Leaks and rumors about the next generation of home gaming consoles are appearing on every corner of the Internet.
After shuffling through many, many articles, I have found what is likely to be expected from Sony’s PS4 and Microsoft’s Xbox 720.
Gaming websites VGLeaks, VG247 and Edge all reported massive amounts of leaked reports that not only revealed the PS4’s nearly done computing architecture, but also the Xbox 720’s.
Currently, the PS3’s successor boasts an AMD’s latest 1.6 GHz eight-core CPU and 4GB GDDR5 RAM. GDDR5 is more expensive than common desktop RAM and is traditionally used solely for graphics. The system is also said to include an AMD R10XX GPU alongside a “Liverpool” system-on-chip.
Meanwhile, the next Xbox also has a similar CPU, 8GB of desktop DDR3 RAM along with 32MB ESRAM. The system also said to include a D3D11.x GPU and a Blu-ray drive like the PS3.
Both consoles are running on pretty high-end custom hardware that is much more powerful than that of their predecessors.
When compared, Edge says the PS4 will be “slightly more powerful” than the Xbox 720, although previously it was said the PS4 was “50% more powerful in raw power.”
This may be due to the Xbox having 8GB of RAM with about 3GB dedicated to the OS and 4 – 5 GB to run games. Sony is looking into the possibility of using 8GB of RAM as well to rival the Xbox.
More recently, Kotaku spoke with a source named SuperDaE that knows that Microsoft is looking into making the included new Kinect sensor mandatory to be “plugged in and calibrated for the console to even function.” Also, the console is designed to install game data on the hard drive in the background as you play the game. Plus a multi-task system similar to smartphones that run more than one game or application by “suspending” them.
On the PS4, the long running DualShock controller will also see a heavy redesign while roughly keeping the same size and shape. A touchpad will be replacing the Select, Start and PS Button. There is also a new “Share” button that will allow you to take a screenshot and even edit the previous 15 minutes of action to publish online.
According to The Wall Street Journal, a source said that the PlayStation Meeting Sony announced for February 20th will definitely be the unveiling of the Next PlayStation. Rumors point to a late 2013 release for the US along with a $400 price point. Microsoft is expected to reveal their console in the spring.
