Last week, a new report revealed some of the specs inside the long awaited Sony PS4. The Japanese gaming giant has yet to announce the fabled PlayStation 4, but it appears to be working with developers on it right now. With that in mind, we thought we’d dream up a wishlist of what we’re hoping to see in it: are your must-have features in here?
Launch day game streaming
Earlier this year, Sony snaffled up Gaikai, a service that lets you stream high end 3D games from the cloud. It’s clear Sony has plans for it inside PlayStation, but right now, an OnLive-like subscription service probably wouldn’t cut it. Even in Britain, broadband speeds aren’t up to delivering a smooth experience. But what if Sony just used Gaikai’s tech to stream games on launch day, so if you’d pre-ordered the disc, you could start the game at midnight on the day of the release by streaming it until the postman rocked up?
All in one catch up TV
Sony’s done a good job of getting all the major video services on the PS3, from Netflix to BBC iPlayer. But Microsoft’s done a better job since of streamlining all the different apps to follow a similar design on Xbox Live: on the PS3, they’re all a bit of a mess. Sony’s got a real opportunity to amend this with the PS4. What if it rolled all the catch-up services into one easy to use EPG, just like YouView on the fantastic new Humax set top box we checked out just last week. Why not even support YouView while you’re at it?
Microsoft’s Kinect motion and voice sensor is useful way to boss your Xbox about with no hands, but it’s an expensive add-on that demands extra space on your TV stand. Sony could dispense with the motion cameras that make you look like a wally, and just build voice controls into the Sony PS4 – think Siri for games and TV.
Universal PS Vita streaming
Much like the Wii U and its tablet controller, you can currently stream a select few games from your PS3 to your PS Vita, including Ico: Shadow Of The Colossus. You can even play them on the go, streaming the game to your handheld over 3G. But it’s a piecemeal solution, and up to the developers to turn the feature on for their games. With the Sony PS4, Sony could start over with Remote Play, and make streaming of your new games to PS Vita (or even your smartphone) native to the system.
Cross game chat
It’s a simple little thing, and something Xbox 360 owners take for granted. But due to the way the PS3 was designed, it’s simply not possible to talk to your mates via headset while they’re playing a different game to you. Fans have begged and begged for the option, but it just can’t be done. Luckily, all the signs are there that it will be. The Sony PS Vita already supports cross game chat, so if Sony’s 2012 handheld can manage it, you can bet the Sony PS4 will.
What else would you like to see inside the Sony PS4? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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