MediaTek MT8125, New Quad-Core Processor for Tablet

Latest quad-core processors from the same new MediaTek was announced. Is MT8125, quad-core processor MediaTek MT8125 is designed specifically for tablets. MediaTek MT8125 claim with quad-core 1.5GHz Cortex A7 CPU speed and can save battery life and more powerful.



MediaTek MT8125 also provides the ability raphics 5XT PowerVR series which can operate the display up to a resolution of 1920 x 1200p resolution and can play 1080p video smoothly. MediaTek's latest processors are also supported extensive connectivity such as 3G HSPA +, 2G EDGE and Wi-Fi. In addition it is also supported Mediatek MT8125 4-in-1 combo connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and FM radio.



Unfortunately, until now there has been price and availability information obtained from a quad-core processor MediaTek MT8125.

Samsung Galaxy S4

 The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a smartphone manufactured by Samsung Electronics. It was announced in New York City on March 14, 2013 as the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S III.

 The phone has many distinguishing software features such as Air Gesture, Smart Stay, and Smart Scroll; a 13-megapixel back camera, and a 5-inch (130 mm) 1080p display.

 The S4 has two major variants, one featuring a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 and the other featuring an Samsung Exynos 5 Octa. The Exynos 5 Octa version features the first big.LITTLE architecture central processing unit (CPU) but does not have LTE connectivity.

 The CPU has eight cores, four of which can be active at one time emulating a quad-core. The S4 was made available in late April 2013 on 327 networks worldwide and in 155 countries.Upon its release, it became the fastest selling smartphone in Samsung's history, with 10 million devices sold as of May 22, 2013, according to Samsung.

It is the first TCO certified smartphone.

Google is releasing a version of the U.S. Galaxy S4 running stock Android 4.2.2 with Google-provided updates, similar to the Google Nexus smartphones. This device will go on sale on June 26, 2013 for $649

Software

Further information: Android (operating system), TouchWiz, and S Voice

The Galaxy S4 ships with Android 4.2.2 and Samsung's TouchWiz Nature user experience. Eye tracking features have been extended on the S4; the new "Smart Scroll" feature can be used to scroll while looking at the screen by slightly tilting the phone, and "Smart Pause" allows the video player to pause videos if the user is not looking at the screen. "Air View" implements gestures and other functionality (such as previewing images or messages) by holding or swiping a hand or finger slightly above the screen. The "Group Play" feature allows ad hoc sharing of files between Galaxy phones, along with multiplayer games and music streaming between Galaxy S4 phones. The "Adapt Sound" and "Adapt Display" functions can automatically adjust settings for the screen and sound system for optimal quality.

The camera app implements numerous new features (some of which were first seen on the Galaxy Camera), including an updated interface, and new modes such as "Drama" (which composes a moving element from multiple shots into a single photo), "Eraser" (which takes multiple shots and allows the user to remove unnecessary elements from a picture), "Dual Shot" (which uses the front-facing camera for a picture-in-picture effect), "Sound and Shot" (which allows the user to record a voice clip alongside a photo), "Animated Photo", and "Story Album" among others. Other new pre-loaded apps include WatchOn (an electronic program guide that can utilize an infrared transmitter on the top of the phone as a TV remote), S Translator, the workout tracker S Health, S Voice Drive, S Travel, and an optical character recognition app. A new enterprise-oriented feature known as Samsung KNOX allows the phone to be separated into modes for personal use and business use, and gives the business mode high security. It supports the aptX codec which improves Bluetooth-headset connectivity.

Back of the Black Mist S4

Hardware and design

The screen features a 5-inch (130 mm) (sometimes stated as 4.99-inch) PenTile RGBG Full HD Super AMOLED screen with 441 pixels per inch; it is made of Gorilla Glass 3.

The S4 comes with either 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, which can be supplemented with up to an additional 64GB with the microSD card slot.

The S4 GT-I9505 includes a multiband LTE transceiver and both models feature an infrared LED that can serve as a universal remote control.

Built into the 2600mAh battery is near field communication (NFC) connectivity, which allows users to perform non-touch payments at shops that employ specially equipped NFC cash registers. The SC-04E model has a FeliCa secure element, unlike other models which contain an NFC-A secure element. The NFC-A secure element on the SC-04E is provided on the SIM card. The battery can be wirelessly chargedusing a Qi standard special charging pad (sold separately) that utilizes magnetic resonance to produce a magnetic field through which power can be transferred.

