PlayStation 4 also set for E3 2012 reveal?

By Robert Purchese Published 6 January, 2012

Three new machines at one show, says report.

Sony will also "show" its new console - presumably PlayStation 4 - at the annual E3 expo this summer, a foil-wrap-fresh report has claimed.

UK trade website MCV provided no further information. The tip apparently came from an "exemplary" and "ultra high level" source.

"Obviously we can't reveal our sources," wrote MCV writer Ben Parfitt on Twitter. "But you have my personal word on this - the source is exemplary, 100 per cent concrete, ultra high level."

He added: "Really, really wish I could name him/her/them/it but obviously cannot."

Sony UK told Eurogamer this morning that "we don't comment on rumour and speculation".

Microsoft is widely expected to show a new Xbox - or two - at E3 2012. And an announcement may come even earlier - as soon as next week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Has knowledge of a new Xbox forced Sony's hand - a company that has been outspoken about its long-term, 10-year plan for PlayStation 3?

Jim Ryan, PlayStation Euro boss, suggested so - telling Eurogamer in November that it would be "undesirable" to concede another head start advantage to Microsoft with the next generation of consoles.

What an odd, waterfall-like situation it would be if Sony had rushed to dilute Microsoft's thunder - only to discover that Microsoft had itself rushed to dilute Nintendo's Wii U thunder. What fantastic machinery we'd be sold as a result.

If this report does turn out to be true, Sony may have little more to show of PS4 at E3 than target renders and a basic strategy - an announcement rather than a reveal, if you like. Cast your mind back to E3 2005 and the infamous target render footage of Killzone 2 on PS3 for an idea of what to expect.

Microsoft is expected to launch the next generation Xbox around Christmas 2013. A PS4 may be further off, judging by Sony's recent commitment to The Last of Us - a likely 2013 PS3 exclusive built by Uncharted maker Naughty Dog.

That new PS3 exclusive The Last of Us.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (165) Latest comment 4 months ago

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  • MancunianPsycho #1 5 months ago

    "Really, really wish I could name him/her/them/it but obviously cannot."
    So pure speculation, then...
    Edited by MancunianPsycho at 06/01/12 @ 09:51

  • wizlon #2 5 months ago

    Yay, incomplete hardware and target renders, my favourite.

  • Golgo #3 5 months ago

    Sounds like they're currently at the bag-of-beermat stage of design, with things soon to ramp up to the fridge magnet phase.

  • NotSoSlim #4 5 months ago

    Think both Sony and MS will do target render in all honesty with full reveal year after. Sony are not going to overshadow Vita

  • Der_tolle_Emil #5 5 months ago

    Should make for an interesting E3 if true even though it sounds more like a panic move from Sony if you ask me. I cannot quite say why I feel that a new MS console makes sense yet a new Sony console doesn't, they are after all only one year apart, but I guess I feel that way because so far there weren't even rumors about a new Sony console - and history told us that Sony are not too capable of keeping information hidden, pretty much everything they want to show has been leaked. Sony either thought they have to show something now, or it's not true because it would have been leaked already anyway.

    At any rate a big showoff at E3 with three new consoles should keep me pretty entertained.

  • menage #6 5 months ago

    I'm good for the next 2-4 years anyway, I'll wait for a slim:p

  • anomagnus #7 5 months ago

    I still think theres an outside chance of a sony/ms co-developed console.

  • Snake_2011 #8 5 months ago

    fine with it will be a 2013/14 in stores I reckon. looking forward to E3 this year.

  • ambar_hitman #9 5 months ago

    Pretty sure they will only be announced and released at next year E3, making the console by Nintendo last gen, AGAIN.

  • super_monty #10 5 months ago

    After the hardware problems with ps3 (ylod) and 360 (RROD) I won't be buying of them on release until I know the hardware is sound.

    I might get a Wii U but if it has decent games for adults as well as kids other I will just keep he Wii for my 4 year old.

    Funny 4 negs see how you would feels after 2 ps3s and 7 360s
    Edited by super_monty at 07/01/12 @ 21:42

  • lexxx #11 5 months ago

    won't the next gen begin only when Sony says so?

  • super_monty #12 5 months ago

    So far I still have about 50 games already released I want to buy and play on wii, ps3 and 360 so I am good for a long time yet anyway.

  • DAN.E.B #13 5 months ago

    So expect sony to jump up on stage with more false promisses and lies to steal some of the lime light from the other two!

    Comedy gold from the Sony PR camp.
    Cant wait!!!

  • wayn3h #14 5 months ago

    Anyone find it odd how the word 'next gen' creeped up with the 360 and PS3 and is still being used to describe graphics on either system over 5 years later?

  • Shikasama #15 5 months ago

    The direction of gaming and treadmill of 'all polish and no content' games does nothing to persuade me to put 400 quid on a new games console at all.

  • Skooch #16 5 months ago

    "Cast your mind back to E3 2005 and the infamous target render footage of Killzone 2 on PS3 for an idea of what to expect."

    Glad EG brought this up, I will be taking a heavy dose of salt with whatever Sony may or may not show of the PS4. Anyone remember 7 USB ports and a worldwide launch as well?

  • evild_edd #17 5 months ago

    "Has knowledge of a new Xbox forced Sony's hand - a company that has been outspoken about its long-term, 10-year plan for PlayStation 3?"

    Correct me if I'm wrong - and I make this comment as someone who doesn't own a PS3 - but I don't recall Sony's 10 year plan stating that they wouldn't release another home console in that time, only that the PS3 would have a 10 year period of software support....

    Given the rate of development in computer hardware I can't imagine Sony ever planned to leave it 10 years between the release of PS3 & 4. I can, however, imagine a scenario where games are released on both consoles until the userbase switched from 3 to 4.....much as with happened with PS1 to 2, and PS2 to 3.

    Excited about the prospect of getting the next gen, but would personally prefer to get another 12-18 months out of my 360 before making the upgrade.

  • -cerberus- #18 5 months ago

    As usual, I won't be buying a next-gen console until the hardware has been revised. Let's face it, we all know the 'slim' versions are going to happen sooner or later.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #19 5 months ago

    @lexxx Ha!

  • PinktotheLast #20 5 months ago

    Next generation in 2013 is too early for me, I'll be looking to be a late adopter this time.

    Plus to all those that ridicule a joint Sony-MS console: I for one am sick of having to buy three consoles to play all the good games that come out. Plus timed exclusives, DLC exclusives, and other bollocks like that really piss me off.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #21 5 months ago

    @evild_edd You're quite right. But surely promoting and even releasing a new console seriously undermines existing technology? PS3 is just five years old (not quite in Europe). I didn't expect this yet.

    Unless, that is, Sony is embracing backwards compatibility (and for the long haul this time).

  • oupe #22 5 months ago

    @-cerberus-
    You're damn right. Unfortunately, I'm a complete sucker for new technology so a new xbox will be a day one purchase...

