PS4 GDC News Roundup

Because GDC is more attuned to the developers working with the PS4 rather than the general public, a lot of the details discussed at the Sony panel were a lot more hardcore and spec-heavy than many of us will care to know. On the game construction front, I will spare you those kinds of details then and just confirm for you that the PS4 will in fact use 8GB of GDDR RAM which is typically only used in PC graphics cards. The development environment will also be adapted for Windows 7 64-bit which means all of the debugging you do for a console game will be the exact same as you do on a PC. More specific data can be found at my source, so it's there for those that want it.

Now for the fun stuff. With regards to the controller, it will feature a 1920x900 resolution touchpad that clicks when pushed. The emanating light sensors can also be changed between blue, red, green, and pink. In the development sense, this could mean different number players could show different color lights from their remotes. Most importantly in my mind is that the so-called DualShock 4 will also charge even when the console is tuned off! Additionally there was also mention of the 1280x800 dual camera PlayStation 4 Eye which will have a proprietary port connection that you will not be able to use on PC. Regardless, the tech could be used for functions such as "walkthrough videos, killcam taunting, system login, speech recognition, and even moving of split screens relative to room position."

Secondly there was a lot of talk about apps and social gaming as well. Once you are on the network, you will be able to toggle between using your real name and a handle much like Steam. From there you could see what your friends are saying about the game and some of the choices they have made throughout their play. Probably the best feature is the PlayStation smartphone app. Hypothetically, it could allow you to download a new game while on the go, and by the time you get home the content will be installed on your hard drive.

It's important to note that the majority of these features will only happen if developers make use of them, but what do you think? More reason to be stoked for the "next generation of Play?"

Source: http://psx-scene.com/forums/content/ps4-new-details-sony-gdc-3168/