As expected, Sony has officially announced the next PlayStation console at their New York PlayStation Meeting event, confirming that the device will indeed be named the PlayStation 4.

The console will include 8GB of unified RAM, and the new Dualshock 4 controller, which as rumoured, features a vita-esque touchpad, and a "share" button. Aside from a confirmation that the console would pack a portion of ultra-fast GDDR5 memory, no other hardware specifications were offered.

The first real-time demo footage shown was Unreal Engine 4's elemental demo, with Sony boasting a much simpler porting process for PC-developed games.

New console operating features include a suspend-to-ram function for instant-resume gaming from a low-power state, and heavy social elements with video-capture sharing. The social functionality is described as an integrated platform with web portals, and mobile apps to interface with it.


A new tiled user interface of the operating system bears a lot of similarities with Windows Metro/Mobile, and digital download games will start being playable when only partially downloaded.

Sony's acquisition of Gaikai technology offer an option to instantly demo games via online streaming, power eSports spectating (or just sharing your screen with friends), as well as local streaming with PlayStation Vita remote play. The possibility of playing PlayStation 1, 2, and 3 games via streaming was also teased, but not announced.

The first game revealed is Knack, from Sony's Japan Studio, an animated title with what looks to be a heavy physics-focus.

Guerilla Games revealed a Killzone: Shadow Fall, a very impressive new first person shooter that returns players to the futuristic fight with the Helghast, in huge open environments.


Killzone: Shadow Fall PlayStation 4 Gameplay Stage Demo Video

Motorstorm developer Evolution Studios announced a new exotic racing title with a heavy social element called Driveclub.



Super Punch debuted Infamous: Second Son, a new sci-fi action game, set in a dystopic Orwellian future, featuring a new character with different superpowers to Infamous' Cole.

Acclaimed indie developer Jonathan Blow, of Braid fame, showed off his next game The Witness, confirming that the colourful, open world puzzle game would be coming to the new platform.



David Cage of Quantic dream showed off the Heavy Rain studio's new rendering technologies with very realistic real-time demo of an emotive human head.

Little Big Planet creators Media Molecule introduced new creative technology that they have developed around the PlayStation Move, using the motion controlling device to enable 3D scultping, in a framework that allows console users to collaborate and create complete 3D audio visual presentations.

Capcom's Yoshino Ono, of Street Fighter fame, showcased a brand new medieval fantasy game with the working title Deep Down, built on a lush new game engine that Capcom are calling Panta Rhei.



Square Enix hit the stage to show off their Luminous Engine with the Agnis Philosophy tech demo again, originally screened at E3 2012, but it wasn't immediately obvious if there were any improvements. The demo was followed up by a tease that the studio is working on a new Final Fantasy title that will be revealed at E3 2013.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed that Watch Dogs, the game that wowed the crowds at E3 2012, will indeed be coming to PlayStation 4. A new gameplay demo was shown, starring the masked hacker performing vigilante justice in a futuristic open world, using freeform hacks on electrical devices all over the dynamic environment.



With a surprising entrance, Blizzard's Chris Metzen took the stage to reveal return to the console after decades of PC-exclusivity with Diablo III for both the PlayStation 4, and the PlayStation 3. The debut of the actual game is expected at PAX East in late March.

Activision's Eric Hirshberg confirmed that Bungie's recently-revealed Destiny will be headed to PlayStation 4, in addition to the already announced PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and that the publisher intends to have "multiple blockbuster titles from our best developers during the launch window".



No images of the actual PlayStation 4 console itself were shown during the presentation, nor any mention of target pricing.