  • PaulieWaulie #23 5 months ago

    Post deleted at 14:23:40 06-01-2012

  • Arwin #24 5 months ago

    Actually, the Last of Us is no real indication of anything. God of War 2 also came out very late in PS2s cycle for instance, even after the launch of the PS3. Sony has always had a 10 year strategy with their consoles basically, but that hasn't stopped them from launching a new console halfway into the cycle of the previous one.

    Anyway, announcements do not a launch make. Could still be 2014 before we see them, and 2014 has been the expected arrival of the next Sony/MS platforms for a long time now. For Microsoft's next console to arrive early it would need to have 360 sales slow down, but currently those sales are doing great, especially in the US. PS3 is doing pretty well in Europe and Japan, but at the same time it is clear to them that they won't catch up to Microsoft now in the U.S. If they want to have a shot at recapturing the lead in that market, they'll have to do something serious, among which announce a PS4 along with perhaps something like a Kinect beater. As much as I love and prefer Move over all the others, it's clear that the controller free experience that Kinect offers is something Sony will want to support eventually if they can (Microsoft has been buying a *lot* of patents ;) ).
    Edited by Arwin at 06/01/12 @ 10:17

  • X201 #25 5 months ago

    What will either camp offer above their current consoles, after the usual improvements of better graphics and more processing grunt?

    MS will add Blu-ray
    Both will pimp cloud based services.
    Both will do some kind of "Your profile follows you everywhere" thing.
    Neither will screw up backward compatibility like they did last time.

  • Dizzy #26 5 months ago

    Lemme guess... Toy Story like power?

  • Arwin #27 5 months ago

    @Dizzy Of course! By the way, wasn't it Microsoft who actually said that, not Sony?

  • cyacomini #28 5 months ago

    Dual 1080p outputs FTW!

    :)

    On a serious note. I'm happy with my current 360 - I'd usually jump at the chance to upgrade to the latest console but this is probably the first generation where I'm in no rush for new kit.

    I don't want to see a new Xbox before Q3 2013.

    PS : Big shout out for Tropico 4. It's not selling well but it really is a fantastic game. I want Tropico 5 on 360 so please go out and buy 4!
    Edited by cyacomini at 06/01/12 @ 10:21

  • patch #29 5 months ago

    @Bertie Let's hope you're right. I'd see it as a win-win if they can have hardware cross-over with true backwards compatibility. That goes for Microsoft as well.

  • Beano #30 5 months ago

    Has knowledge of a new Xbox forced Sony's hand - a company that has been outspoken about its long-term, 10-year plan for PlayStation 3?
    Again: PS3 10-year lifespan does not mean there will be 10 years between PS3 and PS4. It means PS3 is planned to be on store shelves for at least 10 years. Just like PS2 has a 10+ year lifespan.

  • ThaneKrios #31 5 months ago

    I hope so.

  • yoomazir #32 5 months ago

    Lulz, Sony sweating hard since they've heard rumors of the next Xbox, pathetic.

  • spazmo #33 5 months ago

    "Cast your mind back to E3 2005 and the infamous target render footage of Killzone 2 on PS3 for an idea of what to expect."

    I do remember. EG absolutely spunking gallons over the PS3 while completely poo pooing the 360.

  • richardiox #34 5 months ago

    Same as E3 2005 then. Sony not having anything to actually show but still being in the business position of having to rival their competitors. In terms of marketing they need the consumer to know their is another console option on the horizon. "Stealing Thunder".

    So maybe we can expect another 2005-esque presentation of made up facts (capable of dual 1080p output) etc alongside made up footage (target renders) of software still in pre-alpha phase.

    As stated in the article it seems like their hand has been forced...even if they wanted to stick to their "10 year plan" they need to show something of their next home console. I always thought the "10 year plan" was pure marketing anyway - 'our console is so powerful it will still be cutting edge in 10 years time'

  • Lunatic4ever #35 5 months ago

    If THAT is true this is going to be one hell of a E3

  • Cjail #36 5 months ago

    They might show the PS4 but I doubt that a release for the end of 2012, or early 2013, is compatible with all the exclusives Sony is planning to release for PS3.
    I will stick with Sony for the next generation, just like I did for the past 3, but for me the ideal time to release the PS4 is still Holidays 2013, beginning of 2014.

    Edit:

    Well if Killzone render is an hypothetical 100 then Killzone 2&3 are at 90 for me.
    They miss those 10 points to match the render but they are not far behind and surely the art style, the melee system, the lighting, the Helghast design, all surpass that render.
    Edited by Cjail at 06/01/12 @ 11:40

  • ollyn #37 5 months ago

    @lexxx

    You would have thought so traditionally the weakest selling console manufacturer of the generation looks to out do their competitors by launching first. Not always the best strategy as Sega will attest to.

    That said the PS3 has sold steadily and at some point this year will more than likely overtake Xbox360. Having this back end to a console is great as traditionally this is when consoles make the most money as many of the costs involved in manufacture have been reduced to their minimum levels.

    I'd like to see a Sony and Microsoft launch their target renders this year and look to steadily outdo each other on power and price in the probable 1-2 years development.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #38 5 months ago

    Unfortunately I think you can kiss goodbye to backwards compatibility in the traditional sense. There's too much money to be made by reselling you the games as downloads or remakes.

  • Porko_Rossi #39 5 months ago

    I remember target renders shown for the N64 which were ridiculously over ambitious, maybe they would be achievable on the Next Box or PS4..

  • darkcult #40 5 months ago

    Next Gen ... At last, I hope!!!

  • Anciegher #41 5 months ago

    The ultimate trolling would be for sony to show the same footage as in 2005 but this time actually have it rendered in real time ;)

  • skuzzbag #42 5 months ago

    I know I'm not buying into it on release day this time. I've still got 75% of the current generation to play!

  • Subdominator #43 5 months ago

    I wish every game journalist would stop the nonsense about the ten year life cycle of PS3. Releasing the PS4 seven years after PS3 has nothing to do with the PS3 sticking around for a couple of years to reach the 10. PS2 has been around for about 12 years now. Same goes for Microsoft, when they say they want to enhance the life cycle of 360 for five more years through Kinect it just means they'll support the old system long time after the new one enters the market. It's a statement to buyers of 360/PS3 that they will be supported despite new consoles on the market. How well this strategy works can be seen at Sony. They recouped all their initial losses with PS3 just by profits of PS2.

    This also means that it's not stupid to release an expensive new console when the old one is still booming, it's the right thing to do. You have to keep your momentum AND because of the different price points they appear to totally different crowds. 360 is casual now. Loop will be hardcore again and for a price. There's place in the market for handhelds, smartphones, low tech consoles and high end consoles. A 99 € 360 won't hurt sales of a 399 € Xbox Loop. They are in different worlds.

    That being said I think that Sony only shows a glimpse of what PS4 will be like. They probably won't go for the render trailer scenario again but they could show some graphic demos rendered on high end PCs. Microsoft ... well, they have to show games and the console, even if it's only coming in early 2013 (however I still believe in a December 2012 release with Halo 4 on both Loop and 360). They managed to get from the back of the pack to the 2nd place together with Sony. And that despite the RROD fiasco. I wonder where they would be today if that hadn't happened. Microsoft always wants to reach market leadership - so they have to attack Nintendo and make sure they don't repeat the Wii story (the first three years).

