PlayStation 4: What to Expect From Sony

Sony is making a big announcement about the PlayStation tonight, and everyone is assuming it's the next system. Let's call it the PlayStation 4 for now. We already looked at the features it shouldn't have, so let's examine what it probably will have. There are a lot of possibilities, and they're all varying degrees of probable.

More Power
This one's a given. Even if Sony wasn't trying to create a processing powerhouse, it's still replacing circuitry that's almost seven years old. While newer PlayStation 3 systems use chips with smaller manufacturing processes, it's still the same architecture and power. The new PlayStation will naturally be faster, just because Sony is engineering it with newer techniques. Add to the fact that Sony tries very hard to be on the cutting edge of game system graphics and you have a much more powerful gaming system.

More/Faster Storage
Hard drives are dirt cheap, flash memory is dirt cheap, solid state drives are getting cheaper, and the PlayStation Network has a massive library of downloadable games. The PlayStation 3 started with 40GB of storage and now you can get a version with 500GB of storage. Depending on the size of the system, Sony could pop in a 1TB hard drive and still keep prices relatively low. All this storage encourages gamers to shovel more money Sony's way through PSN purchases, too. And speaking of downloadable games...

Streaming Games
This is still only a rumor, but between Sony's purchase of streaming games technology company Gaikai and Sony registering the "PlayStation Cloud" domain name, it's a good bet that the PS4 will have some sort of game-streaming service. Whether this will just be an instant-play feature for games available over PSN or an entirely new "rental" library for gamers remains to be seen, but odds are you'll be able to play games without tapping into much of the PS4's massive storage. 

New Interface
Sony's XrossMediaBar interface on the PS3 and PlayStation Portable proved so popular that Sony eventually put it on most of its home entertainment devices. If you use a Sony connected HDTV or Blu-ray player, you'll see an interface very similar to the PS3's. However, like the PlayStation Vita($499.99 at Amazon) and its bubble icons, the PS4 will probably start from the ground up to create a new interface. The PlayStation Store has already seen redesigns that hint toward a new PS4 interface, and the XrossMediaBar is just begging for a flashier, more colorful update.

Touch-Screen Controller
The new PlayStation 4 controller design has allegedly been leaked, and it has a mysterious glossy black rectangle on it. While it isn't Nintendo Wii U Gamepad size, that rectangle is probably a form of touch screen. Ideally, it will be a small OLED screen to offer basic interface functions and some game support, like tapping certain commands. Worst case scenario, it'll be a blind touchpad to fumble with and accidentally brush your thumbs across when you're trying to play. Either way, that rectangle is going to do something.

Backwards Compatibility With PlayStation 3 Games
Sony hasn't exactly embraced backwards compatibility in the past few years. While the PS2 played PlayStation games and the first PS3 played PS2 games, backwards compatibility has been all but completely phased out in favor of downloadable (and re-purchasable) games. However, the PS4 will likely get PS3 compatibility for one reason: Sony wants the Vita to succeed. Sony's CrossPlay feature has been trickling onto very few PS3 and Vita games, but the idea is still there. Sony won't want to end one of the more compelling aspects of the Vita just to make room for an even newer system, setting both up for failure. Besides, at the very least Sony will want to get PS3 owners to buy PS4s, and backwards compatibility ensures that bleedover. Whether the next half dozen iterations of updates of the PS4 will still support PS3 games is a lot more fuzzy, but expect PS3 game support out of the gate.

Eventual Past-Generation Downloads
For downloadable games, on the other hand, don't expect the PS4 to have a big library out of the box. PSOne and PS2 Classics will require some engineering to work on the new system, and the huge back catalog of games on the PS Store probably won't be available on the PS4 when it comes out. The Vita experienced the same problem, and didn't get PSOne Classics until months after release. Backwards compatible titles like PS3 games wwill probably be available, like PSP games on the Vita, but don't expect to play any classics on the new system for a while.

For more, see Always-On DRM, Used Game Restrictions Will Destroy Next Xbox, PlayStation.

Update: As expected, Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4, or PS4, which will be released in time for the 2013 holiday season.