5 Things to Know About the Playstation 4

Wednesday is the big day for Sony fans. The company is holding a press event that will introduce the next-generation console, and the rumor mill is going haywire. Such a big announcement is bound to engage the imaginations of video game nerds tired of their Xbox 360s and Playstation 3s. That stuff is so five years ago.

While we won't know exactly what will come of the console until it is officially announced, there have been many rumors floating around that seem to lend themselves to a proper picture of the possible Playstation 4. Here is the rundown.

It will be powered by AMD hardware.

Full specs leaked a couple of weeks ago, and they show that, as many expected, both the CPU and the GPU would be powered by AMD Fusion APU Architecture. It has eight cores, and due to the integrated CPU and GPU, will be power efficient, presenting a quieter experience.

The controller will have a touch pad.

Sony has already been exploring this kind of technology with the Vita, which already has a back touch pad. Sources say that the new controller will feature a front touch pad which is similar to the Vita's. As it is on the front of the controller, the start and select buttons have been removed. It also allegedly features a whole new design.

It will stream PS3 games.

Sources also state that Sony will be using recently-purchased Gaikai to stream games on the new console, and that it will be solely relegated for PS3 game streaming. However, this seems to say something about Sony's stance on used game sales, but that is a whole other can of worms.

It will cost about 30 percent less than the PS3.

The Times has an article behind a paywall that stated that the new PS4 will possibly cost £300, or $349. Does that mean we can expect a more affordable console? Or is this just a rumor and nothing more? Only time will tell.

It will be available by Christmas 2013.

If the console will be announced tomorrow, then it will most likely be released in time for Christmas 2013 in Japan and North America, and early 2014 in other countries based on other Sony releases.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the Sony event. What do you want from the next-generation console? Sound off in the comments below.