The Galaxy S4 supports the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) video format.

In addition to the touchscreen, the S4 has several physical user inputs including a home button located near the bottom of the screen, at the bottom of the S4 is the primary microphone and the microUSB port for both data connections and charging; it also supports USB host and MHL 2.0. There are volume keys on the left side and a power/lock key on the right. At the top there is a 0.14-inch (3.6 mm) headphone jack, the secondary microphone, and infrared blaster. The backside of the S4 has the 13 megapixel camera lens and LED flash, and at the bottom left edge has the loudspeaker.

The S4 comes in two variants that differ primarily in the internal hardware:

Quad-core variant

This S4 version for North America, most of Europe, parts of Asia, and other countries has Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 SoC containing a quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300 CPU and an Adreno 320 GPU.

Octa-core variant

Further information: Exynos and big.LITTLE

This S4 version has Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa (octa-core) system on a chip (SoC) chip containing the first ARM big.LITTLE heterogeneous architecture central processing unit (CPU). The eight core CPU comprises a 1.6 GHz quad-coreCortex-A15 cluster and 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 cluster. The cluster of four faster "big" A15 cores is paired with the cluster of four slower, more power-efficient "LITTLE" A7 cores. At any given time, either the big cluster is active (for maximum performance) or the LITTLE cluster (for maximum power efficiency).[dubious – discuss] The switching of the active cluster is performed on demand by the chip firmware, with the migration of the running software from outgoing to incoming cores taking 20 µsec. The CPU emulates a single quad-core processor to the operating system and applications. The SoC also contains an IT tri-core PowerVR SGX 544 graphics processing unit (GPU). The GT-I9500 version of the S4 does not support LTE. The E300K/L/S versions support LTE, with the Cortex-A15 also clocked at 1.6 GHz.

Playstation 4

                                          PlayStation4

The PlayStation4 is an upcoming video game console from Sony Computer Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3during a press conference on February 20, 2013, the PS4 is the second eighth-generation console to be officially confirmed – the first was Nintendo's Wii U. It will also be the fourth home console in Sony's PlayStation series. The PS4 is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2013, and will compete with Nintendo's Wii U and Microsoft's Xbox One

Hardware

The console design was not revealed at the press conference, since the design and specifications are still being finalized. However, some technical specifications about the console have been announced The technology in the PlayStation 4 will be relatively similar to the hardware found in personal computers in many respects. This familiarity should make it easier and less expensive for game studios to develop games for the PS4

Console

The PlayStation 4 will utilize a semi-custom accelerated processing unit (APU) developed by AMD in coordination with Sony. Its APU will be a single-chip solution that combines a CPU and GPU, as well as other components such as amemory controller and video decoder. The central processing unit (CPU) consists of eight x86-64 cores based on the upcoming Jaguar CPU architecture from AMDThe graphics processing unit (GPU) consists of 18 compute units to produce a theoretical peak performance of 1.84 TFLOPS. This processing power can be used for graphics, physics simulation, or a combination of the two. Eurogamer calls the graphics technology in the PS4 "impressive" and an improvement from the difficulties developers experienced on the PlayStation 3. The console also includes a secondary custom chip which handles tasks associated with downloading, uploading, and social gameplay. These tasks can be handled seamlessly in the background during gameplay or while the system is in sleep mode.

The PS4 will contain 8 GB of GDDR5 unified system memory with a maximum bandwidth of 176 GB/s. This is 16 times the amount found in the PS3, and is expected to give the console considerable longevity. The unified memory architecture allows the CPU and GPU to access a consolidated memory, removing the need for separate, dedicated memory pools. The non-unified memory architecture of the PS3 was reportedly problematic.

The read-only optical drive will read Blu-ray discs at 6x CAV for a maximum read speed of 27 MB/s – a significant upgrade from the PS3's 2x speeds that were capped at 9MB/s. Early reports indicate that the Blu-ray Disc drive will not be capable of reading quad-layer 100 GB discs, a new Blu-ray Disc technology designed to support 4K resolution. Although the console will support photos and videos at 4K resolution, the system is not expected to be able to render games beyond 1080p. A storage drive will also be included, though Sony has not announced the size or type.

