Sony unveils PlayStation 4
BY PETER SVENSSON & DERRIK J. LANG Associated Press
Thursday, February 21, 2013
2/21/13 at 3:23 AM
NEW YORK - Sony is sharing the PlayStation 4 with the world.
The Japanese electronics giant unveiled the new gaming system Wednesday, hyping the machine as a "supercharged PC" with the ability to effortlessly share interactive experiences, from instantly broadcasting videos of gaming action or virtually handing out health potions to friends online.
"Today marks a moment of truth and a bold step forward for PlayStation," said Andrew House, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
Sony said the system will feature an eight-core processor that can juggle more tasks than the PlayStation 3 and be part of a new digital ecosystem that's "the fastest, most powerful gaming network."
"Our long-term vision is to reduce download times of digital titles to zero," said Mark Cerny, Sony's lead system architect on the PS4.
The PS4 is Sony's first major game machine since the PS3 went on sale in 2006.
Wednesday's unveiling was Sony Corp.'s attempt to steal the spotlight from rivals Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co., at least until Microsoft unveils its next Xbox in June, as expected, at the E3 video game expo in Los Angeles.
Among the PS4's revisions is an updated controller that adds a touchpad and a "share" button. The controller also features a light bar, which means a new PlayStation camera can more easily track the device for motion control.
Sony also boasted at the New York launch event that the PS4 would work more seamlessly with its latest mobile gaming device, the PlayStation Vita, which debuted last year.
No prices were revealed for the PS4, but Sony said it would be released later this year.
When the PlayStation 3 went on sale in the U.S. on Nov. 17, 2006, the 20-gigabyte model had a $500 price tag and the 60-GB version went for $600. They are now cheaper and come with more storage - $270 for 250 GB and $300 for 500 GB. Comparable models of Nintendo's Wii U and Microsoft's Xbox 360 start at $300.
Original Print Headline: Sony PlayStation 4 is social-focused system
Associated Images:
Mark Cerny, lead architect for the Sony PlayStation 4, holds the game's controller while speaking during PS4's unveiling Wednesday in New York. FRANK FRANKLIN II / Associated Press
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