    Maybe that is the reason why there are rumours of two Loop SKUs. I can see Microsoft slightly updating 360 tech (so that 360 games still work perfectly but newer games even better), rebranding it and releasing two consoles. A 360+ tech with Kinect to fight directly against Nintendo (and to have something for the early adopter casuals) and the full-blown Loop model to fight against Sony. Both systems could use the same infrastructure (Xbox Live) and it's basically what Nintendo did with the Gamecube. Update it a little, release it as Wii with an interesting control method and have a profitable system from day one.

    Personally I think the next gen will be very close between all three platforms. The main reason why Wii fell down the hill is the lack of HD. It wasn't a deciding factor in 2006 but in 2009 thing's started to change. I can see people going for a Wii U, however Wii HD would probably a better name. Cause that's what it is. Nintendo will stick to what worked this gen, starting as the cheapest next gen console. And that will get it some sales. The PS360 crowd will stick to their systems more or less. Thanks to achievements, trophies and the digital game backlog. And friend lists.

    However if there's one thing to be sure of it's to not expect anything good out of E3. It will happen like every year, the four weeks before E3 are interesting because that's when the news are leaked (on purpose, of course) because at E3 itself you don't get as much attention, you're not in the focus.

    CES won't bring anything either. Microsoft planned to reveal Loop there because it made sense. The original Xbox was presented there first. However now that the CES and Microsoft are at bad terms over keynotes and future appearances I think they won't do anything to give CES any attention. It will be a boring, boring keynote.

  • evild_edd #44 5 months ago

    @Bertie Fair point. I agree that (assuming PS4 announcement does happen at this E3), it's likely a year earlier than Sony would have liked/planned, but I guess it remains to be seen when the actual release is likely to happen.

    Strange situation at the moment really. You get the feeling that the manufacturers don't want a new generation yet, the devs might not particularly want one either (given all the associated costs with upgrading), and the economic situation means that even consumers and gamers seem slightly underwhelmed by the prospect.

    It has the feel of an arms race - the manufacturers desperate not to be last to market, and being forced in to making undesirable business decision.

    Despite all that, the kid/geek in me never fails to get excited by new tech..!

  • Snake_2011 #45 5 months ago

    find it funny how people on here a knocking Sony over the Killzone render if you look at the last of us it looks amazing the PS3 has a lot left in it.

    the PS2 is still selling so 10 years is right for PS3 does not mean a PS4 can not start its cycle.
    Edited by Snake_2011 at 06/01/12 @ 10:59

  • mcbi4kh2 #46 5 months ago

    1080p 60fps. That is all.

  • Subdominator #47 5 months ago

    @NotSoSlim Different markets. Different strategies. Sony have confirmed more than once that Vita is profitable from day 1. PS4 will be sold at a loss. If things were different with Vita I would agree, because Sony can't afford to have two systems they sell at a loss (and I suppose Nintendo had to change their strategy with Wii U now that they have to sell 3DS at a loss). However Sony won't do the same mistake again and go for something like the Cell. They'll stick to PC components in the future just like everyone else, it's cheaper and it didn't pay off.

  • thes #48 5 months ago

    Microsoft will show their new super-high-res dashboard optimised for 50 inch screens which will maximise advertising space, while Sony will build a massively powerful system with a convolute programming API which noone will be able to work with properly...

  • vizzini #49 5 months ago

    With only one 'major' revision so far of the PS3, and large numbers of the +120Million customer base of both the Playstation and Playstation 2 not even being offered the product in their price range, I think it is safe to assume that this is more than likely just another super slim and small edition of the existing Playstation 3, and I think the Vita is more than enough, and at a high enough price to disrupt sales of the new consoles releasing this calender year.

    @SpaceMidget75
    Backwards compatibility will only be with held if the visual delta for average consumers between PS3 and PS4 is too small, like it was between PS2 and PS3 at the beginning of this gen and Sony realised people were buying PS3s and then playing games like Snake Eater again.

    When we see the PS4 in action, I'll be shocked if they are looking at standard rasterization technology still; and if they go photon/ray tracing next-gen, as an array of Cell processors should provide, then the visual delta should be quite big for B/C to be no threat to consumers having the choice, but still going on to buy the newer better looking update of their favourite franchise.

    edit: missing word
    Edited by vizzini at 06/01/12 @ 11:24

  • Velios #50 5 months ago

    Wonder if they'll scrimp on RAM this time lol

  • Po1ymorph #51 5 months ago

    Whatever they show it's always a more exiting E3 when new hardware is revealed.

    Hoping Sony have something special next gen, getting tired of Microsoft.

  • arcam #52 5 months ago

    So exactly what I've been saying on this website for the last few years then :p

    Same length between console cycles as it has always been. What a surprise.

  • madmaardigan #53 5 months ago

    @PinktotheLast An MS monopoly on digital distribution is *not* something to hope for

  • Casserole #54 5 months ago

    Maybe this time we'll have a Giant Enemy Lobster with surreal time weapon change?

  • telboy007 #55 5 months ago

    The announcement revealed! Sony are going to slap an Apple logo on it, so they can finally justify their typical launch prices.

  • RustyBullet #56 5 months ago

    I still have a lot of love for my 360, grew board of my PS3 pretty quickly. BUT i would welcome a new Microsoft console with open arms as soon as its launched, i need more power, give me more power and i know it wont happen but i just want to play games man, leave all the BS out.

  • Miths #57 5 months ago

    All I want from my next console (whether it turns out to be a PS4 or an XBox 720(?), or both) is a guaranteed 1080p, 60 fps (and able to maintain that in 3D mode) in all games.
    Any other additions and improvements over the current generation are just a nice little bonus.

  • des #58 5 months ago

    Sony won't leave Nintendo in Japan alone 2 years,especially now.6-10 months tops.

    I bet that Nintendo is pimping Japan devs like crazy and there are no boundaries,3DS has clearly shown that.

  • torment74 #59 5 months ago

    Funny how people say that they will wait a while before going next gen or that they will wait fot the slim....STOP KIDDING YOURSELF...you will be in line on launch day like the rest of us....geeezzzzzzzz

  • cheeky-sod #60 5 months ago

    Microsoft always own E3, every year.

  • roz123 #61 5 months ago

    Sony are going to struggle next gen, there is no need for Playstation anymore as Microsoft have all the good 3rd party games and offer a better online service.

  • smilernick #62 5 months ago

    Personally I'm ready!!! Don't get me wrong, I would marry my PS3, but I think it's plain to see from all the rumours and rumblings of Xbox 720 and PS4 recently that most other people are ready as well. Bring it on I say! I will be in the line on day 1 for both of them. I can't wait to get me some next gen action.

  • Beano #63 5 months ago

    @gotyourmoney Pachter is always right!!

    I'm currently playing on my 2 year old Wii HD... oh wait...

  • Zerobob #64 5 months ago

    This smells a bit like a 'me first' competition. I just hope none of these consoles are rushed out the door with ill-considered design decisions, gimped features and no games.

