The consumer electronics giant has remained tight-lipped about their next generation home console yet we take a look at what gamers should expect from the PS4.
Every five to six years or so, Sony announce a new console to cater to the entertainment needs of the general public. Yet, if one was to take a look at the history of their consoles then a certain trend will become apparent and that trend looks set to continue
into the generation as well.
Basically, this article is about taking a look at the past in order to see what one can expect in the future, in terms of Sony and their, as yet, unannounced next-generation console.
Starting things off with the PlayStation One, which was Sony’s only pure gaming console. The PS One was the first console to use CDs as a medium for video games and the games on offer ranged from catering to almost every gamer.
It laid a solid foundation for the PlayStation 2, which went one step further in terms of which medium it used as it utilised the added memory of DVDs. Yet, with the functionality came the ability of the PlayStation 2 to be more than just a video game console
as it became a DVD player as well.
The PlayStation Portable was also important in its own right as it opened the door for Remote Play features as well as the possibility of making gaming mainstream as Nintendo were already doing. However, it played a huge part in the development of the PlayStation
Vita as well.
However, if one takes a look at the PlayStation 3 as more than just a gaming console, they can see the direction that Sony has been heading towards over the past few years, as they are diversifying the console and transforming it into a complete home entertainment
solution.
The PS3 also used a new medium as it used Blu-Ray discs instead of DVDs. The extra memory on the discs meant more in terms of gaming as well as High Definition movies. In fact, a majority of early sales of the console were attributed to the fact that it
was the cheapest Blu-Ray player in the market.
As time wore on, the PS3 continued to expand on the entertainment front as it brought in Netflix and other services. The PlayStation Store also allowed users to rent out or purchase movies and music.
The PS3 was still primarily a gaming console, yet at the same time one see signs of it moving towards trying to cater towards all the entertainment needs of a household.
The PlayStation Vita, Sony’s second generation handheld portable gaming console, also has a part to play as it expands on the cross platform-ivity of its predecessor and that could potentially have a major impact on the development and functionality of the
PlayStation 4 as well.
So that leaves us with the PlayStation 4. Apart from the trend that one can see through the history of the PlayStation consoles, there are a number of other factors that the reader may want to take into consideration as well.
Read on in Part 2 to find out what those factors are and how they could impact the development of the PlayStation 4.
Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the editorial policy of Bettor.com
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