The PlayStation 4 will feature 802.11 b/g/n wireless network connectivity, Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX and 1000BASE-T), Bluetooth 2.1, and an unspecified number of USB 3.0 ports. An auxiliary port will also be included for connection to the PlayStation 4 Eye, a motion detection digital camera device first introduced on the PS3. A mono headset, which can be plugged into the DualShock 4, will come bundled with the system. Output options include HDMI, analog audio/video, andoptical S/PDIF.

Controllers

DualShock 4 and PlayStation Move

PlayStation Movecontrollers

The DualShock 4 will be the PlayStation 4's main controller. Similar to the DualShock 3, it will connect to the console via Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. The DualShock 3, however, will not be compatible with PS4. The DualShock 4 will be equipped with several new features, including a built-in two-point capacitative touch pad on the front of the controller, which can be clicked. The controller will support motion detection via a three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer and improved vibration. It will include a non-removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery tentatively capable of storing 1000 mAh The tentative design weighs 210 g (7.4 oz), has dimensions of 162 × 52 × 98 mm (6.4 × 2.0 × 3.9 in), and has a rubber or etched plastic backing to enhance grip. The design shown at the PlayStation 4 reveal event was "near final".However, the DualShock 4 will not be demoed until around E3 2013.

DualShock 4

The controller will feature several output connectors. Its stereo jack (3.5 mm TRS connector) will support the connection of a headset to allow a user to speak and hear audio simultaneously. A micro USB port, an extension port, and a mono speaker will also be included. The controller can be charged via micro USB, a dedicated charging station, or the console (even when the console is off).

The DualShock 4 will feature the following buttons: PS button, SHARE button, OPTIONS button, directional buttons, action buttons (triangle, circle, cross, square), shoulder buttons (R1/L1), triggers (R2/L2), analog stick click buttons (L3/R3) and a touch pad click button. These mark several changes from the DualShock 3 and other previous PlayStation controllers. The START and SELECT buttons have been merged into a single OPTIONS button. A dedicated SHARE button will allow players to upload video from their gameplay experiences. The joysticks and triggers have been redesigned based on developer input. The joysticks now will feature a concave surface.

The DualShock 4 will also feature a light bar that can display different colors. The colors will help identify players and alert them with critical messages such as low health It also will interact with a camera attachment that perceives movement and depth by using the controller's light bar. It is based on the existing technology used in the PlayStation Move. Existing PlayStation Move controllers will be supported on the PS4.

PlayStation 4 Eye

The PlayStation Eye has been redesigned. It will include two 1280×800px cameras. The lenses will operate with an aperture of f/2.0, with 30 cm focusing distance, and an 85° field of view The dual camera setup will allow for different modes of operation, depending on the target application The two cameras can be used together for depth-sensing of objects in its field of vision, akin to the Microsoft Kinect. Alternatively, one of the cameras can be used for generating the video image, with the other used for motion tracking.

The PlayStation 4 Eye will also feature a four-channel microphone array, which helps reduce unwanted background noise and may even be used to issue commands. it is tentatively set to be 186 × 27 × 27 mm (7.3 × 1.1 × 1.1 in) (width × height × depth), with a weight of 183 grams (6.5 oz) It will record video in RAW and YUV (uncompressed) formats and will connect with the PlayStation 4 via the console's auxiliary port. Sony plans to ship the PlayStation 4 Eye bundled with the console, rather than being a separate accessory.

Companion devices

A variety of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and the PlayStation Vita, can interact with the PlayStation 4 as second screens. Companion devices can also wake the console from sleep mode.

The PlayStation Vita can be used for streaming video directly from the console to the handheld, allowing supported games to be played remotely. Sony hopes to make all PS4 games playable on the PlayStation Vita.^[14] Developers can add Vita-specific controls for use via Remote Play.

The PlayStation App will allow mobile devices to interact with the PlayStation 4, similar to Xbox SmartGlass It will be available for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.^[14] Gamers can use this application to, for example, purchase PS4 titles while away from home and have them remotely downloaded to the console, watch live streams of other gamers, and view in-game maps while playing games.

Software and services

Sony intends to expand and evolve the services it offers over the PlayStation 4's lifespan. The PlayStation Network (PSN) will allow players on the PS4 to access a variety of cloud-based services from the PlayStation Store including Sony's Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited subscription services. Customers can browse titles on the PlayStation Store and stream games via Gaikai to try them out nearly instantaneously.

