Sony’s sequel to its wildly successful PS3, the PlayStation 4, was released Nov. 15. Along with some impressive hardware upgrades, Sony has added tons of new features sure to entice buyers in the next-gen tech. In this article, we’ll uncover the main theme behind Sony’s next console, through practical examination of the technical bits and pieces that make up the PS4. That’ll give you a better idea of which next-gen machine suits your play-style and entertainment needs, the PS4 or the Xbox One.
Hardware
The Design
Sony has gone for a more slanted, sharp look as opposed to the more rounded, sleek look of the PS3. Similarly to the Xbox One, the PS4’s outer shell is jet black, with the controller and PlayStation Eye following a similar color scheme. The console is much smaller than the PS3, and even the Xbox One (275 mm wide x 53 mm tall x 305 mm long), and weighs just over six pounds. The uniform design provides a stylish, universal package that should fit on even the smallest of set-ups.
Memory
There isn’t much change in terms of memory for the PS4. The hard drive is built into the system (although it can be removed), and provides 500GB of memory on the launch model. The console requires games to be installed onto the hard drive before playing, so a memory upgrade seems like a logical step.
The GPU and CPU
Sony has exponentially increased the potential processing power of the PS4 from its predecessor. The CPU used in the PS4 is actually the same as in the Xbox One. The AMD Jaguar contains eight cores each with a base clock speed of 1.6 GHz, up from the PS3’s single core processing clock speed of 3.2 GHz. And like the Xbox One, the starting clock speed has been boosted by Sony. It’s not clear exactly how high Sony has boosted its CPU clock speed, but in a “dev kit FCC filing” by Sony back in July, Sony claimed to have a maxed-out clock speed of 2.75 GHz, which, if true, shows Sony has been tinkering and improving upon its cell architecture quite diligently.
The power of the PS4’s GPU has been increased to nearly twice that of the PS3. The PS3’s GPU clocked in at 550 MHz, while the PS4’s new GPU clocks in at around 800 MHz, with the help of “the same architecture as the Xbox One.” Unlike Microsoft, Sony sacrificed a potential GPU clock speed increase to instead add two more compute units, thus increasing its throughput (the amount of data the GPU can move) from “1.31 teraflops” (like the Xbox One) to “1.87 teraflops.”
Speaking on the overall performance of the PS4, the console’s lead architect Mark Cerny told Polygon that he’s confident his team at Sony has achieved its target goal of “10 times the Playstation 3 performance.”
Cerny also made a more universal note about developers’ understanding of the PS4’s processing power (which can also be applied to the Xbox One).
It may take time for them to learn how to fully utilize the tweaks Sony made to the architecture they’re already familiar with.
Cerny noted that ease of use was “one of the console’s core philosophies,” surely speeding up the process of maxing out the hardware that was nearly seven years in the making with the PS3.
RAM
The PS4 has a major increase in its amount of Random Access Memory. Upgraded from 512 MB in the PS3, the PS4 has eight GB of RAM at its disposable. Between 2.5 and 3.5 MB of that RAM is said to be dedicated to the console’s operating system.
Originally the PS4 was planned to only contain four GB of RAM. But as Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida explained to Gamespot: “we were able to make that decision [to upgrade] because of a lot of feedback from developers.”
The PS4 also uses a higher-speed RAM than the PS3 (and even the Xbox One) – GDDR5 (as opposed to GDDR3 RAM). This type of RAM was more expensive, according to Yoshida, hence the original plan of only four GB.
To showcase the visual fidelity and smooth frame rate the PS4 is capable of thanks to its new processors and RAM, check out the PS4 exclusive Killzone: Shadowfall multiplayer trailer posted by developer Guerilla games.
The high bit-rate version, in all its 1080P, 60FPS glory is available for download here. The fluent movement and realism of the environment is incredible.
Controller
PS4 Controller – by Flickr member Camknows
For the first time since the the PS1, Sony has seriously revamped its new controller to help complement the PS4 functionally and aesthetically.
While continuing the DualShock brand name, the DualShock 4 controller has changed in shape (among other ergonomic changes), added a touch pad, a built-in speaker and stereo headset jack, a share button and a light bar that works in tandem with the PlayStation Camera (more on that later).
The additions are described by Sony in general terms, but VentureBeats’ Dan Hsu published an in-depth, four-part article detailing the specific functions the controller has to offer.
The Look
PS4 Controller in action – by Flickr member Kitsuney
Visually, the PS4 controller is two-toned. The front of the controller is a slightly-glossy dark gray. The tips of the grips, along with the back of the controller, are a lighter gray, a change from the uniform black of the DualShock 3. The actual buttons and analog sticks are more of a glossy black. The front of the controller is smooth, while the back and the front touch pad are textured.