    The current gen consoles all still have legs and a huge fanbase and market to sell to...Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo...please don't rush!

  • Ka-blamo #65 5 months ago

    I can't see games stop being made for 360 and PS3, maybe in 5 years time.

    But the hardware in both those consoles are too sound to be moved on so soon.

  • Daeltaja #66 5 months ago

    Pure speculation then, and really, I don't need more consoles, just better games.

    All that will happen is the development cost for PS4/XB720 will be so astronomically high, we'll see less and less innovation and fewer games being released. The barrier for entry will be too high for mid-sized developers and eventually the console market will crash. Simple really.

    On the other hand, indie will thrive and continue to grow.

  • TheEarlOfZinger #67 5 months ago

    @roz123

    Maybe. But if Sony learn from their mistakes and create the ps4 architecture to be easier for companies to develop on...then no.

    Knowing Sony though, they probably won't.

    Personally, Playstations free online service is more than good enough for me. No reason to pay microsoft a monthly subscription. Horses for courses - it does everything I need it to do.

    Sony seemingly have better exclusives too, so it depends how much weight you put into that - and I've loved pixeljunk and thatgamecompanys offerings. I can't get those on xbox.

  • Retro_ #68 5 months ago

    Xmas 2013 no doubt. By E3 they'll have a fairly firm idea of what the machine will consist of, just hope they throw enough memory at PS4 for games and OS and whatever background tasks the beast will allow.

  • syra #69 5 months ago

    You know all that dual 1080p output stuff... well the console can natively handle 3d very capably at 1080p. Xbox really can't do 3d well. ALso that Killzone render, yeah it was really premature but tell me that Killzone2 and 3 aren't some of the best looking games we have even seen this generation on any platform, and quite close to that target.

    Yeah it's all PR machine right now, but I'm willing to give EVERYONE the benefit of the doubt for now.

  • Jonny5Alive7 #70 5 months ago

    I don't think MS are rushing the next Xbox to counter the Wii U, I can't see them feeling too threatened by it to be honest. Different audiences and Wii U is likely only going to be as powerful as the current Xbox anyway.

  • Snake_2011 #71 5 months ago

    roz123 that is stupidest comment I have read in ages.

  • djronz. #72 5 months ago

    <quote>yoomazir wrote:
    Lulz, Sony sweating hard since they've heard rumors of the next Xbox, pathetic.</quote>

    Pathetic.....yes you are

  • Zerobob #73 5 months ago

    @mcbi4kh2

    Exactly. I would without a doubt take native 1080p games which run at 60fps over other graphical improvements in the next generation.

    Developers would be able to re-use current development techniques and frameworks to achieve large feature-rich games easily and quickly, as oppose to harder and slower development times, but ultimately release great games that run with a great framerate and take advantage of all the pixels available on a 1080p TV properly.

  • PinktotheLast #74 5 months ago

    @Subdominator
    Is Xbox Loop the real name?

  • Otis_Inf #75 5 months ago

    If this report does turn out to be true, Sony may have little more to show of PS4 at E3 than target renders and a basic strategy - an announcement rather than a reveal, if you like. Cast your mind back to E3 2005 and the infamous target render footage of Killzone 2 on PS3 for an idea of what to expect.
    Why? Do you really think Sony started late last year with a first thought "what PS4 would look like"? Of course not. They likely started right after the PS3 was shipped. After all, once the final hardware for the PS3 was decided and the first production units were built, they can't change anything anymore anyway.

    the only question Sony and Microsoft have to answer is: will the public love a controller with a touch screen? If it does, they better have one too. If not, they better avoid investing money in that. The problem is of course: they'll only know that after the Wii U ships, which is too late for PS3/XBox 720.

    Personally I think the PS4 is a continuation of the PS3, with a stronger CELL processor and much better GPU, but for the rest a bit of the same, so developers feel at home. Perhaps they'll drop the split memory architecture if they can get the main bus of the system to run in-sync with the core CPU and GPU, but it's unlikely: GPU's are high-bandwidth and therefore require a lot of bus-time to main-memory, which means the CPU isn't allowed to do anything over the bus (e.g. load data from memory into registers/cache). The PS3 can have parallel memory access: GPU to its own memory and CPU to its own memory too. Perhaps they'll use a system where you can decide to split or share, where 'share' is equal to what the 360 uses today, however it will likely then run at a lower clock speed effectively for the CPU (as bus cycles are taken by the GPU) and therefore at a lower performance. Though it can be easier for multi-platform games if the 720 has shared memory.

    Also I'd be surprised if MS will release an all new console any time soon. The main problem they have now is: they want to move to cloud-based computing and an onlive/gaikai service is ideal for them, so releasing a full console will move away from that idea. I think they'll more move towards 'entertainment', and a full new hard-core console doesn't fit that picture as they can serve the public with the current system just as easily. Time will tell, I guess.

  • king26 #76 5 months ago

    Release it when it needs to be released, the PS3 still has a couple of years left at the top.

  • golem09 #77 5 months ago

    FINALLY an new hardware generation.
    That means, that the console won't hold multi-titles back anymore, and all games will use the PCs full potential :p

  • Alivada #78 5 months ago

    Like fucking buses.

  • f0nZ #79 5 months ago

    I bet the next PS3 will be something like Game Boy Advance was compared to GameBoy Colour, just a new upgrade because right now, theres not really much to upgrade on PS3...only its security.

  • Darren #80 5 months ago

    Seems very plausible given that it would another year at least before the console is released and analysts have been predicting 2013 as a likely release date for the new Xbox and PlayStation anyway. If Microsoft are announcing the Xbox 360's successor then Sony won't want them to take all the limelight.

    Let's hope the reveal isn't as awful as the PS3's in 2005 with that ridiculous controller, over-exaggerated specs (two HDMI ports, six USB ports, etc.) and pre-rendered videos passing off for actual game footage that turned out to be nothing like! I'd also like to think that Sony have learnt a valuable lesson from the PS2 and PS3 and will make the PS4 much easier for developers to code for. I'm sure Naughty Dog and everyone else would thank them for it! ;)

  • Subdominator #81 5 months ago

    @PinktotheLast Well, makes sense. Seeing how Microsoft wants to combine their products (Windows 8, 8 on the side is the infinity symbol, Xbox Next hardware team is supposedly called Loop (as in infinity loop), Xbox Next software team is reportedly called Infinity) and it even makes for a nice logo. loop and you can stylize the "oo" as a sideways "3" to emphasize it's the third Xbox.

  • Duke100 #82 5 months ago

    Clearly it wasn't really the case but, you can't deny that the 'next generation starts when we say it does' comment was marketing smack-talk genius. I'm pretty sure it's comedy value was the reason my wife tolerated me buying a PS3 in Dubai on our honeymoon (yes we are still married, and no I didnt play it until we got home, yes it was too heavy for hand luggage).

  • Darren #83 5 months ago

    "What an odd, waterfall-like situation it would be if Sony had rushed to dilute Microsoft's thunder - only to discover that Microsoft had itself rushed to dilute Nintendo's Wii U thunder. What fantastic machinery we'd be sold as a result."

