The latest next-gen consoles are moving into the spotlight as news on specifications and release dates are giving consumers a glimpse at the future in gaming.
Though no official announcements have been given from Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft, the battle is already heating up with tidbits of information being leaked to several blogs and websites dedicated to the new consoles' specs.
NINTENDO WII U
Starting with Nintendo's Wii U, the console plans to differentiate itself from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 with a touchpad controller. The motion sensor controller boasts a 6.2 inch touchscreen accompanied with thumbs joysticks, four buttons, and four trigger buttons. Earlier this year, Nintendo also plans to bring Near Field Communication technology into the controller.
"By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world. Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments," said company president Satoru Iwata.
The console will run 1080p HD gaming display and allow downloadable content through the online Nintendo Network store. It plans to be backward combatable with Wii games and controllers.
Some concerns among for Nintendo's next-gen console includes its less powerful technical abilities compared to Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4. Reports have mentioned that Wii U's graphics will be on par with current major consoles, but will lag behind once Xbox and PlayStation evolve to their next platform.
One reason might be Nintendo's pricey investment into the Wii U's advanced controller. Budgeting for new technologies may have sacrificed the console's processing power. According to the latest rumors from Wii U Daily, the console is scheduled for a November 18 release date.
SONY PLAYSTATION 4 'ORBIS'
Sony's PlayStation 4, or aka 'Orbis,' is rumored to have PlayStation universal compatibility that allows users to play with all PS model games with PSP games available on the PlayStation Network.
But other new reports claim that Orbis is not backward compatible and has limited access to used games. Sony, supposedly, will make this happen by making new titles available on Blu-Ray or for download over PlayStation Network.
The Blu-ray technology, over the years, almost completely thrashed the DVD format to oblivion and has also proved to be a more expedient solution for the gaming industry. It has not only managed to make the games "HD" sharper but can also fit into a single disc, unlike the Xbox 360, where it needs a number of discs to store certain games.
The next-gen Orbis is capable of handling super high definition resolutions of 4096x2160 and is capable of playing 3D games in 1080p thanks to its AMD x64 CPU.
The PlayStation 4 is expected to arrive with more improved specifications that will look to challenge the Xbox. Although it was previously reported that the PlayStation 3 has a processor (or Cell) which is hundred times powerful than the Xbox 360′s processor, it has also been said that the PS3 doesn't fully utilize its powers. Also the RAM and the DMA (Direct Memory Access) are actually quite poor and insufficient and just cannot support the all powerful Cell.
The outcome of this is that most of the current games are first developed for the Xbox 360 and later ported over to the PS3, and may sometimes have a few modifications. Now it is expected that the upcoming PS4 will solve this issue of the processing unit making life somewhat easier for the developers and will be able to generate maximum output for the gamers.
MICROSOFT XBOX 720
If rumors are to be believed, the new Xbox 720 is set to pack in AMD's latest 6670 chip that supports DirectX11, multi-display, 3D and many others. As far as the Xbox 720 is concerned, it is broadly believed that the developers have already started to create titles for Xbox 720. Previously, the Lionhead game developing franchise had even recently posted a job advertisement where they were looking for a person with a background in DirectX 11.
According to Epic Games' VP Mark Rein, the new Xbox 720 console will have more power than 360 has with technology like Kinect built into it. Nothing is known about the backward compatibility to run previous Xbox titles of the device.
As far as the controllers for the Xbox 720 are concerned, there is still a bit of confusion as most of the fans believe that the controller for the new gaming console will arrive with an evolved look and more capabilities for next-generation gaming. Nonetheless, fans are sure that the Kinect gesture-control system will stay on the new Xbox console, with a revamped version of Kinect waiting on the horizon.
Even previously, a UK-based gaming blog, MCV, came up with the report that Microsoft would not mount a disc drive for the Xbox 720. The Redmond-based company will rather opt for an online storing option instead of its more traditional ways.
Overall the lineup of next gen consoles expect to all have 1080p with some upgrade to powerful AMD processors and include downloadable games through its online stores. Xbox and Wii are looking to advance its motion and gesture control gameplay with advanced controllers, while Sony's Orbis has no news on revamping its current ones. Wii U looks to again prove that creative conceptual gameplay can overcome powerful graphics. Orbis will work out its decision to whether implement backward compatibility for its PlayStation games while Wii U seems to be moving forward with it compatibility with Wii games.
All the rumors should be taken with a grain of salt until more official news are released from the major game console companies.
(Source: International Business Times)
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