The Body
PS4 Controller grips – by Flickr member Community Mag, and Sony
The overall feel of the new DualShock 4 seems to be much sturdier, not only in the bulkier design but also in its weight distribution. Toshimasa Aoki, SCE’s product planning department manager, explained in Hsu’s article that visually the new controller hasn’t changed much in its aggregate shape, “but when you hold it, it’s really different.”
A lot of people felt that the Xbox 360 controller fits in their hands [better],” said Aoki. “With the DualShock 3, you have to hold it. With the DualShock 4, you don’t really have to hold it. It just stays in your hand. We kind of merged the good parts of the Xbox grip while still keeping that iconic PlayStation shape.
The grips have not only been extended but also enlarged, and are more rounded and slightly more curved than those on the DualShock 3. The change in size of the grips is accompanied by its textured back.
“The bottom side is where you sweat a lot,” said Aoki of the grips. “We made it a little more textured, so it helps from getting slippery after you use the controller for a while.”
Analog Sticks
The part of the controller arguably used the most – the analog sticks – has also gone through some visual and functional changes. Most notable is that the tips are no longer convex, but concave, with a ridged ring around the outside.
“We tried concave, fully convex and different types of ridges,” said Aoki. “The convex, it just slips off. We knew that even if we changed the material, that would still happen. The concave one – when you have your thumb in the middle – it fits, and it’s pretty good.”
Aoki also explained how they decided to lower the analog sticks from the height of the DS3s, allowing quicker, shorter movements for twitch gaming (in, for example, a first-person shooter). Sony also adjusted the amount of force required to move the sticks from their dead zone (and therefore register on screen), to be “right in between DualShock 2 and DualShock 3,” according to Aoki.
The Buttons
PS4 Controller front – by Flickr member Community Mag, and Sony
Sony has hardly (if at all) altered the look or functionality of its existing face buttons and D-Pad. However, the triggers have been redesigned in response to fan outcry and the aging architecture of the previous controller. Sony has also added some new buttons to help interact more easily with the PS4’s upgraded OS.
Face Buttons
“A lot of people liked the feeling of the [Dualshock 3’s] buttons,” explained Aoki. “We made them as much the same as possible. I don’t think you would feel a difference [on the DualShock 4 controller].”
The only real change to the face buttons is that they are slightly close together, increasing response time, and therefore working in the user’s best interest.
D-pad
The D-pad has had some minor improvements in an effort to keep gamers’ thumbs in the centre and aware of the direction they are resting.
Sony did this by angling the outside of each individual directional button (there are still only four), towards the center. The D-pad is also now sitting “atop a flat, shiny area,” to increase the physical feedback of pressing a direction.
“There’s more of a click to it as wel. You feel the press,” said developer Guerilla’s lead gameplay programmer Tommy de Roos.
“You’re going to think we’re crazy, probably noticing very little different from these pictures alone, but our thumbs fell in love on first touch,” wrote Hsu after getting his hands on the new D-pad.
Triggers
PS4 Controller resting – by Flickr member Community Mag, and Sony
Most of the changes to the analog functionality of the DualShock 4 come in the newly-designed triggers. The actual shape of the new shoulder triggers curve upwards, as opposed to rounding over like the DS3’s. The main reason for this was that the DS3’s shoulder triggers would often accidentally register when put in a resting position, such as on a person’s lap or a table.
“When we discussed what people hated about the DualShock 3, the very first thing was always that, when you put the controller down, it fast-forwards your Netflix,” said Aoki.
But the improved shape of the triggers goes beyond combating unintentional fast-forwarding, as Hsu explains.
Pulling on the DualShock 4’s triggers gives you a smooth resistance from start to finish. Overall, it feels slightly stiffer compared to the Dualshock 3, too, but the consistency through the full range of motion is tangible and doesn’t feel like you’re pinching a rubber ball.
Share Button
Sony detailed the addition of a small share button to the DualShock 4 controller on its website, stating that with it users can “share triumphs and accomplishments by streaming live gameplay to Ustream or uploading recorded videos to Facebook.”
This button connects users with the PS4’s video sharing software – Ustream, where they can view their recently recorded gameplay, create montages and key moments, and share them with friends. This function will be detailed in more depth in the PS4 software: pragmatic primer.
Touch Pad
Sony has added a small touch pad to the DualShock 4 controller. Resting between the face buttons and D-pad, above the centre, the touch pad “offers gamers completely new ways to play and interact with games,” according to Sony.
