PS4 hardware specs analyzed: A big upgrade

In Sony’s own words, the PS4 contains a “supercharged PC architecture,” which is a little hyperbolic and condescending if you’re a PC gamer, but for a game console to use the x86 architecture is really quite extraordinary.

[chukamachine]

?

Don't agree at all.

[jaosobno]

I wish these quasi tech sites would stop comparing consoles and PCs. You will NEVER get the same performance when comparing console and similarly specced PC.

PC is an extremely fragmented market and it will NEVER see the amount of optimization that is done on your average console game. It is simply not possible. On a console you code for a single GPU and a single CPU and a single memory configuration. On a PC you must code for thousands of various configurations and you can't optimize for a particular one.

If PS4 is underwhelming, could you please explain to me how is it that it runs Killzone: Shadow Fall fluidly - a game with unseen reflections and most beautiful global illumination I have ever seen?

Could you explain how is it that it runs Deep Down in realtime?

Could you explain Driveclub?

Could you explain UE4 realtime tech demo and those insane particle effects?

No, of course you can't. I'd like to see you try and run those games and tech demos on a similarly specced PC. Would be an epic fail.

[Cyfyxtfg]

Thank you! @jaosobno

[RememberThe357]

Bubbles for telling the truth. Why are so many PC guys afraid of consoles?

[DaThreats]

lol, says the gpu isn't spectacular. It's state of the art.

lol, what's with the disagrees?
A chip expert says it is too
http://venturebeat.com/2013...

[NewsForSnowflakes]

Have you forgotten where you are? It doesn't matter if you're right or wrong on N4G. People will disagree even if you shove facts down their throats.

[EverydayGuy]

Its a sad world when you can disagree with facts.

[SilentNegotiator]

Also, if you bring up console hardware on N4G, elitists swarm in to insist that anything less than anything less than a GTX 690 is "low end"

[andibandit]

What do you expect a Sony spokesman(your expert) to say???

Besides "state of the art", is a wide term in this regard. We all hope it is in regard to the computation power, but it could mean "State of the art in low power consumption".

And lastly i'm not even sure how to weigh
"Spectacular"
vs
"State of the art"
which one is better?

[fermcr]

PS4 looks good but (for now) there are two things that are bothering me very much... no backwards compatibility, and most of all, PS3 psn content not being compatible with PS4. With the money i already spent on PSN i expected to transfer current-gen PSN games to PS4.

It's very unlikely i waste more money on PSN from now on.

I hope Sony keeps their games region free... if not, it would be another negative point for the PS4.

[Cupid_Viper_3]

@ Fermcr

"With the money i already spent on PSN i expected to transfer current-gen PSN games to PS4. It's very unlikely i waste more money on PSN from now on."

I'm sorry, but is your PS3 wired with a time bomb that will go off when the PS4 hit store shelves later this year?

I mean sure it would be convenient to be able to have those games transfer over. But if they don't, you still own your PS3 and Sony guarantees you that your PS3 will be fully supported. Their Track records backs them up with this.

If you're buying a PS4 to play PS3 games, you're doing it wrong in my opinion. Last time Sony did that with the PS3 playing PS2 games, it bit them in the ass no one wanted to shell the money required for such luxuries.

Jack Tretton said that 1 of every 2 studios that Sony owns are currently working on PS4 Titles. And the rest on PS3/PS Vita/PSP.

I think the PS4 being built to be fully compatible with the PS Vita is 10 more important than backwards compatibility with PS3. The PS3 is the present, soon to become past. but PS4+PSVita is the Future soon to become the present.

@ caseh

In regards to region free, I want it to be region free. In my opinion, it's wrong to talk socializing and integration and yet fragment your user base with region lock. If I move to Japan or South America, or Europe, then I shouldn't need to rebuy my PS4. It should simply work.

[NoSuchUserName]

Word. Can't understand that BC is some people's top priority. Just keep your ps3 ffs.

[Britainz-Fin3st]

I dont agree with people who think BC is a neccesity . wouldnt it make the console cost more ??? Sure its a plus but your not buying your ps4 to play old titles, its to play new ones. if you cant play it on your ps4, keep ur ps3 and have it hooked up to the same or another tv

[bunfighterii]

Agreed. The whole backwards compatibility furore is ridiculous. You can't have two consoles plugged in?

If you want to play PS3 games, play them on the PS3 you already own!

[fermcr]

@Cupid_Viper_3

Soooo... you saying that i should keep all my consoles that i play my past and present games. Let me see. I should keep the PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox (next), Wii and WiiU.

Did you get my point or need i say more ?
Now... backwards compatibility is quite a positive, is it not ?

[Cupid_Viper_3]

@ fermcr

That's pretty much exactly what I'm saying. If you want to still be driving a 1969 Mustang in 2013 I hope you kept your "1969 Mustang".

Because technological advances shouldn't be hindered because some prefer to hang on to the past. If you want to play PS1, PS2, and PS3 Games, then you and the masses should've have been the first ones to pick the 60gb PS3 when it was $600.00. As that would have sent a strong message to Sony saying that Backwards Compatibility is most important.

Sony did a pretty good job of making sure that their entire 18-year history and future in the gaming industry was neatly packed into that PS3, but not too many people wanted to pick it up at that price point.

Backwards compatibility is nice, but not to the detriment of Sony (financially) and not over features such as Remote Play (PS Vita) and the overall technical architecture of the PS4 (no more Cell chip).

[caseh]

The region free argument for games doesn't really hold any weight these days. I've imported three Japanese games in 5 years, thats it. Two of those games eventually got localised and released in the west. As for EU/US both regions get the same titles within days of each other.

I'm not getting the reasons behind people wanting BC either, Anything released on the PS3 once the PS4 is out will undoubtedly turn up on both platforms. I mean to say, once Gran Turismo 17 and Tekken 87 come out will you really want to go back and play GT5 or Tekken 6?

[bunfighterii]

I've imported quite a few PS3 games, or bought games from retailers who import them. They are much cheaper.

[bunfighterii]

I think Blu Ray is generally region free.

[dalsang]

All I want is a big step up in graphics ( doesn't have too be great), the new social and integrated services, a more smooth and streamlined interface. If sony (or for that matter XBOX) can make a console like that for me, and not lose money at the same time, I think both would benefit from that.

Although I only own a PS3 i think that the competition between PS3 and XBOX have resulted in better games and services for me, as a gamer, so I hope it continues!

[Kennytaur]

By hyper-charged I belive Sony is referring to having the CPU and GPU closely connected, and with a large amount of super fast memory. Faster than the RAM we commonly see in PCs. The CPU and GPU are both custom too.

[g-nome]

Stop complaining about backwards compatibility FFS , lets move forward. Keep your ps3 around to play old stuff if you want to.

[gazgriff2k12]

i wonder if hackers will get linux or windows 8 running on ps4 / xbox 720 hmmmm

[worldwidegaming]

It means hacks are a lot easier.
also means programmers can be lazy.
also means Games will be done a lot faster.

[kassler]

People who whine about BC doesn't seem to understand that PS3 games won't work on PS4 because of differences in tech. So it would be expensive to make it work.

[PAYNEinc85]

The PS4 footage we saw looks like PC footage right now but give it 2 years or so and it will look leaps and bounds better than what we saw at Sonys event. Take Battlefield 2 during the early days of the 360 and PS3 and compare it to Battlefield 3 for example.