User interface

The user interface on the PlayStation 4 will be revamped, with items such as the XrossMediaBar – a feature on the PS3 – being removed from the layout. The design instead will resemble the latest PSN interface available at the time of the announcement. The PS4 home screen will also feature personalized content from friends. Services from third-party vendors, such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, will also be accessible within the new interface. In addition, it will also be possible to multitask during gameplay, such as opening a Web browser while playing a game.

The user profile for players will be improved, showing recent activity, their full name and other details in addition to their unlocked Trophies, as the unveiled PS4 user-interface has revealed.

The PlayStation 4 system software screenshot shown at the 2013 meeting.

Social features

"Social" was one of the five major principles discussed by Sony at the PlayStation 4 Meeting 2013. Although the console will feature social functionality, the features are optional and can be disabled.

The DualShock 4 controller includes a SHARE button. Pressing this button allows the player to cycle through the last several minutes of gameplay to select a clip appropriate for sharing. Video can be uploaded directly from the console, either to websites or other PSN users.

Gamers will have the ability to use real names with friends, in addition to a moniker in other situations when anonymity is important. They will also be able to stream video of their games live via services such as Ustream, allowing friends to view and comment on them.

Games

Sony Computer Entertainment of America chief executive officer Jack Tretton said games for the PlayStation 4 will range in price from US$0.99 to $60.00,^[49] similar to PlayStation 3 games.

Sony hopes to make it easier for independent game developers to develop titles for the PS4, although all developers will still be required to purchase a development kit in order to publish on the platform.

Physical and digital content

The system will feature downloadable content including complete games, similar to what's available on the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3. All PlayStation 4 retail games will be downloadable. When a game is purchased, only a portion has to be downloaded before it can be played. The remaining part downloads during gameplay This is accomplished via the system's secondary background processor. The PS4 will feature technology that attempts to determine games a player is likely to purchase next, and then automatically downloads those titles in the background in an effort to save time.

Sony will not prohibit the usage of second-hand games purchased in physical form. This approach could provide a point of differentiation with the Xbox One.

Backward compatibility

The PlayStation 4 will not initially include the ability to support previous PlayStation console games, including PlayStation 3 titles. Sony has instead detailed plans to explore cloud-based emulation of previous generations as a long-term solution to the challenges of backwards compatibility. The firm has yet to also rule-out on-console emulation of previous generations.

Sony is planning to launch a cloud-based streaming service through Gaikai, a company acquired by Sony in July 2012. The service will emulate and render previous generations of PlayStation games, streaming them to the PS4 and, likely, the Vita, over the internet.

XBOX ONE vs PS4

                         

   

                                                   XboxOne                                     PlayStation4                                       

Price                                                TBA                                                     TBA

Availability                                       2013                                               Holiday 2013

Blu-ray                                             Yes                                                      Yes

Hard drive                               Built-in (500GB)                                   Built-in ("huge")

Motion control                     New Kinect (included)                                 Move controller

CPU                                          8-core x86 AMD                                 8-core x86 AMD

RAM                                           8GB GDDR3                                        8GB GDDR5

USB 3.0                                         Yes                                                        Yes

Wireless                       Yes (802.11n w/Wi-Fi Direct)                             Yes (802.11n)

Gigabit Ethernet                              Yes                                                         Yes

HDMI                                  Yes (in and out)                                                  Yes

Suspend/resume                            Yes                                                        Yes

Background downloading                 Yes                                                         Yes

Native gameplay sharing (video)       Yes                                                         Yes

Xbox One:

The Xbox One is an upcoming video game console from Microsoft. Announced May 21, 2013, it is the successor to the Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox family of consoles. The Xbox One will directly compete with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's Wii U, as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles.

Similarly to the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One will feature compatibility with the x86-64 instruction set, a Blu-ray Disc drive and 8 GB of unified memory in the form of high performance DDR3. It is scheduled for release by the end of 2013.

Hardware

The Xbox One has an APU with eight x86-64 cores, 8 GB of DDR3 RAM with a memory bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s,a 500 GB non-replaceable hard drive, and a Blu-ray Disc optical drive. Three GB of the RAM will be reserved for apps and OS, leaving 5 GB for games. The graphics processing unit (GPU) is based on an AMD GCN architecture with 12 compute units, which have a total of 768 cores, providing a estimated peak theoretical power of 1.23 TFLOPS.

