Follow all of our PlayStation 4 announcement news.
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How accurate were the rumors? Let’s examine what we know with what the rumors said.
We will see the console
This wasn’t so much of a rumor as it was an assumption. With a new console announcement comes a new console, or that’s what we thought. Sony isn’t ready to show us the box itself, so the only hardware it showed was the new controller and the PlayStation 4 Eye camera.
Verdict: Wrong
Sony will kill used games
Perhaps one of the biggest rumors surrounding the PS4 was that the system will not play used games. This caused a lot of anger. Basically, a segment of the Internet was upset about a rumor about a rumored machine. Yes, a rumor of a rumor. Sony Worldwide Studios’ president Shuhei Yoshida put this rumbling to an end. The PS4 will allow you to play used games.
Verdict: Wrong.
The PS4 will launch in November
Sony didn’t announce a release date for the PS4 other than “Holiday 2013.” According to rumors, the console is set to launch in November. Unfortunately, it’s not November yet, and Sony didn’t tell us when it will release it. Sony may be ready to share a release date during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June, the game industry trade show in Los Angeles.
Verdict: Uncertain
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We won’t hear a price for the PS4
Sony didn’t announce a price. We didn’t expect one. Despite being hopeful, expectations had to be realistic. Sony probably hasn’t decided on a price yet. Maybe the company wants to gauge consumer interest or hopes that Microsoft announces the next Xbox and a price first.
Verdict: Correct
Gaikai’s technology will stream games on the PS4
The Wall Street Journal ran a story claiming that the PS4 will stream games thanks to Gaikai technology. Gaikai CEO Dave Perry announced the streaming service and said that it will stream games instantly. Think Netflix for PlayStation games.
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Verdict: Correct
This is the controller
A photo of a prototype controller leaked a few weeks back. According to several websites with independent sources, the prototype was real but could change. Luckily, it did. This thing was ugly. After seeing the similarities between the prototype and Sony’s DualShock 4, it’s clear that the prototype was legitimate. The touchpad and light bar are both present, but it’s much more aesthetically pleasing.
Prototype:
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Sony’s DualShock 4:
Verdict: Correct
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PS4 will have video sharing.
The controller has a Share button. This enables sharing of video and games through the network. For instance, if you are playing Killzone and pull off an awesome, once-in-a-lifetime playthrough of a segment, you can share that video with your friends. Live videos of gameplay are also coming to the PS4 through a partnership with video streaming service Ustream.
Verdict: Correct, and then some. This went beyond the rumor’s expectations.
Every PS4 comes with PlayStation Eye
According to rumors, the PS4 will ship with PlayStation Eye. The official name is PlayStation 4 Eye camera, and Sony is playing it up as a big part of the console’s functionality. It’s a stereo camera. That means it has two lenses to better capture depth of objects. It works with PlayStation Move and the lightbar on the DualShock 4 for motion tracking and identifying players. Sony never said whether this peripheral will come with every console, and its press releases do not specify this.
Verdict: Unconfirmed
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Control your PS4 with a smartphone or tablet
Sony is calling this the “Second Screen.” This feature enables remote play of PlayStation 4 games as well as the capability to use a PS Vita, smartphone, or tablet as an additional screen to view world maps and other in-game information. (Wii U, anyone?) An upcoming app for iOS and Android also will enable remote purchases, downloads, and communication with network friends.
Verdict: Correct
Launch window games announced
The Last Guardian: Sony announced The Last Guardian in 2009, but hasn’t said much since. Earlier this month, creator Fumito Ueda issued a statement on the game’s development. The timing led many to believe that Sony would announce the game as a PS4 launch title. Didn’t happen. It just wasn’t the “right time.”
Media Molecule’s new project: Media Molecule teased something on its site. It was a question mark under its games page. Surely the developer had something to show off for PS4, and it did. I’m just not quite sure what I saw, but the LittleBigPlanet creator did demo something and talked a lot about building dreams.
Evolution Studios’ tease: Employees of MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios Tweeted about the Feb. 20 date. While it was entirely possible that it was nothing more than an excited countdown Tweet, it made sense that Evolution was working on something new. It was. It’s called Drive Club, and it looks pretty.
Diablo III: Diablo III for consoles is more than a rumor now. It’s coming to PS3 and PS4.