SonyPlayStation4.org

While gamers, for the moment, are content with their PS3’s it’s hard to resist the temptation to speculate as to the next iteration of the Sony PlayStation, the PS4. The concept shown in this image recently surfaced amid rumors that Crytek has already begun developing games for the next generation PlayStation.  Whether the final, launch version bears any resemblance to this early concept no one can say.  But one thing for sure is that Sony will try to strike balance between affordability and performance.

When thinking about the PlayStation 4 it helps to think about the PlayStation 3 and the $3 Billion (USD) Sony spent developing a gaming console that was nearly as unrivaled as it was unprecedented at the time.  Sony has no plans to cut tether with that investment and start from ground zero all over again.

The PS4 will continue with an improved CELL processor. Sometime around late 2008, information obtained from the ISSCC 2008 and Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony’s PlayStation division, confirmed that Sony will migrate from the current 65 nm to a 45 nm version of its Cell BE. The 45 nm process will reportedly reduce power consumption by as much as 40% and achieve savings in the cost of production of the PS4.

Expect the PS4 to operate on a GPU designed by Intel.  According to a report by Charlie Demerjian of The Inquirer, a Sony representative at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas confirmed that Intel will design PlayStation 4 GPU.  Intel should provide a sense of reassurance to Sony in that it is a stable company with the resources to weather these troubled economic times.

There’s a good chance the PlayStation 4 will abandon the optical disk format for games in lieu of a digitally distributed (i.e., downloadable) format.  Consider the Cell Broadband Engine, the processing unit for the PS3, was designed to be a core component of digital distribution systems.  Obviously, it wouldn’t have made sense for the PS3 to be an internet-only gaming system, especially considering all the PS2 games that were still in circulation.  Buy no doubt Sony had an eye on the future and so the plan to transition from optical to digitally distributed content necessitated the $3 billion dollar investment in the CELL architecture of the PS3. It was reported by Impress Watch that Sony’s plan all along was to amortize this investment over future generations of PlayStations.

No doubt the PS4 will have significantly increased processing speed; but keeping costs reasonable will preclude anything more than 2 or 3 times twice the speed of the PS3. Achieving a certain level of performance increase at a reasonable cost rather than the maximum possible increase at a significantly higher production cost fits better with Sony’s overall restricting strategy.

As with most consumer electronics, successive generations of a particular product line grow smaller and more efficient even as they continue to increase in performance. So expect the PS4 to be smaller and leaner than the PS3. As flat-panel televisions grow in popularity so does the way that space is allocated for the appliances that connect to them.  A game console with a smaller space requirement would be a welcomed change versus the PS3. In fact, it would make sense for the PS4 to be marketed as a replacement for your DVR. Let’s face it, who needs more clutter around the TV? By replacing the DVR the PlayStation 4 could serve not only as a gaming center but a more all-purpose entertainment center serving up high-definition movies and tv shows.

In conclusion, the PS4 will no doubt change the way many people think about gaming consoles.  It will offer a broadened set of capabilities that extend its use beyond mere gaming.  It will achieve a new level of performance while at the same time remaining affordable to the average consumer.  This latter point is especially important considering the next generation Xbox will be competing for market share along with Nintendo.  Sony has learned quite a few lessons from the PS3.  Expect to see the wisdom gleaned from these lessons reflected in the next generation PlayStation, the PS4.