The Xbox One will support 4K resolution (3840×2160) video output and 7.1 surround sound. Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of marketing and strategy for Microsoft, has stated that there is no hardware restriction that would prevent games from running at 4K resolution. The Xbox One will support HDMI 1.4 for both input and output. The Xbox One does not have a video output for either composite video or component video.

Features

Media inter-connectivity

Similarly to Windows 8, the Xbox One will be able to snap applications (such as music, video, Skype, and Internet Explorer) to the side of the screen as a form of multitasking. The Xbox One will also be able to serve as a pass-through for an existing television set-top box over HDMI. This functionality allows users to watch live TV from their existing provider through the console, and access features such as show recommendations, an electronic program guide, and voice commands. The set-top box is controlled by the console through either an IR blaster or HDMI-CEC.

Voice control

The console will feature a similar, albeit richer set of voice control abilities than those found in the first generation Kinect. This will allow users to control Xbox functions via voice command. All voice control will be coordinated through the Kinect, and with this ability Skype will also become a function of the new Xbox.

Controller

The Xbox One controller maintains the overall layout found in the Xbox 360 design. The directional pad has been changed to a four-way design, and the battery compartment is slimmer. Menu and View buttons have replaced the Start and Back buttons. Each trigger will also feature independent rumble motors called "Impulse Triggers", which allows developers to program directional vibration. One trigger can be made to vibrate when firing a gun, or both can work together to create feedback that indicates the direction of an incoming hit. It remains to be seen exactly how developers will use the new feature, however.

Kinect

Main article: Kinect

The Xbox One will ship with an updated version of the Kinect sensor; the new Kinect uses a 1080p wide-angle time-of-flight camera (in comparison to the VGA resolution of the previous version), and processes 2 gigabits of data per second to read its environment. The new Kinect has greater accuracy over its predecessor, can track up to 6 skeletons at once, perform heart rate tracking, and track gestures performed with an Xbox One controller. The Kinect microphone will remain active at all times so it can receive voice commands from the user when needed, even when the console is in sleep mode (so it can be woken back up with a command).

The Xbox One will not function unless the Kinect sensor is plugged in. However, users retain the software capability to turn off all Kinect functions while the sensor remains connected to the console.

A Windows-compatible version of the new Kinect will be released in 2014.

Operating system

The device will run three operating systems: Xbox OS, an OS based on the Windows kernel, and another OS that will allow the other two operating systems to communicate by virtualisation (as a hypervisor). Such integration will include features like snapped Skype calls while in game.

The Windows edition on the Xbox will not be compatible with standard Windows apps, though developers will be able to port them over with little effort.

Xbox Live

The Xbox Live service is scaled up to use 300,000 servers for Xbox One users from 15,000 that handle the Xbox 360 users. Cloud storage will be offered to save music, movies, games and saved content and developers will be able to use Live servers to offer more "living and persistent worlds.The service will still be subscription-based. The friends list will expanded to 1,000 friends.

Digital video recorder

Included in the system is a digital video recorder (DVR) which allows the recording of gameplay. These videos can then be edited with built-in video editing tools and shared with friends through the Xbox Live service. At this point the DVR will not be able to record video from cable, over the air, satellite, etc. Microsoft entertainment boss Yusuf Mehdi said "Microsoft would be reaching out to the TV guys to get additional features, like DVR recording and playback".

PlayStation4:

The PlayStation4 is an upcoming video game console from Sony Computer Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3during a press conference on February 20, 2013, the PS4 is the second eighth-generation console to be officially confirmed – the first was Nintendo's Wii U. It will also be the fourth home console in Sony's PlayStation series. The PS4 is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2013, and will compete with Nintendo's Wii U and Microsoft's Xbox One

Hardware

The console design was not revealed at the press conference, since the design and specifications are still being finalized. However, some technical specifications about the console have been announced The technology in the PlayStation 4 will be relatively similar to the hardware found in personal computers in many respects. This familiarity should make it easier and less expensive for game studios to develop games for the PS4

