The PS4 could be able to play games streamed over the Internet using Gaikai technology, as well as traditional optical disc-based games, according to sources close to Sony.
According to “people familiar with Sony’s plans,” the next Sony console will offer a Gaikai cloud gaming service, allowing users to play games streamed online including a back catalogue of PlayStation 3 games, potentially dismissing rumours that the next-gen console will lack backwards compatibility.
In July last year, the Japanese company acquired cloud gaming service Gaikai Inc. for $380 million (£245 million) and the sources say Sony is preparing Gaikai technology to enhance the new console. This should be a way for Sony to provide a wider games catalogue for the PS4 from launch.
Gaikai technology could also offer cross-platform gaming, connecting the already PS3 enabled PlayStation Vita to the new console, and expanding PS4 compatibility to other smart devices such as Smart TVs and smartphones like the upcoming Sony Xperia Z.
Just after the Gaikai acquisition, Sony’s Head of Videogames Andrew house said Sony recognises that “the cloud and cloud-streaming technologies are going to have a profound and possibly a very positive impact.”
The addition of a game streaming service could be a response from Sony to the dramatic shifts in consumer interaction with technology and games. In recent years, sales of smartphone and tablets have skyrocketed, with an ever-expanding market for inexpensive mobile- and web-based games.
Firmer details on the full features and specs of the PS4 are sure to arrive in the next few days, as Sony is due to host a PlayStation event in New York tomorrow, rumoured to be the long-awaited PlayStation 4 launch. A PlayStation 4 release date should lie sometime before the Christmas festivities.
What features do you think the PlayStation 4 will bring gamers? Will you be following the live stream of the PlayStation event tomorrow? Let us know via the Trusted Reviews Facebook and Twitter pages or the comment boxes below.
Via: Wall Street Journal
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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.
