There are to be four versions of the dev kit, we were told. A previous version was essentially just a graphics card. The version shipping now is a modified PC, and the third version, appearing in January, will be close to final spec.
A final version will be delivered to developers next summer.
The ultimate goal for the hardware, we were told, is for it to be able to run 1080p60 games in 3D with no problem, to create a machine thats powerful enough for today and tomorrows market.
The dev kits have either 8Gb or 16Gb of RAM. Deduce from that what you will.
When asked if PS4 will have an optical drive, specifically Blu-ray, our source responded: Of course it has.
Weve been told the hard drive will be 256Gb as standard, but its not clear if itll be a normal HDD or a solid state drive.
We were told that Sonys aim with Orbis is to avoid problems involved in launching PS3 by creating something very affordable but that isnt a slouch.
The machine has WiFi and
Ethernet connectivity and HDMI out. Our source said the was no difference between PlayStation 3 and Orbis input/output.
The UI, however, has been revamped. It was said today that players will now be able to press the PS button mid-game and travel anywhere on the system.
An example given was buying DLC from the PS Store mid-game then seamlessly returning to play.
Theyre trying to make it as fluid as possible, our source said.
We were also told that the machine will be designed to accept system and product updates in the background, and that itll always be standby mode. When you set the console up, we were told, youll be asked if you want to allow background downloads. You can, of course, disallow them.
No details have been given on the pad as yet. Confirmation is expected this month.
Orbis is expected to be announced at an event just before E3″ next year.
http://www.vg247.com/2012/11/01/ps4_...playstation_4/