It’s official – the PS4 is confirmed for release by Sony. This exciting news has gamers everywhere speculating about what exactly the PS4 is going to be like. It is set for release around Christmas 2013, but with the rise in the gaming market for tablet devices, will the PS4 face much competition come Christmas 2013?
Well, what do we know about the PS4 so far? Sony hasn’t given much away. We know what the controller looks like, but we have no idea how the console will look. Tech-wise, Sony has confirmed that the PS4 will harbour an AMD processor, an AMD graphics engine, and 8GB of memory. This computer-based system will allow the console to run very smoothly, and should provide a hefty amount of power for running games. This means the console should show off very impressive graphics, and Sony promises lightning fast speeds for running the games and applications.
Further to these specs, we have the old staples, including Blu-ray, HDMI, and wireless controllers. But one of the things only hinted at during the launch was the streaming capabilities for video on the PS4. Sony has said that the console will be able to play 4K videos, but did not mention any integration from streaming partners such as Netflix or Lovefilm. This is where Android tablets could come in and cause competition with Sony.
While tablets won’t provide anywhere near the gaming power of the PS4, they appeal more to the general gamer as a home entertainment system. Offering a large variety of games (which are constantly getting better with more and more powerful Android systems), the best tablets also have a fully integrated streaming service. This means you can stream HD straight from Netflix directly to your tablet.
Android tablets already boast an impressive array of powerful processors, graphic engines, and memory for their size, and as such they can play a variety of different games and applications. For example, Heroes of Order and Chaos is an attempt by Gameloft to bring the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena format to the Android tablet market. It features impressive graphics and quality of play for simply being on a tablet. At the moment, the other games targeted at Android tablets tend to focus on low memory usage but highly addictive gameplay quality; as such, they definitely do target the general gamer rather than the more hardcore ones out there.
Overall, the Android tablets compete with the PS4 in a very different way. But with more and more people buying consoles for a full home entertainment system, the tablet does provide a decent alternative. Further to this, the tablet is mobile, so home entertainment can be taken anywhere on an Android device – something the PS4 can’t handle. The devices do target different audiences, but as the development of Android technology increases, Sony will still have to watch out.
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