Sony is preparing to make a big impact on the video game scene when its powerful new console the PlayStation 4 launches on Nov. 15. To help both casual and hardcore gamers alike make an informed decision before buying, here's the basic info about the PS4.
The PlayStation 4 will cost $399. This puts it $100 more than the Wii U and $100 less than the Xbox One, which will be launched on Nov. 22. Various bundle packages will be available from different retailers both online and off. Buying the console will give players one Dualshock 4 controller, a mono headset for online communication, a HDMI and USB cable, and a 14-day trial of PlayStation Plus (which is required to play several games online). The only pack-in game that comes with the console is Playroom, which requires the PlayStation Eye camera, which is sold separately.
At launch there will be many different games available. These range from ports of previously released games such as Assassin's Creed 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition, to downloadable and free-to-play games. For the most part, free-to-play games and media apps such as Netflix will not need a PlayStation Plus membership to function. PlayStation Plus memberships will be needed for many other games, however, and are available in several prices.
The specs for the PlayStation 4 are comparable to the Xbox One and high-end PCs. The device will have a Single-chip x86 AMD "Jaguar" processor with 8 cores and AMD Radeon Graphics Core Next GPU. The internal memory of the PlayStation 4 comes in at 500GB, and cloud storage will be available on the console. The console will have a Blu-ray disk drive but will not be backwards compatible with PlayStation 3 games.
Overall, the PlayStation 4 offers many different, distinctive features, and can appeal to those looking both for a strong gaming platform as well as those interested in taking advantage of its streaming abilities and other media applications.