Obviously, time will tell how these news interactions will play out, and if developers will fully utilize the touch pad. But in a short hands-on with the new controller, Metro Game Central Editor David Jenkins had a chance to test out the new touch pad.
“The touch pad on the front also seems a very positive change at this point. Although pressing it in like a physical button is a bit springy, it’s useful to have such a large non-action button in easy reach.”
Jenkins also used the touch pad as part of a gameplay demo for the PS4 launch game Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
“It was used to access a map in Assassin’s Creed IV, and once activated you could pinch and zoom the view via the touch pad – just as you would with any touchscreen device.”
It’s important to note that when Jenkins says “touch screen,” this does not mean the touch pad is a screen. It won’t display visuals, but allows for physical input such as pinching and zooming.
And while navigating a map doesn’t sound like the most apt way to use the touch pad, the responsiveness Jenkins noted and variety of movements, does open the touch pad up for less conventional use, like tossing a frag in an FPS or as a melee action.
Light Bar
PS4 Controller light bar – by Flickr member Community Mag, and Sony
As part of his hands-on with the new controller, Jenkins was also able to see the DS4’s added light bar in action.
“Although it can be changed colour to indicate low batteries or in-game functions (such as low health in Killzone: Shadow Fall) Sony insists that it cannot be turned off altogether. This creates a very obvious problem in playing in a darkened room: you can see the light bar shining back on the TV.”
Built-in Speaker
A small speaker has been added to the front of the controller, so gamers can “enjoy high-fidelity sound effects of games from both the TV and also from the controller,” said Sony on its website.
This function seems useless for those wearing headphones while gaming, not to mention that for its size, the speaker can’t be too audibly rich. But if used correctly, the speaker could provide a new dimension to the surround sound of games, and even add a more personal touch to in-game dialogue (with characters speaking to the player through their controller as opposed to through their TV).
PlayStation 4 Camera
PlayStation Camera – by Flicker member Community Mag, and Sony
The PS4 is offering a more advanced version of the PlayStation Eye Camera. Unlike Microsoft’s Kinect, it offers a more subtle approach to visual and auditory command use in gaming.
Sony detailed the specifications of the camera. The light (183g), small (186mm x 27mm x 27mm) camera touts 1280 x 800 pixel maximum video quality. At the maximum setting, the 1280 x 800 pixel resolution offers 60 frames per second, with the frame rate increasing as the pixel quality decreases, down to 320 x 192 pixels at 240fps. The field of view stands at 85 degrees, with a four-channel microphone array. The camera connects to the PS4 with a dedicated cable.
Engadget’s Ben Gilbert attended a PS4 review event in New York City recently, where Sony’s philosophy around the new camera was revealed.
“Few of the commands were demoed, and zero gesture commands were shown. Outside of facial recognition for logging in, it looks like Sony’s next game console isn’t focusing too much on competing with Microsoft on a point-by-point basis in terms of camera / mic-based input.”
Gilbert briefly listed some of the more fundamental commands the camera can interpret (at least at launch).
“The console can be turned off using voice, and you can command it to open games.”
Sony does, however, say that they hope more commands will be integrated into apps and into the OS further into the console’s life cycle.
The main tech demo that showcases the PlayStation camera’s functionality and its use with the controller is the “Playroom,” shown below.
What’s included in the box?
PS4 Console with Controllers and Camera – by Flickr Member Kitsuney
According to Best Buy’s website, the PlayStation 4 launch console (500GB version) will cost $399.99, and include a controller, an HDMI cable, power cable, wired mono headset and a USB charging set-up. This is the most basic version: there are bundles that will run up to $500, with added bonuses such as extra controllers, PlayStation Plus memberships and launch games.
And, unlike Kinect, which is a mandatory buy with the Xbox One, Sony will not be including the PlayStation 4 Camera in its basic launch bundle.
Below is the official PS4 unboxing video by Sony, showing what’s included in the box.
Verdict
The PS4 is a substantial increase over its predecessor in virtually every way. The enhanced processing power will put PS3 games’ graphics and visuals to shame, with new avenues of realism and detail to explore, and more freedom for developers to fully realize the games they create on paper and in their heads.
To assist developers in improving the user experience of their games, Sony has greatly improved the new DualShock 4. The DS4 has gone from the dated, traditional design of the DS3 to a new deliberately-weighty and solid design that should stand the test of time, sweat and frustration. Sony may not have a motion controlled device as powerful as Kinect, but it makes up for it in the new ways the controller and PlayStation 4 camera give feedback to the user. Overall, the PS4 seems gamer-focused, and developer driven – a winning combination.
Next up, the PS4’s software
Featured image by Flickr member Sebastian Wochnik
