At E3 earlier this evening, we finally got to see Sony’s PlayStation 4 gaming console. While a fair bit is known about the device and the games it will run, when it came to price tags, there had been a shortage of information. That is no longer the case, however, with Sony revealing a slew
While the US press release for the PlayStation 4 mentioned details about games, used games and pricing, it did not confirm all of the specs for the console. In Japan however, a more detailed press release clears up a few things. Sony’s console is packing a 500GB hard drive (same as the Xbox One), and it will not include the camera module, which is a $59 (£44 and €49) add-on for the $399 box. By comparison, the Xbox One includes — and requires for its use — the Kinect 2.0 camera. (Update: Sony’s confirmed that the PS4’s hard drive is upgradable.)
A Best Buy listing confirms the PlayStation 4 Eye’s add-on status and pricing, and that an extra DualShock 4 controller will also go for $59. We’ve double checked with Sony and confirmed that the system comes with a controller and mono earpiece plus HDMI, USB and power cords — but no camera.
The spec sheet also confirms the system’s dimensions at 275 x 53 x 305mm (excluding the largest projection), its ports (HDMI and optical out, 2 USB 3.0 in and 1 AUX in for use with the camera) and that a single ear mono headset is packed in with the system. That controller weighs in at 210g, includes a 1000mAh battery and one other detail some may have missed — a built-in mono speaker. There are details specs for the camera too, which is capable of a maximum 1280 x 800 (x2) pixel capture at 60fps, 640 x 400 at 120fps, or 320 x 192 at 240fps. It has an 85 degree FOV and a 2 meter cable to connect to the system. Want to do more digging into the specs and learn about the design of the PS4? Check out the PDF linked below.
[Thanks, Matthew]
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Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: Sony Japan (PDF), Twitter (@yosp)
Yesterday, we told you about the reveal of the upcoming Microsoft Xbox One console, and there is plenty of buzz about how they were too focused on TV and not on gaming. While I agree with this, I think some of this was intentional, since they want to have some big things to show off at E3 in early June. That said, there were still plenty of unanswered questions about the console itself, and we did manage to get answers to some (but certainly not all) questions after the big reveal yesterday.
First and foremost, the Xbox One will not be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games or accessories. This is disappointing for a device which is supposed to simplify your living room, right? The last thing I want to do is have to keep my old Xbox 360 around if I want to play one of my older games – especially since the Xbox One only has a single HDMI passthrough input. I personally think this is a major misstep by both Microsoft and Sony to not provide some sort of backwards compatibility. I don’t think it’s critical after a couple of years, but during the honeymoon phase, there won’t be very many game titles, and there’s only so much TV watching I plan to do on my Xbox One.
We also have heard that the CPU will be an AMD Jaguar 8-core unit, similar to the one slated for the PS4. However, rumors are circulating that the Xbox One’s GPU will not be quite as powerful as the one slated for the PS4, though the Xbox One’s GPU handles an ample 768 operations per cycle.
Of course, Microsoft hasn’t made any formal announcements about the GPU, so who knows. What we do know is the Xbox One will have GDDR3 RAM, which is technically slower than the PS4′s GDDR5 memory. So far, many signs are pointing to the PS4 having superior hardware to the Xbox One, but we really won’t know if that matters until developers start to unleash the power of these consoles. Either way, both consoles are substantially faster and more powerful than current-gen systems, so we shouldn’t whine too much.
It was also revealed that the HDMI input and output will be capable of driving 4K displays, with 3D stereoscopic output.
For those of you wondering about the rumors about used games on the Xbox One, Microsoft’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb made the following statement:
We know there is some confusion around used games on Xbox One and wanted to provide a bit of clarification on exactly what we’ve confirmed today. While there have been many potential scenarios discussed, today we have only confirmed that we designed Xbox One to enable our customers to trade in and resell games at retail.
Beyond that, we have not confirmed any specific scenarios.
Another piece of clarification around playing games at a friend’s house – should you choose to play your game at your friend’s house, there is no fee to play that game while you are signed in to your profile.
So I guess that’s good news. Though I’m not sure what to make of the thing about “specific scenarios” not being confirmed. I would prefer that you could just buy, sell and use games on any system, as long as you have the physical media – or are logged into your profile for DLC. Hopefully, that will be the case.
One other detail which emerged yesterday is that the Xbox One will have multiple Wi-Fi radios, enabling simultaneous connectivity to multiple devices (i.e. Internet router, controllers, etc.)
Of course, news continues to emerge about both the Xbox One and PS4, and I expect we’ll find out a whole lot more during E3.
Google has been rolling out a variety of Glass-related materials following its announcement on Monday that Explorer edition pairs were in production and some would possibly begin shipping today, with the rest following in waves in the near future. Nearly a year after they were unveiled at Google’s I/O, we finally have a run down of the device’s specs.
