Tag Archives: orbis

We’re liveblogging Sony’s big PlayStation event tomorrow at 6pm ET!

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We're liveblogging Sony's big PlayStation event tomorrow at 6pm ET!

The day is nearly upon us, folks -- February 20th is looking like the day we'll hear about Sony PlayStation's latest version of Home. Finally! Joking aside, yes, tomorrow evening is very likely when we'll first hear official details on Sony's next PlayStation game console (currently codenamed "Orbis"). Will we see the new version of the DualShock controller? Perhaps the rumored Gaikai game streaming of PlayStation 3 games? Or how about a confirmation of those rumored specs? Only Kaz Hirai knows! (Okay, it's likely that some other folks know as well, but Hirai definitely knows.)

We'll of course be liveblogging the goings on should you wish to play along at home -- you can find that right here. And hey, given that these things happen once per decade or so, you should probably play along.

February 20, 2013 6:00 PM EST

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Take a look at the next PlayStation’s prototype controller

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Take a look at the next PlayStation's prototype controller

What you see above is the next PlayStation's controller, at least in some version of prototype, seemingly connected to a development unit for the next PlayStation (codenamed "Orbis"). The image popped up on Destructoid a few hours ago -- we've spoken with development sources who confirmed it to be a recent version of the next PlayStation's controller and a beta unit of the dev kit, though it's not clear how much the pictured controller will match up with the final product (and the console will assuredly look quite different from the dev unit). Sony's expected to show the PlayStation 3's successor at a New York City event next Wednesday, February 20th, wherein a new version of the company's classic DualShock controller is expected to be unveiled.

Corroborating reports, the pictured controller features a rectangular touchpad in between the standard d-pad and four-button setup, though it's missing the rumored Share button. It's also unclear if the blue light seen atop the controller serves a function -- a stand-in for Move support, perhaps? -- and our sources were unable to clarify. What looks like a speaker grill can be spotted just above a newly lowered PlayStation button, which seems to indicate some form of Wiimote-esque sound functionality built into the controller.

Update: A Sony rep tells us, "We can't comment on rumors or speculation."

[Photo credit: Destructoid]

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Source: Destructoid

Sony: PS4’s main selling point will be ‘new playing options, not improved hardware specs’

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As Sony Computer Entertainment warms up its blue lighting and double-checks its playlist for February 20th, one unnamed SCE official says that the PlayStation 4 will act as more of a home entertainment hub than what we've seen in the past. They added, according to the Nikkei, that the main selling point won't be the rumored eight-core AMD64 CPU or other hardware specs, but how it opens up new styles of play -- something Nintendo is also focusing on. Sony is going to push the new console as a home entertainment "nerve center," with a focus on the hardware's ability to connect and share to mobile devices -- the rival that's pulling gamers away from traditional consoles. Edge had previously mentioned the possibility of a dedicated share button on the next-gen controller, though that remains a product of the rumor mill at the moment. No discussion on any Gaikai-powered cloud gaming just yet, but following its unveiling later this month, the report states that the new PlayStation should launch before the end of the year. A bit of a shame, then, that it's still only February.

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Source: Nikkei (requires subscription), Edge-online

Sony asks us to ‘see the future’ of PlayStation on February 20th (update: WSJ rumors)

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Sony asks us to 'see the future' of PlayStation on February 20th

What's this? A Sony invite to "see the future" of PlayStation on February 20th in New York City? From the looks of the very tease-y clip Sony's released (found just beyond the break), it's clearly PlayStation related. Perhaps involving a certain codenamed "Orbis" project? The company's official PlayStation Twitter account says "See the future" and pushes followers to this website, where invitees can sign up and everyone can see the aforementioned video.

We'll find out soon enough what the tease is about, as we've just finished up registration. From the video ... well, the future features the same triangle, circle, square, and cross buttons, apparently. A recent report detailed some specs for Sony's rumored next PlayStation, including an eight core AMD64 CPU and an AMD R10XX GPU -- specs that may change dramatically before we hear anything official. Could this be the first volley in Sony's rollout of the next PlayStation?

