(Picture above is only an artist's concept of what it could look like)
Rumors abound wherever there are next-gen consoles, and it's been this way for years. It's no different this time around, and what might be potentially the last round of consoles sparks a lot of interest.
VG247 found out from sources that a new version of the "Orbis kit" is shipping to developers (no word on the gamepad yet though). It's important to note that Sony is only calling the machine Orbis and is not using the words PlayStation 4 in meetings at all (though this could be and is likely due to security).
So what's in the box? Well, first of all, there is no sleek case like in the PS3–not yet anyway. The current version of Orbis is housed in a normal PC case, which makes sense considering likely nothing like physical looks is even finalized yet. The graphics card is an AMD A10 model. The rest of the specs are "either 8Gb or 16Gb of RAM" and has a Blu-ray drive. The hard drive is supposedly 256Gb "as standard"–though it's unknown is this is a normal hard drive or a solid state drive. The computer has WiFi and Ethernet connectivity and HDMI out, and supposedly it's no different than the PlayStation 3 input/output. This version is considered a "modified PC" in fact.
Software-wise, the UI has been revamped, with players being able to press the PS button mod-game and travel "anywhere" on the system. Sony is reportedly trying to make it "as fluid as possible." Oh, and we'll be able to get updates in the background, and the computer will always be in standby mode.
There are to be four versions of the kit, this being the second version. The version previous to this one was simply a graphics card, while the third iteration will be close to final specs. This version will be shipping in January, while the final version of Orbis will be arriving at developer's doorsteps next summer.
A source claimed that Sony is looking to avoid the same PS3 launch problems (read: expensive) by creating something "very affordable" but that "isn't a slouch. “The ultimate goal for the hardware is to be able to run 1080p HD games at 60 frames per sec, "no problem". Sony wants to create a machine that's powerful enough for "today and tomorrow's market."
If Orbis is indeed the PlayStation 4, this gives a pretty good idea of when to expect to see the console. Could we see the PlayStation 4 at E3 2014? I think that's very possible.