According to a Glass support page made public by Google, the device will have a 5-megapixel camera with up to 720p video recording and 16GB of storage contained in what is said to be a durable frame that is one-size-fits-all (with the aid of adjustable nose pieces). If you’re wondering how the display will look, according to the support pages, it will be fairly pleasant.
The display is said to be equivalent to looking at 25-inch high definition television from a distance of 8-feet, meaning it won’t appear terribly large, but certainly won’t have you squinting in an effort to make things out. Audio is delivered via bone conduction, and a single battery charge is said to last all day, so you won’t have to part with the headset halfway through the day to recharge.
Connectivity includes standard 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth, as well as a micro USB port for data transfer and charging (users are advised to use the Glass-specific charger rather than a generic one). Finally, compatibility is with any Android smartphone running 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich or higher, as well as the MyGlass app, which is now available from the Google Play Store.
[via Droid-Life]
Google Glass specs: 16GB of storage, 5MP camera, and more is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Google just released the official specs for Google Glass (after releasing the API too) and the futuristic frames come with 16GB (only 12GB will be usable) Flash memory, 5 megapixel camera for stills, 720p video recording, Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth and a battery that can handle “one full day of typical use”. More »
The trickle of Google Glass details (they’re shipping, the API is available and an Android companion app is live) has suddenly turned into a flood tonight, as 9to5Google points out a support page listing the device’s technical specs. While we knew some bits about its capabilities (some of which were explained in a patent application), the official list reveals its display will be equivalent to a 25-inch HD screen viewed from eight feet away, while it’s camera does 5MP stills and 720p video. It packs 16GB of storage onboard, 12GB of which are available to the wearer. Audio is transferred via a bone conduction transducer, while its wireless capabilities include Bluetooth and WiFi 802.11 b/g. There’s a micro-USB charger included with it and the battery is expected to last a “full day of typical use” although video and Google Hangouts will drain it more quickly. Also published is an FAQ for things like “Is it ok to go scuba diving with Glass?” (A: No, jackhammering is also probably out, while laws concerning mobile devices and driving may rule out use behind the wheel as well), covering things any Explorers should know before their headset arrives.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile, Google
Via: 9to5Google
Source: Google Glass Tech Specs, FAQ
So we didn’t see the actual PlayStation 4 console on stage at Sony’s press event tonight, but that doesn’t mean we can’t know what’s inside it. A press release reveals that the PS4’s PC-like configuration will include an 8-core 64-bit x86 “Jaguar” CPU built by AMD, with a Radeon GPU comprised of 18 “compute units” capable of cranking out 1.84 TFLOPS to process graphics and more. Its Blu-ray drive — yes, it will still have one of those — spins at a brisk 6X (8X for DVDs) and as mentioned on stage, it packs 8GB of unified GDDR5 RAM capable of 176GB/sec of bandwidth. 802.11n WiFi, USB 3.0, Bluetooth 2.1, HDMI, optical out and even a legacy analog AV out make up the inputs and outputs, although the potential amounts of storage are still unspecified.
Also mentioned are the new software features, which include long-awaited additions like cross-game chat, and PSN Sony Entertainment Network accounts can now connect to Facebook. Other details we’ve already heard plenty about, like its instant-on “suspend mode”, preloading of content, cloud gaming and shared game experiences. There are still many unknowns about Sony’s next game console, get filled in on the facts as they are after the break.
Finally here and with the highly touted UltraPixel* camera in tow, HTC’s newest flagship phone is ready to hold its own. Well, on paper, at least. But how does it compare to everyone else’s flagship? More »
It’s about time someone got the chance to test-drive Google’s $1,500 smart-glasses independently, without any rose-colored lenses getting in the way. The Wall Street Journal‘s Spencer E. Ante just became that lucky person — he played with prototype specs for 10 minutes and described them as a “wearable smartphone” that weighs just “a few ounces” and is smoothly controlled by voice commands. Saying “OK, Glass” brought up a menu in front of his right eye that made it “easy” to record stills or video, although unfortunately the device wasn’t quite ready to show off any phone, messaging or navigation functions.
Overall, Ante acknowledged the “long-term potential” of Project Glass, but in its current form he found the HUD to be “disorienting” and “uncomfortable” — partly because he instinctively kept closing his left eye to make it all work. Clearly Google still has some work to do if the device is to make a better first impression, but no doubt there’s also room for acclimatization on the wearer’s part. If the military can get along with this type of eyewear, then hopefully so can everyone else.
Filed under: Displays, Wearables
WSJ gets early, slightly uncomfortable look at Google’s Project Glass originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 03:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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