Console

The PlayStation 4 will utilize a semi-custom accelerated processing unit (APU) developed by AMD in coordination with Sony. Its APU will be a single-chip solution that combines a CPU and GPU, as well as other components such as amemory controller and video decoder.^] The central processing unit (CPU) consists of eight x86-64 cores based on the upcoming Jaguar CPU architecture from AMDThe graphics processing unit (GPU) consists of 18 compute units to produce a theoretical peak performance of 1.84 TFLOPS. This processing power can be used for graphics, physics simulation, or a combination of the two. Eurogamer calls the graphics technology in the PS4 "impressive" and an improvement from the difficulties developers experienced on the PlayStation 3. The console also includes a secondary custom chip which handles tasks associated with downloading, uploading, and social gameplay. These tasks can be handled seamlessly in the background during gameplay or while the system is in sleep mode.

The PS4 will contain 8 GB of GDDR5 unified system memory with a maximum bandwidth of 176 GB/s. This is 16 times the amount found in the PS3, and is expected to give the console considerable longevity. The unified memory architecture allows the CPU and GPU to access a consolidated memory, removing the need for separate, dedicated memory pools. The non-unified memory architecture of the PS3 was reportedly problematic.

The read-only optical drive will read Blu-ray discs at 6x CAV for a maximum read speed of 27 MB/s – a significant upgrade from the PS3's 2x speeds that were capped at 9MB/s. Early reports indicate that the Blu-ray Disc drive will not be capable of reading quad-layer 100 GB discs, a new Blu-ray Disc technology designed to support 4K resolution. Although the console will support photos and videos at 4K resolution, the system is not expected to be able to render games beyond 1080p. A storage drive will also be included, though Sony has not announced the size or type.

The PlayStation 4 will feature 802.11 b/g/n wireless network connectivity, Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX and 1000BASE-T), Bluetooth 2.1, and an unspecified number of USB 3.0 ports. An auxiliary port will also be included for connection to the PlayStation 4 Eye, a motion detection digital camera device first introduced on the PS3. A mono headset, which can be plugged into the DualShock 4, will come bundled with the system. Output options include HDMI, analog audio/video, andoptical S/PDIF.

Controllers

DualShock 4 and PlayStation Move

PlayStation Movecontrollers

The DualShock 4 will be the PlayStation 4's main controller. Similar to the DualShock 3, it will connect to the console via Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. The DualShock 3, however, will not be compatible with PS4. The DualShock 4 will be equipped with several new features, including a built-in two-point capacitative touch pad on the front of the controller, which can be clicked. The controller will support motion detection via a three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer and improved vibration. It will include a non-removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery tentatively capable of storing 1000 mAh The tentative design weighs 210 g (7.4 oz), has dimensions of 162 × 52 × 98 mm (6.4 × 2.0 × 3.9 in), and has a rubber or etched plastic backing to enhance grip. The design shown at the PlayStation 4 reveal event was "near final".However, the DualShock 4 will not be demoed until around E3 2013.

DualShock 4

The controller will feature several output connectors. Its stereo jack (3.5 mm TRS connector) will support the connection of a headset to allow a user to speak and hear audio simultaneously. A micro USB port, an extension port, and a mono speaker will also be included. The controller can be charged via micro USB, a dedicated charging station, or the console (even when the console is off).

The DualShock 4 will feature the following buttons: PS button, SHARE button, OPTIONS button, directional buttons, action buttons (triangle, circle, cross, square), shoulder buttons (R1/L1), triggers (R2/L2), analog stick click buttons (L3/R3) and a touch pad click button. These mark several changes from the DualShock 3 and other previous PlayStation controllers. The START and SELECT buttons have been merged into a single OPTIONS button. A dedicated SHARE button will allow players to upload video from their gameplay experiences. The joysticks and triggers have been redesigned based on developer input. The joysticks now will feature a concave surface.

The DualShock 4 will also feature a light bar that can display different colors. The colors will help identify players and alert them with critical messages such as low health It also will interact with a camera attachment that perceives movement and depth by using the controller's light bar. It is based on the existing technology used in the PlayStation Move. Existing PlayStation Move controllers will be supported on the PS4.

PlayStation 4 Eye

The PlayStation Eye has been redesigned. It will include two 1280×800px cameras. The lenses will operate with an aperture of f/2.0, with 30 cm focusing distance, and an 85° field of view The dual camera setup will allow for different modes of operation, depending on the target application The two cameras can be used together for depth-sensing of objects in its field of vision, akin to the Microsoft Kinect. Alternatively, one of the cameras can be used for generating the video image, with the other used for motion tracking.