    That comment terrifies me for some reason, likely because this current generation has perhaps been the worst for hardware quality with no less than six broken Xbox 360s and one broken PS3 for me. Prior to that I've only ever had the original Xbox die on me (after two weeks; seems Microsoft ain't too hot on the reliability front as far as I'm concerned). If everyone except Nintendo are rushing to beat the other onto the market then it could end up even worse than this generation with lousy launch games and poor-quality, ill-thought out hardware.

    I hope not. Either way, I will likely only be buying one platform next time round and certainly not at launch; I will wait 12-18 months as it seems the sensible thing to do with consoles, i.e. prices may be lower, the game would be better quality and any hardware issues would be well-known. I'll always have my PC after all to game on while I wait for things to 'settle'.

  • bodhi85uk #84 5 months ago

    As interesting as I always find new consoles or hardware in general, ill be holding off buying the latest ones (like other people have suggested) until I know there arent any problems. This feels like a rush on MS/Sonys part to get these consoles out to compete with the latest Nintendo.







    Cant wait to see specs though, the optical media (I dont feel broadband is fast and widespread enough for a Console to go online only just yet, along with download limits), the RAM and power consumption are all of particular interest to me. The latter is actually causing me to switch my 60gb BC PS3 for a Slim model.



    Edit: Id take a smaller jump in graphics quality for 60fps 1080p as standard, with a greater level of physics interactions and NPCs. Thats not to say I want lots of HL2 style see-saw puzzles, just lots of environment objects for example. Better AI too.
    Edited by bodhi85uk at 06/01/12 @ 13:06

  • makeamazing #85 5 months ago

    "Cast your mind back to E3 2005 and the infamous target render footage of Killzone 2 on PS3 for an idea of what to expect."

    @Skooch, yeah MS and Nintendo have never done anything like this either right? Who can forget the commical Kinect E3 ad's for starters..

  • HisDudness #86 5 months ago

    Hardware warranties will probably be the most interesting reveal...

  • makeamazing #87 5 months ago

    Microsoft always own E3, every year.
    @cheeky-sod - not sure if you're serious or not... as last year was an absolute joke... kinect and voice chat... yeah great for gamers..

  • Street89 #88 5 months ago

    Anyone else still feel like this is too soon? I've had my 360 since day one as well.


    HA who am I kidding, I'll be first to pre order it...

  • layleeloo #89 5 months ago

    Hmmmm. So - both machines getting announced but you know what, I will frankly be amazed, utterly stunned if anything they show people are amazed at. Simply because they can show any FMV they want - people will still think that it could have been done on current machines (even though it prob couldnt). A lot of people are not even going to be able to tell of you showed them a game if it was on a PS3 or PS4, 360 or '720'.

    That is testemant to this generation and how far its come. Sure the extra processing powere will allow for some new lighiting effects and physics etc, but its not like you will see a leap like from blocky last gen to current gen. Do we really think that even 4 years into a PS4 lifecycle we will see something that will put Uncharted 3 to shame? I think not.

  • xYOSSARIANx #90 5 months ago

    I wonder what the next gens tag line will be, I've only just got over,

    ".... in high definition", " high definition...." etc etc, added to every sentence.

    Maybe this time the games will actually be true HD and not the letterboxed and sub-HD standard we are used to.

    Moaning about the similarity between marketing and fraud aside, next gen I want games not just be the same old stuff with a new lick of paint. AI and scale needs to improve.

    I also think it's time for consoles to escape the low player count in on-line games. Not every game needs be mmo, but I want to play Battlefield type games with hundreds of players on massive maps.

  • Haunted_Tree #91 5 months ago

    If it's a good game I'll play it on a rusty spoon attached to a tramp ...

  • clive-owen #92 5 months ago

    again, everybody's talking big about next PS and Xbox while Nintendo will blow the sales, AGAIN.

  • BonzoBanana #93 5 months ago

    Playstation was an amazing console for its day but PS2 and PS3 were a mixed bag of good and bad and an uphill battle for developers as far as I can tell as both consoles suffered from naff early titles but vastly improved later ones.

    I personally think the Wii U will be underpowered but still ahead of the PS3/360 but not by much overall. The next Xbox will be the most powerful but will represent greater expense for services to actually keep using it. I suspect Gold membership will be more expensive etc. The PS4 I hope will be a great all round console somewhere between the 2 in power which is easy to develop for this time around. The PS4 I hope will be a return to consoles that were compact, stylish and more robust in use.

    There is no reason why all the next generation of console can't do 1080p 60fps well, even if some can offer better textures, draw distances etc than others. It will be then just be a choice of games you want.

    If Sony haven't learned their lesson by now not to produce overly complicated hardware that creates difficulties for developers then lets face it they deserve to fail. The original Playstation had an awesome architecture for the day that developers loved and that was part of the reason the N64 and Saturn struggled because developers could achieve great results from it fast. PS1 games filled the shelves and made Saturn and N64 look the poor relation.

  • des #94 5 months ago

    The big question is:
    Who will copy Nintendo and include tablet like controller?
    Somebody will and Sony is the most likely candidate,rear touchpad at least.

  • ubergine #95 5 months ago

    I'm half hoping new consoles can reinvigorate my interest in games and half hoping they don't, letting me bow out of the race. The money I'd save! What's most l

  • ubergine #96 5 months ago

    likely to happen is I'll enjoy the news storm surrounding all the new hardware but this time actually wait a year before buying. Early adoption is the pits.

  • Ironchef3500 #97 5 months ago

    Please, please, please stop whining that you aren't ready for a Next Gen console. 2005 is a long time ago. If you cant afford one, then don't buy one. I for one cannot wait for something newer. This site is for enthusiast I thought, not people who are "content" with current gen graphics. My two cents.

  • bcxixa10 #98 5 months ago

    "Ultra High Level"

  • Machiavellian #99 5 months ago


    Has knowledge of a new Xbox forced Sony's hand - a company that has been outspoken about its long-term, 10-year plan for PlayStation 3?
    Again: PS3 10-year lifespan does not mean there will be 10 years between PS3 and PS4. It means PS3 is planned to be on store shelves for at least 10 years. Just like PS2 has a 10+ year lifespan.

    True but you do have to admit that Sony probably would not want to release the PS4 until they started to make a decent if even profit on the PS3. If you are still losing money on the old system and now you are forced to bring in the new, that can have significant impact on Sony business.

  • arcam #100 5 months ago

    @Machiavellian If you are still losing money on the old system and now you are forced to bring in the new, that can have significant impact on Sony business.

    True, but but being a year late to the party for two generations in a row might have an even bigger impact on Sony business. I don't think they'll want make that mistake again, whatever it costs.

  • superdelphinus #101 5 months ago

    Two years? :(

  • PinktotheLast #102 5 months ago

    @Ironchef3500
    I just think we are seeing diminishing returns every new generation that passes. I also feel that many great games that are focussed on new and interesting ideas to differentiate themselves will now never be made.

  • andijames #103 5 months ago

    I'm curious to what the most expensive component will be on the next generation of machines.

