Sony PlayStation 4 Social and Remote Features

Sony finally announced that the PlayStation 4 would hit the markets later this year. It has been a while since the third generation gaming console was launched and fans have been waiting for the next one. The wait is not quite over yet as PlayStation 4 would go on sale during the holiday season, which is some time away. At the official launch, the company also unveiled several of the features which have been included on the gaming console this time round but they didn’t show how it looks.

A Launch without the Actual Device

It was unusual that Sony held the official launch of the latest model of their flagship gaming console but didn’t reveal to the attendees what it looks like. They did show how the games would appear. Some of the presenters at the event played the games on stage for the audience to see. The games were projected on to a large screen but the actual devices were not shown. The consoles were kept backstage throughout the duration of the event which lasted over 2 hours.

The only details about the look and feel of the PlayStation 4 were revealed by Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America. He was ambiguous about how the people would react to the device when they see it. However, he did say that the size and color of the PlayStation 4 would be similar to the previous generations of the console. He further revealed that the details regarding the gaming console would be made public from now till it is released during the holiday season.

New Social and Remote Features Revealed

Even though the device itself was not shown, the company revealed the inclusion of several social networking and remote features which would enhance the overall experience. There are various new features that have been added including the capability to stream your gameplay on the PlayStation Vita, share it with your friends and download new games directly to the console. Over time, the console would figure out your taste and suggest games you would enjoy playing.

How Much Will It Cost?

The big question on everyone’s lips is regarding the price of the PS4. Back in 2006, the PS3 had launched with a high price tag of $500 with another model selling for $600. The prices were too high for the average gamer and the console currently sells at close to $300. Keeping this in mind, it is unlikely that Sony is going to set the price too high for this gaming console. There is no official word but it wouldn’t make sense to make the PS4 expensive.

The cost would impact how the PlayStation 4 fares in competition to the new model of Xbox which would also be released later this year. Xbox has constantly beaten PS3 in terms of sales and popularity, mostly because of the online features which enable people to play with others online. It remains to be seen whether the PS4 would fare better than the PS3 when having to compete with the new version of Xbox. With the social and remote features, it may just edge out the Xbox!

[Image via pcadvisor]