Citing multiple unnamed sources, VG247 is reporting that Sony has started to ship new PlayStation 4 dev kits to developers and plans to reveal the unannounced console at an event “just before” E3 2013.
The kits for the PS4 (which Sony is calling “Orbis”) are said to be “modified PCs” at this point but will be closer to “final spec” this January, with final dev kits due out “next summer”. While it wasn’t mentioned in the report, this would seem to point towards a late 2013 release date for the PlayStation 4.
Current Orbis dev kits are said to be based on AMD’s A10 APU series (which is a combined CPU and GPU), and were described as being a “derivative” of the A10. The sources also mentioned that the kits come with “either 8GB or 16GB of RAM”, a Blu-ray drive, and a 256GB hard drive “as standard”.
Sony’s goal with all this tech is to achieve 1080p at 60 FPS in 3D with “no problem”, but to still have the console be “very affordable”.
The PlayStation 4 is also being planned as an “always-on” device that will accept system and product updates in the background, or while in standby mode. Naturally, there are options to turn these features off as well.
Details on the controller were not provided, however, given Sony’s history it would be shocking (pun intended) to see anything that deviates too far from the Dual Shock 3.
Here’s hoping for better R2 and L2 buttons.
None of the sources for this information were disclosed, so officially this should all be considered a rumor until Sony officially announces the PlayStation 4.
