The much-anticipated PlayStation 4 will stream games via the Internet, according to the latest reports by the Wall Street Journal.
The claims – which are attributed to inside sources – suggest the new console, expected to be unveiled on Wednesday at a Sony press conference, will be able to access a range of games via its real-time streaming capabilities.
However, the streamed games will not be new, with it expected PlayStation 3 games will be brought alive on the new console via the streaming technology. Brand new games will still be made available on optical disk.
The reports are supported by Sony’s purchase of cloud-based gaming service Gaikai last year, which allows the streaming of complex games via compressed video files, sparking curiosity as to how Sony would put its new acquisition to use in its new offerings.
While previous PlayStation models have been backward compatible – PlayStation 2 could play PlayStation 1 disks – the new model is expected to run an Advanced Micro Device (AMD) chip as opposed to the previously used Cell chip, which would preclude backward compatibility.
As such, Sony would in all likelihood need to develop a process to allow users to play existing games on the new PlayStation 4 model – lending substance to the latest streaming claims.
