Sony has dispelled the rumours and confirmed that the PS4 will be able to play second hand games.
Speaking to Eurogamer, Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida confirmed that the new console, which was revealed late last night, would not block the use of games beyond their initial owner.
After agreeing that consumers expected to retain some kind of value from physical discs that can then be passed on, Yoshida stated quite clearly, “so, used games can play on PS4.”
It had been rumoured that the PS4 would contain a piece of technology that registered and locked individual copies of games to a single user, effectively destroying the second hand business overnight.
This stemmed from the news that Sony had patented such a piece of technology. However, according to one Sony source, that patent had nothing to do with PS4. Perhaps for the PS5, then?
Back in the present, Sony will be satisfied with a PS4 launch in which details were light but the promise was palpable. The only piece of hardware shown was the DualShock 4 PS4 controller, which contains a touchpad, a headphone jack, a light bar for Move-like motion sensing, and a Share button for instantly sharing game footage over social networks.
While there was little focus on the console itself (we didn’t even see what it looks like), the PS4 was described as being like a “supercharged PC.”
The Sony PS4 will launch “Holiday 2013” in the US, though details of the European launch are a little sketchier. It’s believed that we won’t get the PS4 here until some time in early 2014.
Let us know what you think of Sony’s PS4 announcement via the Trusted Reviews Twitter and Facebook feeds or through the comment boxes below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
