Numerous reports have flooded the internet over the past 24 hours, claiming that Sony is further along the PS4 development cycle than they would like us to believe. According to Digitimes, Sony’s component makers have stated that the console is already in production and could launch as early as the end of 2011, which seems exceedingly unlikely.
The report claims that Foxconn and Pegatron Technology have a contract with Sony to manufacture the PS4, which makes sense since these companies manufacture the PS3. According to the source, Sony plans to ship at least 20 million PS4s next year. Furthermore, the PS4 supposedly features a built in motion control device similar to Microsoft’s Kinect.
These reports are at odds with Sony’s constant insistence that the PS3 will have a 10 year shelf-life. Considering the console is just 5 years old, it seems a little unlikely that Sony will release a new HD console in the next year. However, Nintendo recently announced the first next-generation console in the form of the Wii U, which will be released sometime after April next year. Rumours have also begun to surface that Microsoft will announced a new console at E3 2012.
Sony came to market with the PS3 a year after the Xbox 360 was released. This gave Microsoft a head-start, and in terms of hardware and software sales, Sony has as a result been playing catch-up for the past 5 years. With rumours of a next generation Xbox, and confirmation of a new console from Nintendo next year, Sony won’t want to make the same mistake it did with the PS3 by being last to market.
Of course, the last thing Sony wants is for us to stop buying PS3s, so we can expect them to stick to the “10 year” tagline for a while still. Rumours of this nature, particularly in regards to Sony, have a recent history of proving true. Both the PS Vita and PS3 Slim were outed by similar leaks months before being officially announced.
Do you buy these PS4 rumours? Or don’t you see Sony releasing a next-gen console in the next 3 years? Let us know in the forums.
Loading ...
