The Sony PlayStation 4 will hit the shops in November, just in time for Christmas, according to the latest “source” that’s in the know.
Sony will host an event at 23:00 GMT tonight to discuss the future of PlayStation, with hopes and expectations pinned on the first official reveal of the PS4. According to one of Kotaku’s ‘reliable’ sources, the fourth iteration of the PlayStation home console will launch in the United States this November.
The source has previously revealed the codenames for both the PS4 and Xbox 720 – Orbis and Durango, respectively – and now informs the gaming website that two PS4 models will be available. Whilst details on the two models aren’t divulged, we would be willing to bet these would differ in two different storage sizes.
Whilst the console may be shown off for the first time by Sony tonight, we won’t know when we can buy one or how much they’ll cost. Those details will be given around E3 time later in the year, so most probably June. The source does quote prices of $429 and $529, but notes that these aren’t finalised.
Read: Patent reveals ‘PlayStation Eyepad’ as possible PS4 controller
Aside from launch news, the source also revealed another new feature. Apparently you’ll be able to control the console using your smartphone or tablet, with users able to buy games on the go to be automatically downloaded on the home console and also chat to gamer buddies. We’d be willing to bet that Sony will make this an exclusive feature to Xperia smartphone and tablet owners to begin with.
PlayStation fans might not be too happy to hear about Sony’s supposed plans for online gaming, however. Kotaku’s source believes that Sony will follow Microsoft’s strategy by asking for a subscription fee when it comes to using the PlayStation 4’s network. The PlayStation Network, or PSN as its known, will be renamed to ‘PlayStation World’, and “most” of the features will require a premium subscription.
Hopefully some of this information will be clarified and confirmed tonight at Sony’s event, which we’ll be covering live and as it happens. Stay tuned!