It’s no longer just a rumor: Sony has announced the PlayStation 4.

The company is currently giving out details from a PS4 event and we’ll have an updated post when they’re done talking. It’s been nearly seven years since the PS3 was announced in November of 2006, so we’re excited to learn what’s in store for the PS4.

Watch the event here.

UPDATE, 3:20 P.M. 

Here’s the PS4’s lead system architect, Mark Cerny, showing off the new Dual Shock controller. It features a 3D camera that can track the controller and a touchpad, share button and headphone jack.

UPDATE, 3:35 P.M. 

Here’s the new PS4 hub:

The PS4 also has a low-power state, so you can just hit the power button and instantly start playing where you left off. Users can play a downloadable game while it is still downloading in the background.

A huge focus of the PS4 is social. Sony has made sharing of gameplay video very seamless and they want to make it as popular as sharing screenshots today. You can also chat with friends while playing and watch other people play.

The PS4 is also personalized. It will learn what you like and dislike, and then start downloading games that you may like in the background. “Long-term vision is to reduce download times to zero,”  Cerny says.

The PS4 has an X86 processor, enhanced PC GPU and 8 GB of unified high-speed unified memory.

UPDATE, 3:50 P.M. 

Dave Perry, CEO of Gaikai, the streaming cloud-gaming company, just spoke. Gaikai is working with Sony and wants to create the first social network for gaming.

We’ve already mentioned some of the social features, but there’s more. The share button on the controller lets you broadcast yourself in real time and you’re able to ask friends online to take over your controller if you can’t beat a level, get stuck, etc. You’ll also know when your friends buy new games. 

There’s also integration with the handheld PS Vita. In a model similar to the Wii U, if you need to stop playing on your PS4, you can now easily move the game to the Vita. The long term goal for Sony is to make every PS4 title playable on the Vita.

You’ll also be able to try out games for free and pay only if you like it.

Also noteworthy: The PS4 won’t play PS3 games natively out-of-the-box. That means all your PS3 games won’t work on the new console, but Sony is exploring “advanced technologies” to allow for PS3 games to be played. 

 

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