Speculation has been rife on the PS4's features and pricing. The deal with Gaikai too has lot of people predicting if PS4 will be completely an online download and play platform. Only with time we will know.
A lot rumours and speculation are doing the rounds among game lovers and journalists on Sony's gen-next console - the PlayStation 4. Sony is already building the platform for PS4 is the only official word from Sony and they are tight-lipped on the progress and the release date.
Though there is no clear answers on kind of specs they will have or if would be cloud-computing embedded or if it can fare better than the current consoles?
The speculation of PS4 being highly priced arises from Sony's release of PS3 console in 2006, which was priced at $600. But it was only after two years and with the release of PS3 Slim did the cost reduce to $299. Upgrades are all-important but it must be done keeping the cost factor in mind. Many game enthusiasts are already predicting the features they would want to see in the new console. PS4 must provide full backwards compatibility as people owning PS3 would want to play their favourite PS3 games on the new console.
There is a possibility of Sony giving access to PS2 classics and PS3 games via their newly acquired cloud gaming company, Gaikai for $380 million. PS3's voice chat did not match up the voice chat of Xbox 360, so an improved built-in voice chat with clarity must be a priority for PS4. The new console must have shorter loading time as it is tiresome to wait for the screen to load when playing the first-person shooter game. This will require a faster processor but it should not lead to increase in the price of the console. As games get more elaborate, there is a need for bigger storage space. The latest of high-end computers now come with terabytes of space, so it will be natural to expect from Sony's PS4 to feature a HDD of 1 terabyte. Any gamer would love it if the console will be priced at $400 as it wouldn't require the hardcore gamer to spend months of his savings on a console alone.
The reasons for Sony buying out Gaikai are unknown but there have been predictions of PS4 fully utilising cloud computing, keeping out the physical media out. But it will prove disastrous for people without unlimited internet service and bad internet connections especially in the emerging markets like China, India, and South America. We only have to wait and watch as to what Sony's gaming platform will be.
