Sony's next generation games console will be backwards compatible, but not in the sense that we're accustomed to. The PlayStation 4 (PS4), Sony’s eagerly-awaited entertainment device, won't play current PS3 optical games discs. Instead, backwards compatibility will be delivered using a streaming service whereby games are delivered in real-time over the internet from remote servers.
Sony has released a teasing video and summoned world media to an elusive event on February 20 in New York City, leading to rumours that the company may unveil its next-generation gaming console, the PlayStation 4, sooner than expected.
As Sony officially ends production of the PlayStation 2 and all eyes shift towards the two big next-generation game consoles expected to be announced and possibly made available before the end of the year, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720, Sony's current console, the PlayStation 3, is making headlines of its own.
After earlier unconfirmed reports that Sony had ended production of the PlayStation 2 - the most successful games console of all time - the Japanese consumer electronics giant has now officially confirmed this to be true.
Sony's newly announced "smaller and lighter" PS3 brings an incremental upgrade to the aging system, but does it also hint at the PS4's possible arrival date?
Don't expect the PlayStation 4 to be announced anytime soon - that's the message that Andrew House, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, communicated in an interview with MCV.
There will be no new Xbox announcement in 2012, a Microsoft spokesperson has told Bloomberg news. It was previously speculated that Microsoft may tease their Xbox 360 successor at this year's E3 gaming expo.
Sony will not be announcing the PlayStation 4 at this year's E3 gaming expo. Microsoft and Nintendo, however, are still expected to press ahead with their own forthcoming console announcements.
Both the next-generation Xbox and PlayStation 4 are expected to be announced at this year's E3 gaming expo in Los Angeles, reports MCV. E3 is the flagship expo of the gaming industry and takes place on June 5-7.
Sony is reportedly redesigning its PlayStation Network (PSN) user interface as part of a major rebranding operation to counteract the fallout from a month-long network outage. The outage began in April of this year after hackers gained access to PSN servers and potentially compromised the personal details of 77 million users.
Sony, the makers of the PlayStation gaming console, are said to begin production of the PS4 towards the end of this year, with a release date scheduled for sometime in 2012, according to DigiTimes.