Does It Really Matter That Sony Didn't Reveal the PS4's Hardware This Week?

Push Square: "It’s been dubbed the ‘invisible’ console. Technology enthusiasts expecting an Apple-esque presentation during Sony’s widely publicised PlayStation Meeting left this week’s event disappointed when the PlayStation 4 – the actual console, to be precise – failed to materialise, and demonstrated their frustration in a slew of damning articles after the fact. But does it really matter that the platform holder showed nothing of its next generation system’s chassis?"

[DaThreats]

No, I think showing the controller is more important, because your know, we going to use it in our own hands all the time.

[Agent Smith]

They did reveal the hardware. They just didn't show the box they're gonna put it in.

[ProjectVulcan]

Better than just showing us the box and not saying whats in it.

Be nice to see the whole thing but I think if they had to do one or the other they got their priorities rght...

[knowyourstuff]

The final packaging hasn't been finalized, as even the proposed specs can still change, especially if Microsoft tries to outdo them substantially.

[Droidbro]

LOL at all these silly comments. You guys are really bending over backwards to defend this catastrophe of an announcement. Announcing a new console without having it at the announcement clearly shows that something is wrong in development. Not only is this unprecedented in consoles, but I can't think of any consumer electronic being announced without the actual product on hand. Long term I don't think this is a big deal. Look at all the media setbacks the PS3 had running up to its launch; it ended up being pretty successful. I just find it funny that you guys can't call a spade a spade out of some type of brand loyalty ;)

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

^^^ given your avatar... I can't take your comment seriously...

But I think it's more of the opposite than what you suggest. People are really bending over backwards to find something to complain about. I would like to say that Sony should have just waited until E3 to avoid idiotic criticism like this, but then you realize this event alone took 2 hours and at E3 they need both PS4 and Vita time and then you release that people will still just find something else to nitpick at and blow it out of portion as some big deal. No win situation really.

[Droidbro]

@1.1.4
Avatar has nothing to do with it. If Halo was on PS2/3, I would still be a fan. Aside from not showing the box, they spent way too much of the two hours on what is basically a "Facebook" on the controller. Yawn. As a hardcore gamer, I want to see cooler graphics, bigger environments and smarter AI. This 'casual game' era is really dumbing everything down. I don't care about social network shit, crappy Kinect games or having a tablet for a controller.
Finally, your comment is just fail. According to you I am looking for, "something else to nitpick at and blow it out of portion as some big deal."
My exact words, "I don't think this is a big deal."

[aceitman]

I bet ms will show the console just to say hey we showed it and sony didn't. fan boys its just something ms does and u know it. that is one thing I don't like that ms does.

[delboy]

Don't care about the actual looks of the console.
But Sony is un secure i say, or they would have announced the price.
It looks like that the next box is cheaper to manufacture than ps4,if we look at the specs.
The price tag is the main selling point for the next generation.

[Pope_Kaz_Hirai_II]

All we need to know is the specs of the PS4 make it a very capable PC and Battlefield 4 on PS4 will have 64 players and not have to be gimped like Bf3.

[firelogic]

@knowyourstuff

Sony isn't changing the hardware and neither is MS. Both systems are supposed to come out this year. It's too late to just start swapping in and out components.

This isn't just a matter of someone like you or I building a PC and all of a sudden deciding, "yeah...I'm gonna go with gdddr5 ram instead of ddr3."

The system specs take months, if not years, of research and planning before they decide on a single component. Why? Because changing one changes the entire system. From how it works to cost to manufacturing, logistics, etc.

MS watched the PS4 reveal and they're either thinking, "alright, no big deal, system specs and features are close enough." Or "aww shit. how are we going to present this so we don't look as inferior as we actually are?"

MS isn't changing any components this late in the game and Sony most definitely is not going to change components based on what MS shows. At least not without delaying the release of their consoles significantly.

And really, who gives a shit if they didn't show the damned case? They told you every last detail of what's going inside of it. Would you prefer Nintendo's approach where you don't know what's in it even after the thing launches?

[Riderz1337]

If the only thing people are complaining about is the fact they didn't reveal the look of the hardware, then you know the rest of the show was awesome.

Incredible games were showcased, incredible new features such as the share button which were used live during the Killzone Shadow Fall demo and the focus that the console was built for developers, by developers.

Sony hit it out of the park. They didn't reveal too much but they also got us hyped for more. E3 here I come.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

They have to save something for E3. Otherwise what's the point?

[SonyNGP]

Why are people making such a big deal out of this? It's just a plastic housing with I/O interface and a disc drive :/

[mochachino]

Not to me, I just wanted to know about the specs, didn't need to see the casing.

In fact, I'm kind of confused why people are making a big deal about not revealing the hardware case - seems like pseudo-gamers, MS fanboys, or biased media outlets looking for something to complain about.

In the newspapers I see headlines saying "No System Reveal" when it should say "8gigs GDDR5 RAM!" or "Redesigned Controller", you know, the stuff that actually effects an actual game.

