Sony has released a detailed FAQ post about the PS4, a few weeks ahead of the console’s US launch.
The PS4 is set for a North American launch on November 15th (with the UK to follow on November 29th), and the question-and-answer ‘ultimate FAQ’ post on the North American and European PlayStation Blog sites aims to make the details about the box clear ahead of its release.
One piece of information revealed about the console is the fact that it can be used in a vertical or horizontal position, like the PS3. Microsoft has previously stated that the Xbox One can only be used in a horizontal position.
Sony also stated in the post that “the PS4 system is capable of 10x the processing power of [the] PS3 system”, and that development on the next-gen console started in 2008.
As with the PS3, the PS4 will support a resolution of up to 1080p via HDMI, but Sony adds that “support for high-resolution 4K output is still in consideration [but] the PS4 system does not currently support 4K output for games”.
Interestingly, to enable many of the PS4’s advertised features – such as gameplay recording, background downloading and even the ability to play Blu-rays and DVDs and play online – the system has to download a 300MB day-one 1.50 software update, which will add the features to the console.
CDs, MP3s and media sharing are all features on the PS3 that will not be available on the PS4 at all, and backwards compatibility with PSone, PS2 and PS3 games is also not supported.
Some of the other advertised features, such as the suspend/resume mode and wireless headset support, won’t be available when the console hits American shelves.
However, a feature that Sony hasn’t advertised much, but that is supported, is the ability to control the system using voice recognition and the PlayStation Camera. The camera, which also supports facial recognition and motion tracking, will be sold separately from the console for £44.99.
Sony’s lack of advertisement regarding the feature is interesting, as Microsoft has touted the Xbox One’s ability to be controlled with the included Kinect camera as a main feature.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-launch/032343