    This generation i could understand as blu-ray players, the cell CPU development costs, HDMI infancy and a GPU bought off-the-shelf at the last minute added up to one hell of a cost. Not to mention RAM wasn't dirt cheap at the time. Surely now all of the components to be used in the new systems have far more respectable pricing (apart from the GPU which, i presume, will be custom jobbies for both systems this time around).

    Maybe this will present an opportunity of a more aggressive pricing structure this time round. Either that or they'll make a big fat profit off of each machine from day one.

    Just a thought :)

  • MDJRUK68 #104 5 months ago

    Post deleted at 00:58:33 17-01-2012

  • FortysixterUK #105 5 months ago

    Damn them, I don't want next generation consoles yet...give me another 5 years with this one yet.....those money grabbin' bastiches

  • vert1go #106 5 months ago

    "Nintendo announces Wii U will have tablet controller." - 2011
    "Sony announces PS4 will soon have dual tablet controllers. Claims `originally planned`" - 2013

  • Obli #107 5 months ago

    @des Why couldn't Sony use the Vita as a tablet-like controller?

  • Ryze #108 5 months ago

    I expect reveals at least of future tech concepts - for us 'hardcore', and to spoil the Wii U launch news.

    However, I don't expect EU to see a PS4 launch until early 2014 at the earliest. There's very little chance of anything realistically sooner, regardless of what they lie.

    I mean promise.

  • Chazmeister #109 5 months ago

    @Golgo "Sounds like they're currently at the bag-of-beermat stage of design"

    The term is "back of a beer mat" not "bag of"; as in "He wrote it on the back of a beer mat."

  • StooMonster #110 5 months ago

    @Der_tolle_Emil yet a new Sony console doesn't, they are after all only one year apart

    Yep, but the Sony console was supposed to launch at the same time as Xbox 360, but was delayed by a year because Sony could not get the parts in sufficient volume -- such as Blu-ray drives, because of the demand of blue diodes.

    Ironically, Microsoft had rushed the Xbox 360 to meet the PlayStation 3 launch date.

  • TheEarlOfZinger #111 5 months ago

    "Cast your mind back to E3 2005 and the infamous target render footage of Killzone 2 on PS3 for an idea of what to expect."

    No idea why people bitch about this, Guerrilla got damn close.

    You should rewatch it.

  • vizzini #112 5 months ago

    @Ryze

    This concocted story is actually damaging to Playstation, as it implies; like their competitors, they have little left in the PS3 tank to impress customers, which we know is rubbish given that Journey, Last Guardian, The Last of Us and 3rd party stuff like Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown are all in the mix for this year; and least we forget the new 3rd party support of PS3/Vita continuation play which will probably need at least 18months before the next Playstation.

    If anyone pre-ordering a Vita and is interested in the next Playstation thought this was a serious announcement, then they might cancel their pre-order and wait to conserve their finances. So that is how we can be confident this information is false, and didn't come from Sony, as they would have no desire or reason to sabotage their own Vita western launch; and are probably quite happy to stare down Microsoft and see them flinch first in the HD console market.

  • VibratingDonkey #113 5 months ago

    Let the circus begin!

  • oupe #114 5 months ago

    #94 clive-owen 3 hours ago again, everybody's talking big about next PS and Xbox while Nintendo will blow the sales, AGAIN.

    Good for them. Irrelevant to me. They will have the most underpowered console again as well.

  • 52pickup #115 5 months ago

    BREAKING! Netflix now on UK & Irish PS3's!

  • des #116 5 months ago

    @Obli

    They can but Vita is expensive and it certainly will not be packed with every PS4 console.This matters because developers always support standard stuff,add-ons have a hard time in general.Rear touchpad or/and touch screen would make PS4--Vita cooperation much easier.

    I see it as a natural evolution of dual analog controllers.Dreamcast was really ahead of it time,hats off to anyone that helped design that thing.

  • trubadman #117 5 months ago

    This generation, sony spent a good 4/5 years playing catch up after releasing their console 12-15 months later than MS. They wouldn't want to repeat that, doesn't mean it won't stop them though!! If it's ony delayed by a few months customers will be patient enough to wait, I guess its a compromise between early release and unrushed console development!

  • Lucodeath #118 5 months ago

    What crap are sony going to promise with there new machine. The last one hasnt cured cancer yet. 1080p on dual output at 120fps anybody?
    Edited by Lucodeath at 06/01/12 @ 17:38

  • alexbulluk #119 5 months ago

    Can't wait. Hopefully both Sony and M$ will show something new. Nothing better than new tech!

  • Quixz #120 5 months ago

    This is great news cause I love new stuff! :)

  • Chufty #121 5 months ago

    Sorry, I appear to have logged on to Gamespot by mistake. I keep finding speculative news articles based on heresay and dubious sources.

  • riseer #122 5 months ago

    @Der_tolle_Emil Not quite sure why you think it's a panic move by Sony to anounce Ps4.The Ps3 is selling quite fine the last time i checked.Vita isn't selling great in Japan because their isn't the must have game on it yet.Their has been reports of first party Sony devs working on games.

    That may be false but i think Sony wants to start out of the gates before Ms does.If Sony can make a great console,keep it under 400usd and have that must have title, they can move their console.That said ps3 is a great console i bought Motorstorm Apocalypse,one of the most overlooked games of 2011 yet i love it.So yea their's isn't a reason for Sony to panic their console atm has the most robust titles then any of the other console's.
    Edited by riseer at 06/01/12 @ 18:22

  • riseer #123 5 months ago

    @Lucodeath Gotta blame that on the PR Sony hires.That didn't stop it to be one of the best console's ever made.Now with the way hardware has advanced i can see 1080p x2 @ 120fps.happening.I would like to see Sony do the same thing they did with Vita's hardware,make it easy for devs to work on it.I think now Sony got punched in the face and it hurt.Ps4 won't take the same steps as Ps3 did.Your going to get a more robust console that will do everything the Ps3 does just alot easier with better hardware and software.

  • TRUTH #124 5 months ago

    With games like Skyrim, Dark Souls, Batman AC and with The Witcher 2, Metro 2034, the new Bioshock and Xcom games coming - I am so not bothered with next gen consoles for at-least 3yrs.

    Sony and MS should not simply bring out new consoles if people are still enjoying what they have now!...esp as they are still very capable machines in media and gaming.

  • Darksjeik #125 5 months ago

    I abandoned consoles about a year ago when they started to show their age. I now have a PC hooked up to my HDTV with an intel i5 2500K cpu, 8GB DDR3 RAM, an OCZ SSD drive and 2 AMD HD6950 gpu's working in crossfire.

    Unless either the PS4 or xbox 720 are passing that performance I'm not interested.

  • 43n1m4 #126 5 months ago

    @Astro-Creature

    This is Sony, not Mocrisoft, who drop their consoles like a hot potato.

    Bit premature to say, isn't it? Microsoft retired the first Xbox earlier than expected because the licensing deals they had with Nvidia and Intel proved to be very expensive for them. The Xbox360 is free from those ties, and that's why I'm quite sure the Xbox360 will be supported for years to come, even after the release of the Xbox (Loop?).

