Sony originally planned to include the PS4 camera in the box, but deliberately removed it in order to keep the PS4 price cheaper than the Xbox One.
The next-generation console’s camera should have been bundled with the PS4, as with the Xbox One and Kinect, but to keep the PS4 price low the decision was made to sell it separately.
At E3 2013, Sony announced the PS4 price at a surprisingly low £349, undercutting the £429 Xbox One price by £80.
However, according to the latest report backed by several sources, Sony quietly informed retailers that the PS4 camera will be removed from the box, but negated to mention the drop in price point.
This meant that come the E3 2013 PS4 price announcement, the retailers and Microsoft were both surprised by the distinct price difference between the two next-generation consoles.
The Xbox One is bundled with the new Kinect peripheral and all gamers are required to keep it constantly connected. The PS4 camera, previously known as the PS4 Eye, will be sold separately for $60 or around £55 in the UK, which when combined still leaves the Xbox One price around £25 dearer.
It is predicted that since the PS4 camera isn’t a requirement for Sony’s next-generation console, not many consumers will actually ever purchase one. Due to that, only a fraction of developers will make use of the camera functionality for PS4 games.
Several developers have already said that they will be utilising the Xbox One Kinect features in their games. Activision has already confirmed that Call of Duty: Ghosts will take advantage of voice commands using the new Xbox One Kinect sensor.
“We think the improvements to Kinect really excited us because of the level of responsiveness and detail,” said CEO of Activision Eric Hirshberg. “I thought that the demo they did with the voice commands on television, the instant changing between games and music, was really compelling. You’ll see more of this coming from us as we get closer to the launch.”
Next, read our Xbox One vs PS4 comparison.
Via: TechRadar
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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.
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