Playstation 4 Announces on Feb 20th?

What I am most curious about, and what will potentially raise or kill my excitement for this console, is the new controller / controlling concept. "Traditional" type controller? Integrated touch screen? Camera for motion sensing etc. mandatory? Waggle-mania? Voice control? Return of the boomerang form factor?

It's really the only relevant variable at this point. Specs are pretty well known, and even if the leaks aren't entirely accurate, we know it will be powerful. The form factor of the console is still unknown, but that really has little impact on the gaming experience. And you know all the big IP's (Uncharted etc.) will be there rather sooner than later, that's pretty much a given. So the only remaining question is "how do we use it??".

Well the Rumors of the controller redesign seem to indicate its like a dual shock only slightly bigger (longer) with the the same kind of back panel on the vita supplanted to the front of it to give a trackpad like area, not a genuine screen like the wii u.

This will give them te ability to add some gesture control, but will keep the cost of the controller to around $50 same as the dual shock six axis.

I'll be fine with that, as long as the use of it actually makes sense and doesn't feel forced like "it's there, now everyone find ways to use it in your games!"

Like when the PS3 first came out, and everyone tried to do something with tilting the controller and whatnot...

MacRumorUser said:

My Mac Pro struggles with Dolphin at decent frame-rates despite 32Gb ram, 8 cores and a 5870 GPU.

Doing PS3 emulation will require far more power.

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Apparently the Mac version runs pretty bad - Try using Bootcamp, it should do MUCH better.

T'hain Esh Kelch said:

Apparently the Mac version runs pretty bad - Try using Bootcamp, it should do MUCH better.

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Ok will do. Seriously it can't be worse that the mac version

I'm excited but I don't see me being a customer for a few years yet. But I hope it's gonna be amazing.

I am looking forward to this i had the original ps3 the day since it came out and i will be buying a ps4 the day it comes out to. However this year i gave in and took a plunge and got nintendo as well as I'am big on platform games.

MacRumorUser said:

As a launch Wii U owner with 14 games I do know this. However as Wii U's specs are more akin to current generation hardware, many of us here and in the industry do not class the Wii U as a next generation machine, but more a interesting take on the current.

The Wii U hardware is not an exponential leap on existing technology, it caught up and added the gamepad screen. The next Xbox & PS4 will be in order of magnitudes more powerful hardware and will not be matching existing console hardware but offering new hardware.

So it really is hard to classify Nintendo's Wii U in same 'next gen' category as the others.

It's next gen only to those who have not owned either a PS3 for 6 years or a 360 for the last 7....

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Then let's hope PS4 is not only faster CPU and GPU, I would not consider that next gen while Nintendo presented a whole new concept. Next gen has nothing to do with the power of the machine itself. It is the same mistake that people tend to do again and again.
Xbox on the contrary, brought some next gen gaming in form of kinect to the market.

rikscha said:

Xbox on the contrary, brought some next gen gaming in form of kinect to the market.

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If Microsoft are banking on Kinect as the future, we all might as well stop playing games right now....

rikscha said:

Then let's hope PS4 is not only faster CPU and GPU, I would not consider that next gen while Nintendo presented a whole new concept. Next gen has nothing to do with the power of the machine itself. It is the same mistake that people tend to do again and again.
Xbox on the contrary, brought some next gen gaming in form of kinect to the market.

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That's an odd way to look at console generations, as that means we've basically had, what, three? Every console from the NES through to the Wii is the same generation? Really?

The commonly accepted use of "generation" is a major series of launches, based roughly around the same technology. For example, the jump from the 32bit PlayStation to the 128bit PlayStation 2, or the 8bit NES to the 16bit SNES. As such, Nintendo's more recent Wii/WiiU releases don't comfortably fit in to the generation cycles of hardware, but more simply with timing of release.

boy-better-know said:

Hmm, part of me likes the sound of this, but since using the Wii U I don't know. I love the Wii U game pad, it's ace, not gimmicky at all and I don't think we have properly realised the potential of it yet. Even just putting the HUD on the game pad just feels natural, like looking down at a physical map and then looking up to keep on exploring. It works really well.

I don't want that same experience to be limited to those PS4 owners who are lucky enough to have a Vita as well.

I want to see a game pad style controller - even though people will cry about how it is stolen from Nintendo, who cares?

Plus, I reckon Sony could make an absolutely gorgeous tablet controller. Even if it is bundled in a more expensive version. Would happily pay above £500 or that. Maybe I am in a minority here.

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If you're willing to pay over £500, then surely a PS4+Vita is in your price bracket?

boy-better-know said:

On the flip side, more people might buy a Vita if Sony really push it as a controller for the PS4.

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I think before that happens, they need to work on lengthening that battery life. I get a lot of play from my Wii U controller on a single charge, way more than my Vita, and the Wii U has the benefit of that automatic charging dock. But other than the touchscreen display, what has the Vita got over a regular Dualshock 3 controller? It's much more uncomfortable for long play sessions, especially so compared to the Wii U's gamepad.

Dagless said:

I think before that happens, they need to work on lengthening that battery life. I get a lot of play from my Wii U controller on a single charge, way more than my Vita, and the Wii U has the benefit of that automatic charging dock. But other than the touchscreen display, what has the Vita got over a regular Dualshock 3 controller? It's much more uncomfortable for long play sessions, especially so compared to the Wii U's gamepad.

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I find the Wii U gamepad uncomfortable for long play sessions. I really wish more games supported the pro controller.

I can't see using the Vita as a controller, it would be as awkward as using the Wii U gamepad imo. I try not to use the Wii U one if I can avoid it.

e²Studios said:

I find the Wii U gamepad uncomfortable for long play sessions. I really wish more games supported the pro controller.

I can't see using the Vita as a controller, it would be as awkward as using the Wii U gamepad imo. I try not to use the Wii U one if I can avoid it.

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Same, I like the Wii U pad for off-screen play though, just not this whole dual-screen thing that's catching on. I'd love more Pro controller games.

PS3 and Vita price drops as well?

Jme?! It must be!

boy-better-know said:

This would be an issue too. Simply put, a Vita is not the answer for a dual screen experience on the PS4 (Not for me anyway). If that is what they try to do, I can see it being one of those things that I do once or twice, realise it isn't that useful/comfortable/practical, and pick my DS3 (4?) back up.

Do people even want a second screen?

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Yes! A game like Aliens: Colonial Marines Wii U (where they had PDA's in the movie) will be awesome!

My understanding is the RPG crowd would love it for maps and item management...

You get a glimpse of a remote touchpad screen on XBox using Smartglass - great potential.

The only thing is that a remote touchpad screen is included with every Wii U whereas a touchpad screen device for the XBox or PS4 is only a probability so developers are more likely to program a touchpad for a system that has it included.

Wii U is a great system - I'm very surprised at the Touchpad Controller - thought it would be too big and bulky but it's light and nicely designed.

IMHO - Nintendo is betting that MS and Sony will stick to optional touchpad screen devices (since it is what they are experimenting with now) which will differentiate their console - as it has always been.

-SD- said:

Image

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That is f'ugly......

Yeah, sorry I should have made it clear that's a dev kit. Not sure if that's a final spec or early system though.

As for the controller, it's obviously a prototype, but how close is it to the final model? That's the real question I suppose.... six days to go until we find out.