The way it looks is bottom on the list of a game machine's selling points but some people followed the MS criticism saying they didn't show what it looks like. Makes no sense.

It's not a smart phone, it sits under the TV, it about the brains not the body in this case. -Just make sure it's has proper airflow and isn't the size of a desktop.

Too many corrupt people influencing the ignorant, probably the same people heralding the magnificence of Kinect.

[Silly gameAr]

I think they're saving that for E3. Besides, what they did show should satisfy anyone that's got a PS4 on their wishlist. Sony done good.

[Chupa-Chupa]

Doesn't matter. They can ship me all the hardware and a pc case, I'll put it together if I have to.

[wastedcells]

Can't believe people care so much about them not showing the box. Seriously people are never happy or always find something to bitch about. E3 people. E3 will be epic. But what Sony did at this press event was super impressive. I'm so excited for next gen now and that's what counts.

[DigitalSmoke]

Not at all, everybody already knows that Sony has the greatest design team in the world when it come's to giving shape or form to tech hardware devises, they are the absolute best!
farrari grade period.

[Megaton]

Can't wait for the next 50 times this is posted here. I'm sure it'll be much better than all the previous dupes.

[battlegrog]

I acutely think the controller reveal was one of the most important things. So many people did not like ps3 just because of the controller. That new one looks acutely better then the xbox one and much improved .

Right tools in your hand is important. Otherwise you cant enjoy an amazing game.

[Readit]

They didn't show it because it didn't fit through the doors..

[Silly gameAr]

No, it doesn't imo. They showed enough just to get me hyped, so the Playstation Meeting did it's job. There's always other times and places, like E3 for example to really get into the specifics and see where Sony plan to take the PS4, and reveal the console to us for the first time.

The PS Meeting was just a tease.

[scott182]

I don't think it matters, it didn't even cross my mind until MS tweeted it. Sony didn't want to play all their cards and that's not a bad thing at all. I'm sure it will be super pretty and box like.... I am just excited for some great looking and fun games next gen regardless of what system i get.

[2pacalypsenow]

Nope

[GUYwhoPLAYSvideoGAME]

The only reason people complain about it is because there had to be something to hate about the conference which there wasn't, the fact that this was the biggest complaint about the conference(which it shouldn't be) is a testament to how perfect it was

[clintagious650]

I totally agree. What really means the most is games & Sony showed just that. If u watched the show just to see how the ps4 looks like then your obviously not a gamer. I mean seriously? Lol.

[mossman]

I feel like Wednesday's event was chapter 1 of a novel. It looks like a possible Microsoft reveal in April will be chapter 2, and each game show convention will be additional chapters leading to the climax and resolution of the holiday season. In between these chapters are interludes, rumors and speculation that are the glue of all these events.

Since a whole story isn't written in one chapter, key facts won't be revealed all at once, and in this case, the box of the PS4 is a prime example.

For me, my next console will be from these two players, and I have no idea which one I will go with. For that decision, I'll need to read the whole book first, and then we'll see. Will Sony's promises actually be delivered, will Microsoft's console fail at the rate of its predecessor (and vice versa)? We've got 10 months to sort it all out, and maybe even longer.

I can wait a little while to see the box.

[clintagious650]

The ps4 is built off pc specs so even though the game was running on a pc with almost the same specs but the pc running it only had 4gb gddr5 ram where as the ps4 is going to have 8gb gddr5 ram. I dont see why it has to even show the console itself when its not ready yet & is built like a pc in mind due to developers wanting an easier way to take advantage of the system. This is why ps4 launch titles will already look amazing because even 3rd party devs are familiar with the pc & will have an easy transition creating games for the ps4 compared to the ps3 which even to this day some 3rd party devs still had a hard time making the transition for its architecture since it wasnt built the same as a pc.

[e3kehoe]

It could look lIke a plastIc panda for all I care. As long as it plays great games

[Bathyj]

Games
Specs
Controller

Those were the things I wanted to see the most and they did that.

And the 8gb of gddr5 thing is huge, why are they worrying about the box rather than congratulation Sony for this brilliant move? Do you realize what this is going to mean for games, and what little difference the shape and colour of the box is going to make?

The truth is, the people in n4g complaining about not seeing the box are the same people who have been in here complaining about everything PS3 for years. They dont want PS4 to be good and they dont want to get it anyway.

No one who actually cares about getting a PS4 is that worried about it so I couldnt care less about the whining. Once I have one, my eyes are going to be glued to my TV the whole time anyway.

And remember, a week ago we knew NOTHING. We should be grateful we know what we know now. Sony is working to their timetable, not to screaming self entitled haters and they didnt have to reveal now if they didnt want to, they could have saved it all for E3.

I think the reveal was awesome, they got the ball rolling, amazed us with game footage, and left us dying to know more. The next few months are going to be great as they slowly build anticipation until launch.

[Nunchez]

Actually it's good they didn't reveal everything. If Microsoft screw up when it's their turn, Sony can then unveil how the PS4 and hurt Microsoft even more. But I really hope that MS doesn't disappoint.