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Source: PlayStation Meeting 2013

Report: Next PlayStation features AMD GPU, x64 CPU architecture, touch controller

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Report Next PlayStation features AMD GPU, x64 CPU architecture, touch controller

Chalk up another potential win for AMD. The latest report on the next PlayStation console (courtesy of Kotaku), allegedly codenamed "Orbis," puts AMD at the heart of both CPU and GPU: an eight core AMD64 CPU and an AMD R10XX GPU are said to drive the system. That's at least the dev kit that the site's tipster has as of right now, but those specs -- yes, even biggies like these -- could change completely by retail availability. Should AMD remain the CPU/GPU manufacturer, both Nintendo's Wii U and the next PlayStation will be powered by AMD chips; not too shabby for a company that's been bleeding talent. The rumors we've seen of the next Xbox also point to x64 architecture, but it's unclear whether that'll be supplied by AMD or another manufacturer. If those rumors pan out however, it would mean that a single unified architecture would power two of the major gaming consoles as well your laptop and desktop -- something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. (And would open up a world of possibilities.)

We're inclined to trust the current specs of the dev kit, as they're said to be sourced from "official Orbis documentation ... a hive of more than 90 PDFs about the forthcoming console." One slide culled from that official documentation also outlines Sony's vision of user accounts, allowing multiple Sony Entertainment Network accounts to be signed in simultaneously (thus allowing for individual Trophies, and potentially cloud saves, among other uses). The piece also details a new controller -- though it is noted that the current dev kit supports both DualShock 3 and Sixaxis controllers (and the image above shows a Move, so probably that too) -- which is supposedly known as "the Orbis Development Tool." It's said to resemble the DualShock, albeit with the addition of a capacitive touchpad -- a rumor also posited by some UK outlets earlier this week.

Whether any of this is actually true is another question altogether, and we can't be sure until Sony gives official word. It sounds like some form of information isn't too far off -- E3 perhaps? Regardless, head over to Kotaku for the alleged full (current) list of specs on the dev kit and even more speculation.

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Source: Kotaku

Sony VP teases ‘a big secret’ announcement for E3 or earlier, calls out PlayStation brand

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Sony VP teases 'a big secret' announcement for May or earlier, calls out PlayStation brand

Sony's been mum on any new PlayStation (read: PlayStation 4) news since ... well, ever (okay, there is that one exception). But Sony Electronics VP of Home Entertainment Hiroshi Sakamoto may be the first to break that silence. He told Emol (translated by Engadget Spanish) in response to a question about "a new announcement related to the new PlayStation," that while the news is "still a big secret," the PlayStation side of Sony, "are getting ready for it." He of course doesn't directly refer to a "PlayStation 4" or the rumored "Orbis" internal project name. Sakamoto adds that the PlayStation team are "focused on E3," but, "the announcement could take place at that time, or maybe even before, in May." Sounds like Sony's toying with a pre-E3 event for its next-gen console -- E3 takes place on June 11 - 13 -- though Mr. Sakamoto's comments are still ambiguous enough that we can't be sure. This is a company that launched three different major hardware iterations of the PlayStation 3, so anything could happen.

When the interviewer follows up on Sakamoto's tease-y answer by asking, "But are you getting ready for a big announcement or something complementary?," Sakamoto continues speaking in ambiguities. "Probably the former, on that date we hope to deliver big news, but we must wait until May at least," he says. We've followed up with Sony for more, but don't expect to hear much beyond a wink and a smile.

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Via: CNET

Source: Emol

AMD exec behind Wii and Xbox 360 graphics jumps the fence to NVIDIA

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Xbox 360 Valhalla teardown

AMD has been suffering a conspicuous brain drain, with executives like ATI veteran Rick Bergman and CTO Eric Demers crossing over to tangentially or directly competitive companies like NVIDIA and Qualcomm. Chalk up another one for the list -- strategic development VP Bob Feldstein has bounded towards NVIDIA's (literally) greener pastures. The blow cuts deeper than usual through Feldstein's responsibility for graphics in most of the consoles from the past few years: he headed up work behind the Xenos chip in earlier Xbox 360s and the Hollywood core in the Wii, and he likely had some say in the Wii U's video hardware as well. While the staff shuffle won't directly affect AMD's Fusion processors or Radeon cards, it's hard to see much of a positive for AMD's future in video gaming, even in the light of rumors that the next PlayStation and Xbox might use some of Feldstein's work.

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AMD exec behind Wii and Xbox 360 graphics jumps the fence to NVIDIA originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 15:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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