The PlayStation 4 Eye will also feature a four-channel microphone array, which helps reduce unwanted background noise and may even be used to issue commands. it is tentatively set to be 186 × 27 × 27 mm (7.3 × 1.1 × 1.1 in) (width × height × depth), with a weight of 183 grams (6.5 oz) It will record video in RAW and YUV (uncompressed) formats and will connect with the PlayStation 4 via the console's auxiliary port. Sony plans to ship the PlayStation 4 Eye bundled with the console, rather than being a separate accessory.

Companion devices

A variety of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and the PlayStation Vita, can interact with the PlayStation 4 as second screens. Companion devices can also wake the console from sleep mode.

The PlayStation Vita can be used for streaming video directly from the console to the handheld, allowing supported games to be played remotely. Sony hopes to make all PS4 games playable on the PlayStation Vita.^[14] Developers can add Vita-specific controls for use via Remote Play.

The PlayStation App will allow mobile devices to interact with the PlayStation 4, similar to Xbox SmartGlass It will be available for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.^[14] Gamers can use this application to, for example, purchase PS4 titles while away from home and have them remotely downloaded to the console, watch live streams of other gamers, and view in-game maps while playing games.

Software and services

Sony intends to expand and evolve the services it offers over the PlayStation 4's lifespan. The PlayStation Network (PSN) will allow players on the PS4 to access a variety of cloud-based services from the PlayStation Store including Sony's Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited subscription services. Customers can browse titles on the PlayStation Store and stream games via Gaikai to try them out nearly instantaneously.

User interface

The user interface on the PlayStation 4 will be revamped, with items such as the XrossMediaBar – a feature on the PS3 – being removed from the layout. The design instead will resemble the latest PSN interface available at the time of the announcement. The PS4 home screen will also feature personalized content from friends. Services from third-party vendors, such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, will also be accessible within the new interface. In addition, it will also be possible to multitask during gameplay, such as opening a Web browser while playing a game.

The user profile for players will be improved, showing recent activity, their full name and other details in addition to their unlocked Trophies, as the unveiled PS4 user-interface has revealed.

The PlayStation 4 system software screenshot shown at the 2013 meeting.

Social features

"Social" was one of the five major principles discussed by Sony at the PlayStation 4 Meeting 2013. Although the console will feature social functionality, the features are optional and can be disabled.

The DualShock 4 controller includes a SHARE button. Pressing this button allows the player to cycle through the last several minutes of gameplay to select a clip appropriate for sharing. Video can be uploaded directly from the console, either to websites or other PSN users.

Gamers will have the ability to use real names with friends, in addition to a moniker in other situations when anonymity is important. They will also be able to stream video of their games live via services such as Ustream, allowing friends to view and comment on them.

Games

Sony Computer Entertainment of America chief executive officer Jack Tretton said games for the PlayStation 4 will range in price from US$0.99 to $60.00,^[49] similar to PlayStation 3 games.

Sony hopes to make it easier for independent game developers to develop titles for the PS4, although all developers will still be required to purchase a development kit in order to publish on the platform.

Physical and digital content

The system will feature downloadable content including complete games, similar to what's available on the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3. All PlayStation 4 retail games will be downloadable. When a game is purchased, only a portion has to be downloaded before it can be played. The remaining part downloads during gameplay This is accomplished via the system's secondary background processor. The PS4 will feature technology that attempts to determine games a player is likely to purchase next, and then automatically downloads those titles in the background in an effort to save time.

Sony will not prohibit the usage of second-hand games purchased in physical form. This approach could provide a point of differentiation with the Xbox One.

Backward compatibility

The PlayStation 4 will not initially include the ability to support previous PlayStation console games, including PlayStation 3 titles. Sony has instead detailed plans to explore cloud-based emulation of previous generations as a long-term solution to the challenges of backwards compatibility. The firm has yet to also rule-out on-console emulation of previous generations.

Sony is planning to launch a cloud-based streaming service through Gaikai, a company acquired by Sony in July 2012. The service will emulate and render previous generations of PlayStation games, streaming them to the PS4 and, likely, the Vita, over the internet.