  • sfp_noodle #127 5 months ago

    Sony would be committing commercial suicide if they launched a year and a bit after the competition again. They've said themselves that they don't want to be in that position again. The dilemma they face though is that at this point in its life cycle, the PS3 is doing very very well. The software line-up is staggering. It has the biggest exclusives in terms of quality, quantity and diversity. Plus they're planning another important launch in the Vita, and they don't want to split their audience over two new toys so soon. Having said that though, they may speed things up a bit depending on what MS do. Whilst launching a year later would be bad, launching 6 months later probably won't cause as much damage as last time round.

    I think MS are 90% certain to show off new hardware this year. The fact that there was nothing announced at E3 apart from some boring Kinect games says it all. Even Halo 4 I expect to be a launch title for the new console. I just can't see MS releasing it on the 360. The fact that there has been next to nothing in terms of new info for a game supposedly being released in 8 months time is another telling factor. MS would be drumming up a lot of noise if a new Halo was indeed being released this year.

    The most Sony will hypothetically do is release a new proper slim model of the PS3. Their E3 will focus more on the Vita than anything else. It is a new console after all, even if it is a handheld one. MS will announce the Nextbox and show off Halo 4 as a launch title, whilst Nintendo will cause mass mayhem with the first footage of Zelda in HD. That's my 50p.

  • sfp_noodle #128 5 months ago

    @Darksjeik

    But can it run Uncharted? Killzone? God of War?? ;)

  • steagz #129 5 months ago

    o yes i cannot wait to fork out 100s of pounds on a new console for it to be almost identical to what we allready have. sure things will load faster look a bit prettier. but seriously who gives a crap its not gonna be that much different

  • digitalash #130 5 months ago

    @Golgo The BACK of a beermat. A bag-of-beermat sounds like a pretty disappointing Christmas present.

  • FuzzyDuck #131 5 months ago

    @Ironchef3500

    This site is for gaming enthusiasts.

    More polygons don't make the game good by default!

  • rommy667 #132 5 months ago

    While it sounds all nice n dandy id bet the DRM in these new consoles is going to suck like say if you buy a new rls in game it will lock just to your console so you cant loan the game or resell it after.

  • 32768Colours #133 5 months ago

    @ambar_hitman

    I really don't understand the logic behind this argument that Wii U will be last gen just because the other consoles are coming out a year later.

    In Europe at least, the 360 launched around 12 months before the PS3 and Wii. Does that currently make the 360 last gen while the Wii and PS3 are current gen? Of course not.

    The next generation will be the Wii U, a new XBox and a new Playstation. I hardly think 12 months or so makes a console last gen.

    Anyway, I can't say that I'm too bothered about the next generation just yet. It'll be interesting to see what the announce but I've got far too many games to catch up on this generation yet, so 2 years is probably fine!

  • Hench84 #134 5 months ago

    We have 2k and 4k TVs coming this year. How about ps4 for your 4k tv;)

  • Scimarad #135 5 months ago

    Proper 1080p at 60fps. Just worry about being able to do that as standard before you sod around with anything else...

  • vizzini #136 5 months ago

    @sfp_noodle

    I don't think it is the same situation as last gen where Sony had to force the demise of SD tellys to get their message out. Now I think Sony can take their time until something big starts to change in the PC market.

    As we are now in the diminishing returns period of rasterization graphics imo; 720p30 or 1080p60 stereoscopic has been hard to differentiate in published/online media to even traditional consumers because of the jpeg picture compression and youtube mp4 desensitisation to macro blocking artefacts in video.

    So unless Microsoft are going for a Wii styled gimmick success this year, or a different system architecture (than their last two PC clones) that is better suited to photon/ray tracing styled workloads. Otherwise nothing will really have change for the PS3 compared to the top end PC market as it is now, which it coexists with happily.

    The longer Sony holdout to showcase a PS4, the smaller the existing Cell can be shrunk, the less power it will consume, and the more of them they can use with a few general purpose CPUs(possibly Opterons); then you have the advantage of SSD prices falling as time passes, making RAM quantities less of an issue, and blu-ray speeds will increase like CD/DVD did the longer they wait. Releasing this year only really makes good business sense for Nintendo because the hardware really has nothing left to give against expectation, and their own IPs are somewhat immune or cocooned to the biggest issues Microsoft, Sony and most 3rd parties normally deal with.

    Microsoft on the other hand could just get better a producing new exclusive experiences to keep the 360 alive for longer, and just accept third place isn't to shabby this gen after all.

    But it is their choice if want to launch when all the technology they buy is at the wrong prices to build something better than Christmas 2012's £500 PC.

  • Moz #137 5 months ago

    If MS show anything at E3 then the console will likely be out by the end of the year as so far they've not shown anything more in advance then that.

    Sony of course have tended to show stuff more in advance.

    My current expectation based on the current rumor mill is

    Wii U July - August 2012 (at least in Japan)
    Xbox "720" - November 2012
    PS4 - May 2013 (Japan) September 2013 (US/EU)

    But wouldn't be surprised if E3 comes and goes without MS or Sony saying anything about new consoles and if that happens then we're on for 2013/2014 releases. Though I think that would be a miss-step by them both as while Wii U is only going to be a slight improvement on currently hardware it should be good enough that people aren't going to see any reason to go from Wii U to MS & Sony's new offering

  • SeesThroughAll #138 5 months ago

    What an odd, waterfall-like situation it would be if Sony had rushed to dilute Microsoft's thunder - only to discover that Microsoft had itself rushed to dilute Nintendo's Wii U thunder. What fantastic machinery we'd be sold as a result.
    I hope that was sarcasm. Since when is rushed hardware a good thing? This gen we had "next-gen" consoles that either had an average lifespan of a couple of months or rushed designs consisting of expensive CPUs backed with cheaper lower performance GPUs.

  • sfp_noodle #139 5 months ago

    @vizzini

    Sorry buddy, but a lot of what you typed makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It doesn't even sound like English...

  • BonzoBanana #140 5 months ago

    @32768colours

    The reason people are speculating that the Wii U is last gen is because Nintendo don't use cutting edge hardware for their consoles. The DS range are vastly inferior to PSP, the 3DS in cpu terms and resolution is below PSP. The wii is inferior to the Original Xbox let alone 360 and its highly likely the Wii U will perform close to that of 360/PS3 rather than the next gen systems of Sony and Microsoft. We may be surprised and the Wii U is more powerful than we expected but Nintendo's track record is low spec hardware at high prices.

  • Kostas #141 5 months ago

    I remember a time where 7 years later made a PS2, Xbox, GC consoles sell for less than 150 euro with 1-2-3 game bundles. This generation of consoles however still keeps the prices too high even after 6-7 years of release. Something has to give.

    Now they are talking of new consoles (that is to be expected) but seriously, if todays consoles go for 200+ euro then how much are they going to lower the price in order to accomodate the new ones?

  • ROCK-NYC #142 5 months ago

    I thought the PS3 was on a 10year run cycle...

