In the months leading up to Sony's big reveal on Wednesday, there were a lot of nrumors and anonymous reports claiming to know exactly what Sony had up their sleeves for the newly-announced PlayStation 4. Now that some of the information is out there, we're going to back and checking out how much that information actually panned out.
PS4 Models Will Cost $400 and $500, Respectively
VERDICT: Unconfirmed. Just as Sony glossed over the issue of price, so too did they fail to mention if there would be more than one model of the console coming. Given they've done so before, it seems likely, but we'll have to wait for confirmation.
PlayStation Cloud
VERDICT: Unconfirmed. Sony referred to a new enhanced version of PSN with social hooks and streaming capability, but didn't anything about a the so-called "PlayStation Cloud" service
PS4 Will Stream PS3-era Games
VERDICT: Confirmed. Sony plans to make games from past generations-PS1, PS2, and PS3-available through streaming services on PS4 and other devices. The PlayStation 4 will not support disc-based PS3 games, though.
Enchanced Second-Screen Integration for Vita, Tablets, and Smartphones
VERDICT: Confirmed. Sony revealed that "the PS4 will feature remote play on PS Vita, tablets, and other devices. Gaikai's David Perry called PS Vita "the ultimate companion to PS4." Sony's goal is to make every PlayStation 4 game playable on the PS Vita via streaming.
VERDICT: Unlikely. While Sony did show off the DualShock 4 a tech demo using Move controllers, there was no word regarding Sony's plan to make Wii U-style tablet controller. Based on their plans to support the Vita as the preferred second-screen option, the "EyePad" seems less feasible than it did before the announcement.
PS DualShock 4 Photos
VERDICT: Confirmed. Sony opted the old addage of don't fix it if it ain't broken, making the controller the same way they always did, but with a few extras. Sony released a press release detailing some of the controller's features, which do indeed include a touch screen similar to the Vita's, taking the place of the start and select buttons. It also features a "light bar" which will work with the 3D camera, as well as a "share" button letting players upload game footage.
While it wasn't a rumor, it's important to address that this controller is specific to the PS4, meaning, don't count on being able to use your old PS3 controllers on the new system. Polygon confirmed the news with Sony earlier today. Disappointing, sure, however, PS4 will support PS Move. Additional peripheral support like blue tooth devices hasn't been discussed yet.
PS4 logo
VERDICT: N/A. The logo, as seen below, feels like the natural evolution of the PlayStation logo. As we mentioned contest was held by 99 Designs, not Sony, so none of the choices were chosen. You can see a comparison between the picture at the top of the article, and the one below.
PS4 Will Cost Less Than PS3 at Launch
VERDICT: Unconfirmed. Despite all the new game announcements and tech demos, Sony never touched on the issue of price. Or show the actual console for that matter, but that's a whole other story altogether.
Killzone 4
VERDICT: Confirmed. Sony revealed Killzone: Shadows Fall as one of the first PS4 games. Rumors also suggested the game will be a console launch title, but no release date was provided at the show.
PS4 Launch Delayed in Europe?
VERDICT: Unknown. MCV spoke with SCE Europe's Jim Ryan about whether or not the Holiday launch this year includes Europe, then tweeted his response: "We're not saying if 2013 includes Europe. But don't infer anything from that. You can take that anyway you want, but you shouldn't."
Controller to feature touchscreen tech?
VERDICT: Confirmed, see above.
PS4 Will Feature a Depth-Sensing Camera
VERDICT: Confirmed. We touched on this a bit above, but to cut right to the meat of the issue, the press release describes the PlayStation 4 Eye as the combination of "two high-sensitive cameras that have wide-angle lenses with 85-degree diagonal angle views which can recognize the depth of space precisely. This enables PlayStation 4 Eye to cut out the image of player from background, or to grasp players' position in front and behind, further broadening the ways to enjoy games." Technical jargon aside, the camera understands where you are when you play.
PS4 Won't Play PS3 Discs
VERDICT: Confirmed, unfortunately. PS3 discs will not not be compatible with the PS4. But streaming will still be a possibility for players to get their fix of old Sony games.
Unnamed PS4 Racing Game in the Works
VERDICT: Confirmed. Sony showed off DriveClub, a racing sim from MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios that seems to focus on uber-detailed, customization.
Ultimately, it seems like the internet did a pretty good job sneaking peeks at the PlayStation 4 ahead of launch. At the same time, there are still a few key factoids that are still a mystery. What the console will actually look like, for example. There's still lots to learn, and plenty left for Sony to tell us. We'll keep you informed as the information trickles out. In the meantime, there's no need to stop sluething!