements that Sony is making to the Playstation Network (or SEN, or whatever). New chat options, sharing features, streaming games, all kinds of stuff. Only problem is, Sony didn’t exactly explain how. Be nice to know if I’m going to need to rewire my house, or pay a subscription fee to use the PS4.
  • Not exactly a minor detail, especially since the price point for the PS3 went over so well. Sony has seemed to have learned their lesson, switching to more traditional architecture, and less exotic hardware components, but it isn’t clear if that will translate into a lower cost at launch.
  • When can I actually get this thing anyway? Sony says to expect it “Holiday 2013”, but that’s an imprecise window. This detail is probably not the only thing that’s being held back till E3. I guess we’ll just have to wait until then to get a full look at the PS4.
View the list
Suggested by the author:

, Milwaukee Video Games Examiner

Mike Salkin is the lead developer at Salkin studios, and has been playing and studying video games for over twenty years. He's trained in game development and design, and writes about a variety of gaming topics. Mike can be contacted at his http://www.facebook.com/MikeSalkinExaminer.

Advertisement

Today's top buzz...