  • ROCK-NYC #143 5 months ago

    @Obli Who said they can't or won't for that matter. We really don't know what the vita is at this point...

  • overcorpse #144 5 months ago

    @Darksjeik fuck off you PC elitist prick.

  • vizzini #145 5 months ago

    @sfp_noodle

    I'll try explain it, bit by bit, and reiterate it for you mate.

    The Cell was designed to handle difficult workloads like real time ray tracing, which is a workload that normal PC architectures can't handle efficiently, even with the advent of OpenCL.

    IBM & AMD have already demonstrated that using Opterons with arrays of 16 Cell processors is even more efficient that using just Cells on their own, and might be the basis of the Cell 2's design, which presumably will be powering a PS4.

    You don't need a dedicated 3D graphics card for ray tracing; and even for backwards compatibility, as all the old card functionality can be emulated on a Cell 2 using OpenCL.

    SSD hard disks are so fast that they can be used with smaller amounts of RAM; where the RAM is used as the cache to hide disk latency, making it appear like a large amount of RAM to the CPU. This is how SSDs are currently employed in some enterprise server applications already. So waiting for their price to drop for a 100GB SSD is a big win that both the next consoles really need.

    Rasterization graphics with today's techniques at HD ready resolutions are like a decent set of cheap speakers and audio cabling. You can obviously get better sound, by buying super expensive speakers and cabling, but for most people the benefit versus cost makes no sense, as it is a diminishing return.

    Moving to ray or photon tracing next gen from rasterization is something consumers will still definitely notice if the modelling is accurate enough; ie not a diminishing return. Not quite pixar movie levels, but much better than all but Rage's vista visuals or some stuff near the end of Uncharted 3.

    So I'm just stating that I can't see how Microsoft can achieve that feat in their next console, and release ahead of the competition. Especially when Sony absorbed huge R&D costs this generation to develop the Cell and the software development implications that involved, so they were well ahead next generation.

    Every year that passes for Sony, the Cell's hardware cost go down(as do size and power consumption) and so should their R&D costs for next generation.

    Did you understand that easier?

  • JumpinJackFlash #146 5 months ago

    I'm done with Sony/MS hardware as most of the games you get on the PC (apart from a few exclusives, which i've got zero interest in anyway), plus they are far superior to the console versions.

    As far as i'm concerned, i don't need to do shit as my current PC will play all the next gen games anyway.
    Edited by JumpinJackFlash at 08/01/12 @ 15:33

  • server-1 #147 5 months ago

    I doubt it. Maybe at TGS but not at E-3.

  • Jayaitch #148 5 months ago

    Post deleted at 09:35:41 22-05-2012

  • DarthMartious #149 5 months ago

    @Bertie Unless, that is, Sony is embracing backwards compatibility (and for the long haul this time).

    I personally hope both Microsoft and Sony are going to embrace backwards compatibility. I have so much money "invested" in retail releases *and* XBox Live that it wouldn't make any sense for me to upgrade unless I can take that with me.

  • werewolf_poo #150 5 months ago

    I hope I can still keep my gamerscore and transfer it to the new xbox. I would hate to start again. I wonder if the next gen will be backward compatible considering theres lots of rumours that there might not be any spinning media on the next gen consoles.....

  • ajaxpliskin #151 5 months ago

    Surprised that not many of you, if anyone, has considered that Apple might be bringing some game related machine to the market.

    You'd think that with the ton of money they've made in all their hardware, the fact that Mac's use intel processors and can run games, plus their huge games market on iPhone and iPad, that they would consider trying to muscle in on this market.

  • bemani247 #152 5 months ago

    What? no Dreamcast 2?

  • PixelPirate #153 5 months ago

    Why is it, everytime talk of the ps4 comes around the "10 year" timeline is trotted out as a dig at sony? All their consoles so far have had overlapping timeframes, so i dont see the problem here.

    Personally I am looking forward to seeing
    1) What MS & Sony offer this cycle
    2) How all the DLC and digital content is going to "seamlessly" be ported across....

  • Buran #154 5 months ago

    "Has knowledge of a new Xbox forced Sony's hand - a company that has been outspoken about its long-term, 10-year plan for PlayStation 3?"

    How can be a outspoken if we're in the eight year of the generation and it will take a couple of extra years the PS4 release? This will probably push the PS3 into a 11-12 healtly life cycle, how is supposed that this could be an outspoken?

    That's all "doom and gloom" sensationalist journalism, the cycle is more than filled, and PS3/Xbox 360 are currently fosil hardware. A new gen in 2013 is more than wellcomed.

  • Akira_Tenshi #155 5 months ago

    Not going to happen, not this year.

  • DAN.E.B #156 5 months ago

    im expecting new xbox by the end of the year

  • rickster999 #157 5 months ago

    @Golgo I think u mean "back-of-beermat", similar to back-of-fagpacket

  • darm #158 4 months ago

    Wait, when did the last of us become a 2013 game? Last time I checked, it was expected in late 2012.

  • Ryze #159 4 months ago

    I can see the PS4 being a console version of the Vita.

    They'll do whatever they can to make people by both, and spend as much as possible, but I DO reckon that we'll see an advanced, console Vita, with some sort of Z-camera / motion gaming type device as an add-on, or in a bundle pack depending on what flavour of gaming you're into.

    I can see them trying to pull away from Gaikai and Onlive, by offering some of the benefits of what they have, plus much more.

    It'll be interesting to watch.

  • Darren #160 4 months ago

    "Three machines at E3 2011"!

    "Microsoft or Sony to announce they're pulling out of console market at E3 2011"!***

    "No PS4 at E3 says Sony"!***

    These analysts really don't have a clue, do they?

    *** Unless that's confirmation that it will be Sony... ;)

  • Dr_Wookiee #161 4 months ago

    @super_monty What do you do to these poor consoles? Put them inside a duvet cover? Take their fans out? I've had 2 Xboxes (1 upstairs, 1 downstairs) for years and no failures.

  • vizzini #162 4 months ago

    @Darren

    If the PS3 was selling for £35 like the Dreamcast, Cube and Xbox where when they called time on those systems then it might make sense. But the PS3 won't be at that price for another 4years at least, as it still hasn't even got near the hundred pound mark that the 360 arcade has had for 2-3years and is nowhere near saturating its potential target market at that type of price.

    This and the Gaikai claim are all just an elaborate ploy to force a next-gen sooner than Playstation needs it.

    More interestingly is that the Xbox Oban chip getting prototyped 2011 December(which might just be for a Kinect 2 camera) is about all that anyone can say about the next xbox hardware, as publishers/developers apparently haven't seen anything of first party games from Microsoft yet. But that all depends if Kinect has been consider a 10year investment like the Xbox originally.

  • optimuspriceps #163 4 months ago

    If this is true, I hope they make it a bit more developer friendly. I love my ps3, but if there's a multiplatform game, I'm more likely to get it on xbox because it will run better.

  • BlackAdam #164 4 months ago

    @lexxx lollol good one.

  • BlackAdam #165 4 months ago

    1080p 60fps. And ram, ram , ram!