After years of development, Sony’s next generation hardware, the PlayStation 4, is set to release on Friday, November 15th. Armed with a host of features, which are detailed in the trailer above, the PS4 will debut at a full $100 less than its Microsoft-owned competitor, Xbox One (since Sony opted to sell their new PlayStation 4 Camera separately). We’ve been actively reporting on the new PlayStation console for over a year, breaking down pricing and sales speculation, as well as featured rumors and games, but with only a few short weeks before the hardware releases (from the time of this writing), official information is trickling out more frequently.
In the face of crunch time tweaks to the PS4 launch, and day one software update, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding how long it would be before Sony, and partner developers, were able to bring essential entertainment apps to the new hardware.
However, in a post on the Official PlayStation Blog, Sony has confirmed that eleven apps will be available to download on November 15th - including Netflix, Hulu, and other famous content providers.
Check out the full list below, including descriptions of each service:
Entertainment enthusiasts (and sports fans) will, no doubt, be relieved to discover that some of the PS3’s keystone apps will be available day one on the PS4. Inclusion of high profile apps might seem like a no-brainer, but considering the PS4 won’t even support Sony-made wireless headsets at launch, the jump to the next-generation has already required gamers show some major patience - as developers scramble to make sure the next-gen console offers key features already present in the current-gen.
It’s great to see Sony has prepared a solid line-up of apps for gamers to enjoy on the PS4, with many more on the way, but there are a few major oversights in the launch list - including HBO Go, NFL GamePass, and YouTube, to name a few, that undercut the system’s ability to be a one-stop entertainment hub (especially now that it has been announced the console will not support CD or MP3 playback).
Nevertheless, unlike Microsoft and the Xbox One, Sony has been clear that while they’d love for gamers to use their console as an entertainment/media center, their primary goal for the PS4 is to provide great game experiences. As a result, while certain consumers might be disappointed at the lack of custom soundtracks and missing apps on PS4, it’s hard to fault Sony for focusing on delivering superb gaming experiences on their next-generation gaming machine.
The PS4 is set to release on November 15, 2013.
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Sources: PlayStation Blog
