Sony set to reveal next generation PS4 games console tonight as battle for the must-have Christmas gadget kicks off
Launch will be shown live on MailOnline from 11PM tonight. Sony claims it will reveal 'the future' with new console, which was codenamed 'Orbis'
Expected to go on sale in November, with reports of a £270 price tag, and come with camera to compete with Microsoft's Kinect
Sony was today putting the finishing touches to what could be the most important product launch in its history.
The PlayStation 4 console is set to be unveiled in
New York at 11pm tonight.
The struggling electronics giant hopes the next generation console will help it regain market share against Microsoft, who is yet to reveal plans for its new Xbox console - which is also expected to be on sale in time for Christmas.
The unveiling will excite millions of computer games fans across the world, and further fuel the on-going battle between Sony, Xbox 360 manufacturers Microsoft and Nintendo, the makers of the Wii system.
Experts say the event is critical to Sony's future.'For Sony, they have to come out and make this PlayStation event the definitive statement of why gamers need to adopt the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation Orbis or whatever they end up calling it,' said Greg Miller, PlayStation executive editor at video game site IGN.com.
'Their focus is on establishing a beachhead for the next generation of consoles, and that's what Feb. 20 is all about," said P.J. McNealy, CEO and founder of Digital World Research.
'The reality is they have been playing catch-up.'
Since the first PlayStation console launched in December 1994, Sony have sold over 310 million home consoles worldwide, and 2.9 billion games.
Pictures allegedly showing the new PS4 controller reveal the device will incorporate a touchscreen built into the middle of the familiar DualShock layout.
It has also been rumoured the console will cost £270 in an
attempt to undercut rivals.
Electronics giant Sony is holding an event in New York, during which it promised to reveal 'the future'.
But the games manufacturer has refused to confirm widespread rumours that the latest version of the console will be launched.
Leaked photographs which have emerged online appear to show a prototype controller with a touchpad alongside the classic DualShock-style controls have fuelled the speculation.
The touchscreen is at the front, where the start and select buttons are found on the current generation of PlayStation controllers.
The image appears to back up rumours circulating earlier this week which added L2 and R2 buttons have also been remodelled and improved.
Sony has kept its cards close to its chest regarding the expected launch, so far only officially releasing a teaser video via YouTube announcing date of the event and calling on gamers to 'be the first to know'.
The video also promoted a Twitter hashtag, #Playstation2013, to which video game fans flocked to share their excitement about the forthcoming event.
Asked about the purpose of the event, Masaki Tsukakoshi, a spokesman for the company said only: 'We will be talking about the PlayStation business.'
Console rival Microsoft is also believed to be gearing to launch its successor to the Xbox 360, which is codenamed Xbox Infinity, though it is understood the Windows giant is likely to delay announcement of the machine until the E3 show in June.
Observers expect both systems to be on the shelves in time for Christmas, which could mean a battle for supremacy between Microsoft and Sony as their next-generation consoles go head-to-head in the vital holiday season market.
Due for an update: Microsoft is expected to announce the successor to its Xbox 360 console at June's E3, in time for a Christmas launch date
Due for an update: Microsoft is expected to announce the successor to its Xbox 360 console at June's E3, in time for a Christmas launch date
It has been more than six years since Sony launched the 70million-selling PS3, a longer gap than between it and its PS2 predecessor, adding to the anticipation that it will soon disclose its next gaming concept.
The last time Sony held a PlayStation event, in January 2011, it presented a protoype of its handheld Vita console.
Before that, it convened a gathering in 2005 two months after it first demonstrated the PS3 concept. A meeting in 1999 revealed designs for the PS2.
Rumours surfaced last week that the new machine would be heavily focused on the cloud, which would put the Japanese firm's purchase last year of a leading cloud-based gaming company into perspective.
Sony paid $380million for Gaikai in
June last year.
At the time Sony's chief executive, Andrew House, said: 'By combining Gaikai's resources including its technological strength and engineering talent with SCE's [Sony Computer Entertainment] extensive game platform knowledge and experience, SCE will provide users with unparalleled cloud entertainment experiences.
'SCE will deliver a world-class cloud-streaming service that allows users to instantly enjoy a broad array of content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices.'
As well as the touchpad controller, the new console is expected to have an eight-core x64 AMD processor (codenamed 'Bulldozer), 8GB of RAM, 2.2GB of video RAM, four USB ports that use the new high-speed USB 3.0 standard, a Blu-ray drive, a hard drive of 160GB, an Ethernet port, and both HDMI and optical outputs.
Specs for the next-generation Xbox are rumored to be comparable, with insiders suggesting that it will also pack 8GB of RAM, HDMI connectors and USB 3.0.
However, video gamers have been horrified by rumours that the Microsoft machine will only work with the Kinect sensor plugged in and that it will only run games registered to the machine - potentially blocking not only second-hand games but also games borrowed from friends.
The launches are important for both companies, as gamers have moved away from consoles since the Xbox 360 and the PS3 débuted.
More and more people have shifted to tablets and smartphones as a gaming platform.
Analysts expect that tablets and other mobile devices will match the power and graphics of today's games consoles within a few years.
Many are already able to run the kinds of 3D games that were once the exclusive preserve of those dedicated machines and high-spec gaming PCs.
Despite next-gen rumours and stiff competition from mobile devices, Sony are still actively marketing the Playstation 3.
The company today released the console in two different colours.
The new limited edition Garnet Red and Azurite Blue 500GB 'super-slim' units seem to represent one last push of their current generation hardware.
Perangkat yang sebelumnya diperkenalkan di perhelatan CES 2013 dan MWC 2013
ini memang bisa dikatakan cukup unik karena menggabungkan perangkat
tablet berbasis Android dan AiO PC berbasis Windows 8. Layar tabletnya
sendiri berukuran 18.4 inci dengan resolusi 1920 x 1080 piksel
dan teknologi IPS(In-Plane Switch).
